Don’t be surprised, as I was, if you don’t see any Impressionist paintings until the very end of the exhibition “Impressionists in London.” The title is misleading – it would more accurate to use its subtitle, “French Artists in Exile, 1870-1904,” … Read More
Although we don’t hear much about them, there was still life left in Dutch artists long after the waning of the Golden Age and the disappearance of the Old Masters. I saw evidence of that in the exhibition “Dutch Modernity: … Read More
The exhibition “The Art of the Pastel: From Degas to Redon“ (through April at the Petit Palais) is an image booster for a medium often seen as a poor cousin of painting, something artists use when they can’t paint for … Read More
Until recently, all I knew about Clermont-Ferrand was that it was a place smack in the middle of France that one passed through on the way to other places and that it is the home of the Michelin tire company. … Read More
Like all tragic figures, Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) fell from on high. He had it all, except perhaps beauty, but he made up for that with his brilliance, charm and wit, which were rewarded with fame and fortune. It all came … Read More
George Desvallières (1861-1950) is one of those bygone French painters blessed with a long, successful career but whose work has been more or less forgotten. The reason may be that, although he was a highly talented painter who absorbed many … Read More
The Invention of Gay Paree “Marcelle Lender Dansant le Boléro dans Chilpéric” (1895-96), by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. © Bridgeman Giraudon If Paris were to be summed up in the popular imagination in one period of time, it might well be … Read More
Republican Sculptor of Memorable Monuments Plaster model of “Le Triomphe de la République” (detail depicting Justice). © Eric Emo/Petit Palais/Roger-Viollet Two telling artifacts are shown at the beginning of “Dalou. Le Sculpteur de la République,” the first-ever monographic exhibition devoted … Read More
The French Turner Captures Light on Canvas “Venise, l’Eglise de Crescuati (1870-80). © Petit Palais/Roger-Viollet The lives of 19th-century artists were often remarkably short. A penchant for opium, a meager income and a tendency to spend a lot of time … Read More
