Objets Precieux Art Deco, l'Ecole des Arts Joailliers, Van Cleef Arpels

Another fabulous exhibit at l'ECOLE DES JOAILLIERS on 31, rue Danielle Casanova 75001

Run, don't walk to see OBJECTS PRECIOUS ART DECO on until the 25th of April, an incredible display of small masterpieces of inventiveness, creativity, fantasy, skills and technical prowess. 

50 Art Deco boxes from a collection of over 100 collected by the Prince Saddrudin Aga Kahn for his wife, Princesse Catherine.

Compacts, cigarette cases, vanity cases (necessaire), many encrusted with diamonds and other rare gems.

Covered in fine translucent enamel, mother-of-pearl, lacquer from Paris' best ateliers of great jewelers of the 1920s and 1930s.

'Chaque instant est bonheur a qui est capable de la voir comme tel"

'Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such" Henry Miller

After WWI women gained their independence. They drove cars, smoked in public, wore shorter skirts, cut their hair, drank cocktails and worked.

Elegant upper class women were now allowed to wear makeup. Smoking was no longer the exclusive preserve of men.

As a result beauty cases and cigarette holders made their appearance.

Their flat surfaces offered the ideal support for art deco-style decoration.

This style, which flourished during the interwar period was characterised by stylization and abstraction of motifs ...plus a taste for geometric motifs. Reproduced maquettes of the gouache designs line the exhibit walls.

Other sources of inspiration included French 18th century techniques, Russian Fabergé styles, Japonism, Italian Renaissance and Persian motifs.

A simply divine exhibit with an equally divine colored catalog. Don't miss it if you're in Paris through April 25th

We had jewel-like gouté to revive us after so much eye candy :)

Well it seems we still have to kick up our heels for independence and equal pay girls doesn't it... Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you enjoyed this post, forward to a friend. You can receive a monthly Paris letter or map in your mailbox and French souvenirs at ETSY.

xxxCarolg et Bear 🐻

Gone Fishing @Kaviari

On Thursday I was invited to an 'adult' Easter egg hunt at KAVIARI.

We were given little burlap egg bags and told to look for the hidden fish

Among the many not-so-'hidden' chocolate mini eggs

No problem. The chocolate eggs were everywhere in view.

But the main objective was to find this chocolate 'sardine'. Then you could win a divine 30g tin of Caviar Baeri! Not easy to find. I was looking high and low, asking if I was chaud o froid (warm or cold). Everyone giggled and said the sardines were bien caché (well-hidden). Just when i was about to give up i found one. My picture was taken holding the prized tiny sardine.

My delicious winnings at home...

I bought one of Kaviari's handsome mugs and some other goodies at their boutique and prepared to paint them.

But yesterday I decided a hyacinth (on sale) + my bunny night light might make a better still life.

What better way to spend Easter Sunday then painting bunnies and Spring flowers.

On Friday, the day after the egg roll, I went hunting for fish, also known as fritures for the little ones.

Paris patisseries love to make chocolate fish for Pacques (Easter). Especially since the 1st of Avril, also known as poisson d'Avril

Falls on Easter Sunday. These stunning chocolate tablette/fish from MAISON DU CHOCOLAT were cleaned out of stock by Good Friday! Can you get away with eating chocolate fish instead of fish n' chips on Friday?

CYRIL LIGNAC still had plenty of fish on hand.

As did HUGO VICTOR. Big flounders with fancy bows readily available for munching.

I meant to go back and get a matcha tea chocolate fish from SADAHARU AOKI, but was exhausted from covering Paris' waterfront.

The king fish of chocolate eggs was at GERARD MULOT, with his school of fish entwining an enormous egg. I bet someone bought it and it is being devoured this very minute. The French take their Easter chocolate seriously. Easter chocolates will be in the stores for another week at least. Speaking of which THANK YOU PBers for shopping at my Etsy Spring sale! Most kind. And thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you enjoyed this post, forward to a friend. You can receive a Paris letter or map in your mailbox + souvenirs at ETSY.

Bonne Pacques/Passover xxxCarolg and Bear.

Tea with Mary Cassatt

Friday I took tea with American artist, Mary Cassatt (I wish..) at MUSEE JACQUEMART ANDRÉ.

Cassatt (1844-1926) lived in France for 60 years, was mentored by Degas and the only American painter to exhibit work with the impressionists in Paris. If you need new china the museum's gift shop has beautiful tea sets.

Or stop in the tea salon to get in the right frame of mind.

Cassatt's oil portrait of her sister, Lydia taking tea is in the show.

I wish this painting from BOSTON was there. Look at that silver tea tray! 

Under the tutelage of Degas, Cassatt began to collect and study Japanese wood block prints.

And a Japanese exhibition in 1890 deeply influenced her work.

Closely cropped-in figures fill up the picture plane.

Large flat areas of color and simple diagonal patterns are reflected in her prints.

Cassatt's muted color palette is similar to this Hokusai floral print.

Figures become flattened 2-dimensional patterned shapes merging at an angle.

Like the French impressionists Cassatt loved to paint water.

Unusual to see some of Cassatt's loose watercolors in this retrospective of 50 pieces.

I left the Jacquemart longing to paint cups and teapots.

First the thumbnail studies over and over.

Then finally tackling my new/old watercolor paper. We have to get re-acquainted again.

Mary Cassatt is in 3rd from the left, with relatives at her Chateau Beaufresne. The exhibit is on through July. Go and have tea in the salon while you're there. 

Now I have so much paper I'm having a Spring watercolor sale on Etsy of some larger, older Paris views.

Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you enjoyed this post, forward to a friend. Receive a Paris letter or map in your mailbox + souvenirs at ETSY.

Cheers Carolg