Fine Art
Fine Art & Design Furniture of Paris
It’s hard to know where to begin with all the museums, fine art, and objects Paris has to offer. We began at the Centre Pompidou before embarking across various arrondissements.
Francis Bacon (British, 1909-1992), Study for Self-Portrait, 1976. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
We toured the exhibit Bacon: Books and Paintings at the Centre Pompidou before it closed on January 20th. Very powerful exhibit. A remarkable body of work with a VERY clear message of the pain in his life as a struggling artist in a gay man’s world.
Kiki Smith (American, b. 1954), Harbor, 2015 (detail), Jacquard tapestry, 116″ H X 76″ W. From an edition of 10. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
The 11 Conti Museum at the Monnaie de Paris is hosting a compelling Kiki Smith exhibition. This exhibition marks the first time a French institution has presented a solo show of Smith’s work.
Kiki Smith (American, b. 1954), Sainte Geneviève, 1999 (detail), Ink on nepal paper. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Kiki Smith’s tapestries are spectacular! Her bronze work is powerful and her works on paper featuring Sainte Geneviève with wolves and birds is a signature I return to with pleasure each time.
An installation view of The Evolution of the Seat 1700 – 1800 in the collection of Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Oh, the French and their furniture! What a strong representation of a powerful Culture that loved everything about the decorative arts! Again, Thank You, to Louis XIV and Mari Antoinette.
François Xavier Lalanne (French, 1927-2008), Rhinocretaire II, 1966. Bronze. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
To see Lelanne and Ron Arad Design Furniture next to one another on a plinth certainly made me smile! Lalanne’s secretaire in the form of a rhinoceros perfectly captures his skill and whimsical sense of humor.
Ron Arad (British-Israeli, b. 1951), Chair by its Cover, 1989-90, patinated steel. Image courtesy of Suzanne Lovell Inc.
Ron Arad’s Chair by its Cover is a sculptural stainless steel wrap that envelopes iconic chairs. Here the famous Zig-Zag chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in the early 1930’s is featured. The reflections in the stainless steel are distorted and a new take on this iconic chair is created!
We look forward to sharing more soon from our most recent visit to Paris!
