★ ‘Portrait of Madame la Comtesse de Cambacérès’ by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1895). Currently in the collections of the Seattle Art Museum, this lovely painting depicts Louise de Rohan Chabot, who was born in Paris in… Read More
★ Fancy-Dress Costume by Paul Poiret (1911)
★ Today marks the 138th anniversary of French fashion designer Paul Poiret’s birth. So to honour the occasion, I thought I’d take a brief look at his legacy and one of his most famous creations. A leading couturier of the early 20th Century, he… Read More
★ ‘Mlle. Spindler’ by Nadar (c.1900)
★ French photographer Gaspard-Felix Tournachon – more commonly known as Nadar – was born on this day in 1820. Famous for his portraits of many of France’s most notable personages, his work features prominently in many prestigious photographic collections… Read More
★ ‘Madame Bergeret’ by Francois Boucher
★ I have something of a passion for the French Ancien Regime, so I find this beautiful portrait of ‘Madame Bergeret’ by Francois Boucher (possibly 1766) to be absolutely delightful. Boucher is one of the quintessential Rococo painters, with his work perfectly encapsulating… Read More
★ ‘Portrait of a Lady as Flora’ by Nattier
★ One of the things I love about art is that no matter how many paintings I see or artists I research, there never ceases to be another beautiful discovery just around the corner. And here’s another. Currently in the Museum of John Paul II Collection at the Porczyński Gallery in… Read More
★ French Glass Vases by Brocard, 1877
★ An exquisite pair of enameled and gilded glass vases, made in France by Philippe-Joseph Brocard (1877). Aren’t they lovely? Heavily inspired by Middle Eastern designs, they reflect the wider 19th century fashion for ‘Orientalism’ which influenced much of Europe’s decorative… Read More
★ Silver Screen Stars: Danielle Darrieux
★ Today is the 98th birthday of beautiful French actress, Danielle Darrieux. Having appeared in over 110 films since 1931, her eight-decade career is amongst the longest in film history! I usually try to keep these Silver Screen Stars features quite short, but Darrieux’s had such… Read More
★ Neubourg-Cromière Portraits by Roslin
★ I absolutely love these gorgeous companion portraits of French aristocrats, the Baron and Baroness de Neubourg-Cromière. They were created in 1756 by noted Swedish artist Alexander Roslin, whose skillful representation… Read More
