“Automne” (c. 1668), after Charles Le Brun. © Lawrence Perquis, Mobilier National The historian Ernest Lavisse, whose manuals on the history of France influenced generations of teachers, dismissed Louis as a philistine with no feeling for the arts, except as … Read More
“Les Vignes à Cagnes” (1908). © Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, USA Having OD’d on paintings by Renoir during a visit to the Barnes Collection in Philadelphia at the beginning of the year, I had trouble working up any … Read More
Titian’s “Danaë” (1544-46). © Scala, Florence The Louvre has prepared a wonderful treat for lovers of Italian painting: a trip to 16th-century Venice, where a number of great … Favorite
High-quality food, wine and service in an agreeable setting. Pros: Great buzz; comfortable noise levels; pleasant bistro décor (note the tiled floor); great service, discreetly delivered; good food; special wines. Cons: None worth mentioning Another unexpected find, La Boulangerie, … Read More
“Le Carrosse” by Xavier Veilhan in the Cour d’Honneur at Versailles. Photo © Vincent Germond. © Veilhan/Adagp, Paris, 2009. “Confronting” historic sites with contemporary art is all the rage today. Last week, two royal châteaux – Versailles and Fontainebleau – … Read More
Chef William Ledeuil has opened a baby-sister bistro to his much-loved Ze Kitchen Galerie. Back in Paris after two weeks of almost uninterrupted glorious sunshine in La Rochelle. Talk about a reality check: two weeks of people being nice to … Read More
A reference to theOedipusstory in Une Semaine de Bonté (1933). © Isidore Ducasse Fine Arts. Photo: Peter Ertl © ADAGP, Paris 2009 An early perpetrator of the graphic novel, Max Ernst created his third, Une Semaine de Bonté, in 1933 … Read More
A typical French bistro with a Japanese chef and an adorable staff. Traditional French cuisine with a Japanese twist? That’s what you might expect if you knew that the chef beavering away in his tiny kitchen was Japanese. If you … Read More
Waiting for lunch at Nomiya. A couple of years back, I saw a news item about two Belgian entrepreneurs, David Ghysels and Stefan Kerkhofs, who had come up with the idea of using a giant crane to hoist … Favorite
Le Garde Robe offers a refreshing alternative to three-course meals. There are times when instead of savoring some majestic creation by a great chef you would rather just chill out at a little street-side table and jaw with friends while … Read More
