39Vaugirard

LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY

COLORS AND LIGHT

September 16, 2009 – January 17, 2010

The Luxembourg Museum presents the first monographic exhibition of the famous American creator Louis Comfort Tiffany in Europe

(1848-1933).

Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of the famous house Tiffany & Co. in New York, is undeniably one of the most talented creators. His look as a painter in terms of color and composition, his passion for exoticism and his innovations in the glass field make him, from1900, becoming a leader of the American design whose reputation goes until the great European capitals: he will compete with the great European glass makers of the end of the 19th century.

The splendid ornamentation, the careful work, the spectacular effects and original in their lights and colors which are the main characteristics of his glass production (blown glass vases, stained glass windows, lamps and items) put him in the heart of numerous artistic movements of his time, from the Arts & Crafts and the American Aesthetic Movement to New Art and Symbolism. The exhibition will gather about 160 works (stained-glass windows, vases, lamps, items, jewels and mosaics, drawings, watercolors and photos of the time) which reveal the noteworthy contribution of this creator to the glass industry such as the whole of the decorative arts.

Visitors will admire an exceptional whole of stained-glass windows of Tiffany which has been dismantled, studied, restored and carried on the occasion of this exhibition. The presentation of these stained-glass windows in Paris is a true technical and logistical feat.

[From MUseeDuLuxembourg.com]

I just learned of the provenance of the fabled street, rue Madame, that crosses rue de Vaugirard, where our apartment is located. It was named after Marie-Joseph-Louise, “Madame” de Savoie, the wife of Xavier-Stanilas “Monsieur” de Bourbon, Count of Provence and the future Louis XVIII. In 1790, “Monsieur,” the current owner of the Luxembourg Palace, honoured “Madame” by naming the new path near the Palace. Well, a smart hotel has opened up down the street and it looks trés sympa. Hotel Villa Madame, 44 rue Madame, 75006.

This dressing your age thing is tricky, for myself and for my daughter.

My daughter, who is nine, has grown too old for the ‘kids’ clothes at Du Pareil au Meme, Jacadi, or BonPoint, but still too young to wear truly teen age fashion. One thing is for sure, her feet has grown so much that she must wear Women’s size shoes, and she will soon surpass even my shoe size, much to her chagrin. We have found few solutions. Zara Kids have great selection of clothes for kids, 5-14 age. There is one in the Marché St. Germain. Great sweaters, tops, dresses, tout au courant. There is even a ‘fur’ gilet that looked great on her, but she demurely declined. There is a great collection for boys as well, though it’s a little too rock and roll for our 5 year old son. Another find is Zef on rue des Saint Péres, 6éme. Their style is very French, vs Zara which seems more Barcelona/Spanish, reflecting their provenance. And bien sur, there is always GapKids for my daughter’s collection of jeans, flare, boot cut, skinny legs, et cetra.

Then, there is me, une autre femme d’un certain age. My girlfriends and I bemoan finding clothes and wearable pieces that are still youthful in style but accommodates our changing bodies and need for well made fabrication. Every time I do come to Paris, I do visit these few boutiques in the neighborhood, where I manage to find one great new piece that I love and that adds to my wardrobe. I long learned that it’s better to get that one unusual deep blue velvet tuxedo jacket to wear over my jeans then more basic stuff. I highly recommend Samantha, on Rue de Rennes. It’s a small boutique but highly curated. Another one is Suite 114 rue du Bac, where you feel like you’re entering someone’s private loft, filled with artsy photo, beautiful interior and a stunning collection of local Parisian designers.

Another one that I would recommend is Tara Jarmon. A Canadian-French designer who now has stores in most cities. Nice pants and jackets for work and interesting dresses for night out. She has stores in 6éme and on the Champs Élysées.

Hemingway’s descriptions of Paris in A Moveable Feast are as true today as they were then. I’m glad though that I’m no longer trying to decide between a pack of cigarettes and a croissant.

You got very hungry when you did not eat enough in Paris because all the baker shops had such good things in the windows and people ate outside at tables on the sidewalk so that you saw and smelled the food. When you were skipping meals at a time when you had given up journalism and were writing nothing that anyone in America would buy, explaining at home that you were lunching out with someone, the best place to do it was the Luxembourg gardens where you saw and smelled nothing to eat all the way from the Place de l’Observatoire to the rue de Vaugirard. There you could always go into the Luxembourg museum and all the paintings were heightened and clearer and more beautiful if you were belly-empty, hollow-hungry. I learned to understand Cézanne much better and to see truly how he made landscapes when I was hungry.

From A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

Much of this period in his life takes place in the 6th around our apartment and over to the 5th. The Musée de Luxembourg at the time housed the Impressionism collection that would move after that to the Jeu de Paume, and then on to the Musée d’Orsay. Unfortunately, no where does Ernest mention staying at our apartment at 39 Vaugirard.

I’ve always disagreed with Hemingway on the whole “moveable feast” thing. It’s a great image, but I was lucky enough to live in Paris as a young man, and I never feel like it’s a moveable feast. I certainly have memories of it, and things I crave when I’m away, but, justement, I keep coming back to Paris because I can’t replicate the feelings I have when we’re here.

By the way, in the recent controversy over the new or old versions of A Moveable Feast, I hold with the original, which may be a bit harder to find right now.

We always see our friend/proprietor Sophie Clavié and her gracious husband Philippe when we’re in Paris. Her neighborhood bistro is Closerie des Lilas, the world famous magnet for the avant-garde for generations. Their book shows all those who have passed through the place, from Bernard Kouchner, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Ingres, Henry James, and even Sarah Jessica Parker! I often think how can a restaurant that has been around since the 1850′s still live up to its reputation? That’s what is amazing about France. We sat outdoors in the ‘garden of the lilies’ and had a perfect lunch in the late August cooling sunlight. There was this entrée, Tarte du Soleil. It was a summer tart, with puréed artichoke spread on top with three pieces of perfectly grilled Sardines, on a thin line of balsamic vinegar. It was the perfect summer meal. La Closerie des Lilas, 171 Bld du Montparnasses 75006 +33 1 40 51 34 50/

Two more chocolatiers opened in the neighborhood, giving competition to Pierre Hérme. Patrick Roger, voted the best chocolatier in 2000, seems to be guided by the seasons and his whimsies, as my daughter Hadley and I saw the largest 6′ chocolate pencils to commemorate the start of the school. Down the street, on rue de Rennes, is another contender, L’Atelier du Chocolat, which looks more homey and provincial, with nuts and praline as well as patisseries. Pierre Hérme, 72, rue Bonaparte, 75006. Patrick Roger, 91 rue de Rennes, 75006. L’Atelier du Chocolat, 89 rue de Rennes.

Friends are just back from Paris and here are their quick recommendations and (very) short comments:

• Lots of Amarino ice cream (they keep opening new locations beyond Rue du Buci)

• Au Gourmand for dinner — 17 rue Moliere (1st) — this was our favorite of the trip

• Ginger for dinner (Vietnamese) (8th) — loved it but you won’t likely want to go to the 8th

• Les Editeurs for lunch (6th) — very good lunch across from Le Comptoir (which is also very good)

• La Petite Cour for dinner (8, rue Mabillon 6th) — we really like this one too

We, including and especially the kids, LOVE Amarino ice cream, but eschew the rue de Buci location for other less touristy spots because the lines go down the block. Our kids know they can eat one ice cream or one street crepe every day while in France, so like to strategize on routes home so they can get their preference.
Les Editeurs has long been a favorite. We love the decor, which allows us to bask in a fantasy that we are a truly bilingual French-American editor at Gallimard having yet another intellectual tête-a-tête with the real denizens of the 6th.

One of the many luxuries of spending lots of time in Paris every year is freedom from the tyranny of “must-do” lists. Some days we don’t leave the apartment at all, bathing in the Buddhistic calm that comes with knowing that it’s all outside the door if were just to open that door.

At the same time, we also like to visit small Paris museums since they are as varied and plentiful as snowflakes, and usually provide a new perspective on French culture and art. Here are five museums (including one X-rated) that we haven’t been to, but will add to our “maybe today” list when we inevitably have to leave the apartment for coffee and orange juice at some point. And they often give us added incentive to get out of our neighborhood to see something different. Only one of these little attractions is in the 6th, just down the way on the rue Monsieur le Prince.

1. Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine.

Address : 12 rue de l’école de Médecine, 75005
Opening Times : 14:00 – 17:30 Monday to Saturday.
Price: € 3.50
Website: http://www.bium.univ-paris5.fr/musee/
2. Musée des Arts Forains

Fairground equipment from the 19th century. It’s used mostly as a backdrop to corporate events, but if you can organize 15 people, you can make a group visit.

Address : 53 Avenue des Terroirs de France, 75012
Opening Times : On appointment
Price: On appointment
Website: http://www.pavillons-de-bercy.com/EN/museum-fairground-art.html

3. Musée de la Préfecture de Police

Famous crimes and criminals in this hard-to-find museum inside a police station. You may have to ask a flat foot how to find it.

Address : 4, rue de la Montagne Sainte-Geneviève 75005
Opening Times : 09:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday, Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00; Closed on Sundays
Price: Free
Website: http://www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr/connaitre/musee/musee.htm

4. Musée de l’Erotisme

Tasteful and informative, this museum is limited to adults over 18.

Address : 72 Boulevard de Clichy 75017
Opening Times : 7 days a week, 10am to 2am!
Price: 8 Euros (3 Euro reduction from website)
Website: http://www.musee-erotisme.com/fichiers/home.php?lang=en

5. Maison d’Auguste Comte

Apartment of the founder of Positivism and modern Sociology. Good view on how middle class lived in the 19th century and good counterpoint to the Jacquemart-André house/museum.

Address : 10, rue Monsieur le Prince 7500
Opening Times : Wednesday 2pm – 5pm
Price: Free
Website: http://www.augustecomte.org/site/index.php?id=34

For more description, see 5 Unusual Museums in Paris

This three-floor, 16,000-square-foot general store near the Marais offers shopping with a conscience; all of the profits are donated to children’s charities in Madagascar. The couple behind Bonpoint children’s clothing fame have put together an irresistible array of cutting-edge design, in-house collections, vintage furniture and kitchen and tableware finds, plus fashion, lowers, a perfume bar, and a used book café. 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais.

Here’s another good round-up of food feasts in Paris, many in our neighborhood, and old favorites like Pierre Hermé and La Durée (though we’ve soured on the last given prices and crowds). Jasmine continues to love Ze Kitchen Gallerie, where I find it pretentious and often tepid.

Stop by Pierre Hermé on rue Cambon on the right bank or rue Vaugirard or Bonaparte locations on the left bank for mouth watering macarons – these are the best in Paris, seconded, perhaps by Ladurée (skip the macarons at Paul). Another worthwhile stop for an afternoon pause gourmande is the Grande Epicerie du Bon Marché, where you can sample many top shelf products, from cheeses, to meats, to a shellfish bar, more types of water than you have ever seen, and speciality products from Fauchon and Hediard.

[From Gourmet Paris, the Remix « ArtsÉtoile]

Just the picture make my mouth water…where is the phone number for Air France….?