Sarah Bernhardt: And the Woman Created the Star
Wondrous Woman
To Jean Cocteau, she was a “sacred monster.” To Victor Hugo, she was “the golden voice.” To her many lovers in the demi-monde of Second Empire and Third Republic Paris, she was a grande horizontale, one of those entrancing, talented … Read More
Les Années Fauves
Summer Escapade with the Wild Beasts
A visit to this year’s summer exhibition at the famed Pierre Gianadda Foundation in Martigny, Switzerland, makes a great weekend escape from Paris. The show celebrates the high-color Fauve movement, which, strictly speaking, had its heyday from 1905 to ’08. … Read More
Degas in Black and White & Manet/Degas
Beyond Ballet and Bathing Women
Is there anything new to say about Edgar Degas? Anything produced by one of the best-known 19th-century French artists, so famous for his paintings and pastels of ballerinas and horses, that we haven’t already seen over and over? It turns … Read More
Martial Raysse: Recent Works
Courage, Martial!
Martial Raysse is a grand old man of the French art world, remembered fondly by his compatriots for his early work as a member of the Nouveaux Réalistes movement, when he beat Andy Warhol to the Pop Art scene. And … Read More
Ron Mueck
Demon for Details
If art is about having a visceral effect on viewers, then Ron Mueck is a true artist. On entering the exhibition of his work at the Fondation Cartier, visitors are confronted with the amazing sight of piles of supersized skulls … Read More
Berthe Morisot, Postimpressionists, Gwen John
French Art Across the Channel
A couple of hours by Eurostar from Paris, two essentially French art shows in London offer an excuse for a weekend immersed in the Anglo-Gallic love-hate relationship. And, if you’ve time to spare for a long weekend, a day trip … Read More
Léon Monet
Brothers in Colors
Who knew (or cared) that the great Impressionist painter Claude Monet had a big brother? Well, he did, and now the Musée de Luxembourg is devoting an entire exhibition to Léon Monet (1836-1917). What makes a famous artist’s brother interesting … Read More
Thomas Demand: The Stutter of History
Thinking with the Hands
If you happened to visit the retrospective “Thomas Demand: The Stutter of History” at the Jeu de Paume without knowing anything about the German photographer, you might think, “How boring! These photos are technically impressive, but the subject matter is … Read More
Musée Bourdelle
Bourdelle Museum Beautified
Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) was a big beast in his lifetime, one of a triumvirate of famed French sculptors, alongside Auguste Rodin and Aristide Maillol. After he died in 1929, his reputation faded, but he’s been rediscovered in recent years, and … Read More
Picasso Celebration & Paris Is Pataphysical
Picasso and Paris Seen Through Designer Eyes
Two stars of the design world have been given carte blanche by Paris museums to express their creativity in temporary exhibitions: fashion designer Paul Smith at the Picasso Museum, and product designer Philippe Starck at the Carnavalet Museum, with very … Read More