Tale of a Rococo Fan,

 

Marie sent me an email of a blurry photo scrap of a fan 🪭 she once admired at an auction.

Being an ardent collector of antique fans 🪭 

La Mode du 18e Siècle - Palais Galliera

 

2025 was the year of ART DÉCO,

2026 is the year 18th century style and décor. 

Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais, Marais

 

It isn't everyday you get to have petit dejeuner with Marie-Antoinette 👑 

But I did last Sunday at Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais

Marie-Antoinette letter métamorphoses d’une image, La Conciergerie

The October Paris letter is in the post 📮 

On Monday I read of a new MARIE-ANTOINETTE EXHIBIT opening at La Conciergerie the next day. 

The prison is where Marie-Antoinette spent her last 6 weeks before being guillotined age 38 on 16 October, 1793. 

Its on Ile de Cité, not far from me but I haven't visited since I was 18. Tuesday morning I was there opening time. *Its always a good idea in Paris, to see something new as fast as you can, before word out and the long lines form. This will be a busy exhibit. 

It begins with her imprisonment. M-A's hair is said to have turned white overnight, true or untrue I don't know. The exhibit is terrifically interactive with audio. And famous film clips in a mini movie theater. 

Great for kids. I'm happy to say the exhibit is in both French/English equally. Hooray. There is tons of historic info, documents, her last letters, books written about her etc. But the main focus is on her image's influence over time as a celebrity in her day. And the  heroine she became post-death. She was, of course demonized during the French revolution. 

How to present her in the October letter? A montage of images? 

We know her well as the young Austrian archduchess thanks to Sophia Coppola's film. 

Then as the young queen painted by Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun. Later as la bonne maman. And enfin, as a prisoner of la Conciergerie. 

Her image is represented n Japanese manga,  Miss Piggy. Laduree has milked her style to the 9s in its packaging. Its all there and great fun. 

The gift shop is terrific. If you need a gift for a Marie-Antoinette fanatic get them a letter subscription. Why not? Thanks for reading and sharing Paris breakfasts.

 Subscription letters 💌maps and watercolors  🎨are in my Etsy shop.

 From Paris with love ❤️ Xxx🥂🐻

Marie-Antoinette monogram Limoges cup & saucer.

Les Adieux à la Reine

 Parfum de Marie-Antoinette etsy 9" x 11"

 I just saw again Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette at the Film for Foodies series/Alliance Francaise going on through October. Don't miss it! Still as frivolous as ever with fab costumes and gouter plus an intro by Foodie critic John Mariani.

 On a more serious vein I can't recommend enough the new Marie Antoinette film de Benoît Jacquot, Les Adieux à la Reine, with Léa Seydoux, Diane Kruger, Viriginie Ledoyen.

 It covers the last 3 days of MA's reine (filmed also) within the confines of Versailles with utter authenticity and the drama of a thriller.

 The acting is superb as are the costumes, every detail is considered. But the lighting and cinematography will knock your socks off.

 With the look of a Georges de la Tour painting throughout for added drama to the scenes...

 Excellent actress Lea Seydoux holds your attention every minute. Remember her in the end of Woody's Midnight in Paris? By the way I saw this film sans titles the day it opened in Paris thinking it would be easy to get. Ahem...I had to see it again recently, this time with titles. It was well worth the second viewing. Exquisite!

 I saw Lea Seydoux at a screening of terrific new film  'Sister' last Sunday. Quite a transformation.

 Another mistress of Versailles (some would also like to see on the guillotine) Catherine Pégard, and recent appointee of last president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Formerly editor of the journal Le Point, she has no experience whatsoever in the art world or curating such a massive institution like Versailles.

Il arrive.

 Her predecessor was responsible for bringing in Jeff Koons and Murakami to the grand halls of Versailles much to the consternation of many. As well, the palace gardens, formerly free, are now 9 euros in season and 5 euros out of season.

Il arrive (it happens). 

 If Marie Antoinette were alive today do you think she'd be eating deluxe Granola Ispahan from another of Pierre Herme's collections?

I'd like to be eating it right now...

Rose of Marie Antoinette 9" x 11"

Chez Alice

You're terribly late you know...Naughty!"

                              said The Mad Hatter. It's true I am late. Late posting today

And I never got to the Alice Tea Party at Rizzoli because I was painting up a storm here trying to catch up. Thank you Grace for posting on The Real Alice in Wonderland book signing. I thought I'd show you Alice at Printemps instead today.

You could look down from the escalators on the big Mad Hatters tea party going on at Printemps ground floor - not very private indeed! *Note on the facing wall behind the tea table.

All these exquisite.

'Alice' still life setups.

Perfect for painting.

Perfect for eating. Well just perfect. As I was tiptoeing around in my best Sherlockian mode, nabbing shots to show you I heard my name called out,
"CAROLLLLLLLLLLLLL"

Was I about to be arrested..?

It was Biscuit Bear (aka Helene) and her daughter Puni, attendees at the big tea table who spotted me. We met on Flickr sometime ago. I loved this picture of Puni wearing the dress from the Marie-Antoinette exhibit.

Helene and Puni showed me the Alice book in the tea salon. It's a book within a book, well many books.

I realize I haven't shown you a single macaron today.
Simply shocking!
The green "Alice" music box was once full of macarons...sigh

Now I must get back to painting.

Doesn't this look like a modern-day Alice lost in wonderland? Wanna trade places with her on this wet Monday?

I DO!

Jeanne sent me her painted version of "Alice" - Your lovely post of Alice and Puni reminded me that my recent painting of my granddaughter Carlie seemed to somehow emanate Alice as well. Maybe with the current movie, Alice is in our collective consciousness.

 A Brazilian Alice made by PBer Heloisa.

Isn't she enchanting?

Personally Yours,

A Gift of Macarons,watercolor, 5.5" x 7.5"

I've been painting some personal paintings for commissions that can be inscribed to the person of your choice.

Author Catherine Delors reported yesterday on an auction at Christie's Paris. And on this small personal scrap of fabric from Marie-Antoinette's dress, plus other royal memorabilia from the estate of the late Comte and Comtesse de Paris.

Stack of Macarons,watercolor, 5.5" x 7.5"

I'm tieing that in with making paintings of your own personal stack of French macarons.

Here's a personally embroidered purse of M-A's from the auction - it went for more than $133,000! Personal Jar of Jam,watercolor 5.5" x 7.5"

Why not settle for a Pierre Herme jam jar with your name on it instead...

Eiffel Tower Envelope,watercolor,5.5" x 7.5"

Or an envelope with a friend's name on it...

Remember Sophia's fabulous mini pastry shop?

Emma and Neil in France of emmaflam-miniman.com are making a personal mini piece montee de macarons for her pastry shop. YUM!

BON MERCREDI!

Christie's Euro Decorative Arts

Napoleon's Macaron,watercolor on Etsy, 5.5" x 7.5"

Do you think Napoleon ate macarons? I called FactCheckers and they say, "NON!"

I spotted that Napoleon bust at Christie's European Decorative Arts exhibit on Saturday. Wouldn't these make nice Warholesque pillows?

French Tapestry Chaise,watercolor on Etsy, 5.5" x 7.5"

And wouldn't that pillow look just swell on this French tapestry chaise/chair dog gone it? All this immersion in Marie-Antoinette and other Frenchie 18th century decor, has made me decidedly dissatisfied with my new IKEA SOLSTA sofa and other IKEA accoutrements/stuff :( Visiting Christie's only brought home to me again...

...that I need Maison Jansen consoles like the above and what-have-yous to really do my job here at PB right! This bed would be a good starting point wouldn't it? One of the grand things about visiting an auction exhibition (unlike a museum) is you can jump on the bed and try it out for size! Or these triplet chairs! And don't cha just know they had those pink hydrangeas/hortensias at Christie's? You betcha they did! I'm thinking I'll start the re-do of my apartment with this Marie-Antoinette dish towel (torchon)for 16 euros (ouch) The big question I'm asking myself IS did Marie-Antoinette ever do dishes? Hmmm...food for thought BONNE MERCREDI!