Nearly every tourist in Paris plans to visit the Louvre. The Louvre is seen as one of the quintessential French experiences, even though most of the art pieces it contains hail from other nations. Yet, when approaching the Louvre, tourists seem to be focused solely on the looming glass pyramid over the neatly cut treetops of the Jardin des Tuileries, completely missing the structure to their left. This imposing yet unassuming wing of the Louvre Palace houses le Musée des Arts Décoratifs, or MAD, one of the premier museums of Paris. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs is itself historical. Opening on May 29th, 1905, MAD has seen two World Wars, the end of the Cold War, and the establishment of the European Union by the time it was renovated between 1996 to 2006.
Physically attached to the Louvre, MAD houses an impressive collection of art, objects, and furniture that rival its conjoined neighbor. According to the Figaro, the Louvre holds pieces recognized as the absolute best examples of fine art in the world while MAD houses art people would have actually owned and used. That does not mean that MAD’s collections are any less artistic. Rather, they are tangibly linked to France’s history and the lives of French people. Take the Soupière made by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot in Paris in 1819. It serves a functional purpose by holding soup before it is served, yet the beautifully crafted silver angels, swans, and ornaments turn the structural components of the Soupière into artistic design elements.
These collections are exhibited in five departments based on the time period of the objects. The first department features pieces from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in France, where authentic bedrooms, friezes, and altarpieces are re-created using objects from the collection. This department is followed by a collection of 17th and 18th century pieces, during the Ancien Régime. Within the 17th and 18th century displays, you will notice the proliferation of porcelain and the increasing ornateness of everyday objects in themed salons. The Ancien Régime section ends with the Revolution, starting a department of 19th century pieces. Here, gold accents dazzle your eyes alongside powerful, opulent color schemes.
After entering the Republic era, the time ranges of the departments become more condensed. The first of these temporally condensed section features objects in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles of the early 20th century, where human-made objects seek to imitate natural forms. These styles were heavily influential in France, and many of the pieces in this exhibit hail directly from various world’s fairs in the 1920s and 1930s. The fifth and final department houses contemporary or modern pieces and seeks to explore the very limit of modern design and fabrication. Many of the pieces in these final displays seek to blend aesthetics with increased functionality. The Bibliothèque des Chaises is a great example of this. This library of chairs is a repository of our modern attempt to make the sitting experience more comfortable, yet visually pleasing.
Within these five departments, the collections are further subdivided. Textiles, jewelry, paintings, toys, furniture, graphic arts, glassware, and advertisements can be found throughout all five departments, creating very diverse and holistic exhibitions. With these diverse collections, MAD aims to be as alive as its contemporary and modern department. Through exploring the history of everyday art, MAD seeks to follow the continuous breath of French taste from the middle ages to today. By exploring MAD’s dynamic exhibitions, you might just feel a hint of this breath, pushing you to design the next object for MAD’s modern department.
References
« Departments. » Musée des Arts Décoratifs Paris : n. pag. Web. 2 March 2020. https://madparis.fr/francais/musees/musee-des-arts-decoratifs/collections/departements/
Fauteuil « Œuf 3317 » et repose-pied « 3127 ». By Arne Jacobsen – Photo by Jean Tholance, Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris. https://madparis.fr/francais/musees/musee-des-arts-decoratifs/collections/departements /#&gid=1&pid=70
« Les 5 musées de mode à voir à Paris » Vogue 20 Février 2020 : n. pag. Web. 2 March 2020. https://www.vogue.fr/culture/article/5-musees-de-mode-a-voir-a-paris
Prat, Véronique. « Réouverture : le musée des Arts décoratifs retrace l’histoire du goût. » Le Figaro 4 Septembre 2006 : n. pag. Web. 2 March 2020. https://www.lefigaro.fr/lefigaromagazine/2006/09/04/01006-20060904ARTWWW90415-reouverture_le_musee_des_arts_decoratifs_retrace_l_histoire_du_got.php
Soupière. By Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot – Photo by Jean Tholance, Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris. https://madparis.fr/francais/musees/musee-des-arts-decoratifs/collections/departements /#&gid=1&pid=39
Tucked between white marble works of centuries past in the Louvre’s Cour Puget resides Jean Michel Othoniel’s La Rose du Louvre, a painting series that only just recently made its way into the historic halls of the Louvre’s permanent collection, in October 2019. Othoniel’s work was commissioned to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei’s Pyramid that stands at the entrance to the museum.
The old master Peter Paul Rubens served as Othoniel’s inspiration for the flower that he hoped would become a symbol of the heart of French artistic tradition. Rubens’ work Wedding of Marie de’ Medici to Henri IV provided the very floral motifs on which La Rose du Louvre is based. The abstract representation of a rose seen in each panel carries a dual symbolism for Othoniel. Floral imagery is often packed with symbolic potential, and Othoniel’s project taps into this meaning in an effort to illuminate the subtleties that flowers have to offer. The choice of the rose shows intentionality, as Othoniel associates “la reine des fleurs” with “le roi des musées.” Symbolic of the Louvre’s position of cultural power and explanatory of some of the stories held within the museum’s vast corners, La Rose du Louvre took very little time to transition between its first presentation on May 25, 2019 and its permanent induction some five months later. Visually, the work is also at home, as its black ink on gold leaf creates a pleasing aesthetic as the work is flanked by its sculptural neighbors. Othoniel expounded on the symbolism of flowers inherent in La Rose du Louvre with his accompanying text Herbier Merveilleux, or The Secret Language of Flowers. Owing to Othoniel’s artistic dedication to floral forms as well as the familiarity he gained with the Louvre while working as warden, the text is a guide to the intricate meanings found within the flowers of the Louvre.
At the turn of the nineteenth century, a new art movement took the world by storm and situated itself within the prominent visual identity and culture of Europe and the United States. Although the movement originated in England, with artists like William Morris and Walter Crane, the most prominent and utilized title for the artistic era was the French phrase, l’Art Nouveau, literally translating to, “the new style.” Artists and craftsmen came together with the intentions of breaking away from the traditional and academic study of fine art in an attempt to redefine and redistribute art by imbuing everyday objects with beauty. Rather than referencing the classical and mythological subjects and styles of the past, artists looked to the forms found in nature as well as the various subjects and styles of Japanese woodblock prints. Works manifested as fine art with painting and sculpture, graphic art with drawings and prints, and in more uncommon mediums, such as jewelry, glasswork, and ceramics.
During a recent visit to a Central Kentucky flea market, I overheard a mother instructing her children: “These are antiques, so they are three times as expensive. Don’t touch anything.” Her words have been rolling around in my mind for a few days, and I must admit that I find antique and vintage pieces to be very reasonably priced. Why? For most people, “old” things are not desirable.
In the realm of space, your life is nothing but the lively energy of life, interconnecting with everything.
Every day, I wear stories. The stack of bracelets on my left arm reminds me of dear people, travels, and great deals scored in local antique shops. Side-by-side, the bangles, beads, cuffs, metal, and leather hold meaningful moments that span decades—my visit to the Leather School in Florence, a sterling silver bangle that Dad brought back from Ireland, two sweet bracelets made of glass beads from Mali.
Flea markets are therapeutic. My eyes do the initial sifting as I make my way down the aisles and through the booths. When I am drawn to an object—a hand-painted tray, a copper planter, a Limoges teacup—I approach for a closer look. Where was it made? What is its story? Can I make space for this object in my little house?
ge chopsticks for months… two sets lovingly displayed in narrow, silken boxes. I figured the local antique shop wouldn’t sell them right away, so I hemmed and hawed. They definitely weren’t ivory—maybe resin? The floral cloisonné was dainty and delicate. I liked the weight of them in my hands. I slid them back in their case.