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Lyricism and tourments.

Death and the Maiden I>, or Quartet No. 14, is one of the most famous compositions of Franz Schubert. Written in 1824, the second movement of this quartet (which has four) takes up the theme of a lied (or a song) composed by Schubert in 1817 and inspired by a poem by Matthias Claudius.

Long before Matthias Claudius, it is in ancient mythology that the theme of Death and the Maiden appears. It highlights the intrinsic link between Eros and Thanatos. This dialectic has inspired many painters. It is also found in the works of Schubert, where the frantic pace and lyric moments alternate. It finally appears in the Death and the Maiden I>play by Ariel Dorfman. Inspired by the Schubert quartet, this 1991 play was brought to the screen a few years later by director Roman Polanski.

The avant garde in the late 20s and 30s.

The Jeu de Paume presents an exhibition that looks back over the work of Florence Henri between 1927 and 1940. During these years, the artist created self-portraits, abstract compositions, portraits of artists, nudes, photomontages, photocollages and also documentary photographs. These pictures were all taken in Rome, Paris and Brittany.

Florence Henri was well known for her photographic production during this fundamental period when photography as a tool was used to free the vision and open the mind to new experiences. 

A classic steeplechase.

This classic steeple-chase competition is the most exciting event of the racing season, where you can see the greatest champions put to the test.

The group 1 race runs a 5,800 metre track, one of the longest steeple-chase distances in France, with 23 fences, including the famous Rivière des Tribunes.

Traditionally limited to the elite steeple-chasers, this sporting event is the ultimate challenge in equine performance and requires that both jockey and horse be in peak physical condition, have a certain amount of mutual trust and confidence, and a dash of luck!

The race takes place on theAuteuil racecourse: the hallowed temple of steeple-chasing in France.

A tumultuous work.

Théophile Gautier was enchanted by Joseph Mazilier's Paquita at its premier in theParis Opera house in 1846. Carlotta Grisi in was one of the main dancers and Marius Pepita took the ballet to Russia, where he gave a new version in 1882.

After its gradual disappearance from the opera scene, the ballet was lovingly reconstructed by Pierre Lacotte in 2001. The ballet features an intriguing plotline with abductions and family secrets. This is transposed into a hectic choreographic work in which character dances and pantomime are combined with demanding technique.

The sets and costumes help to create a colourful spectacle that unfolds in picturesque nineteenth century Spain. 

He has found his voice…

Recognized as one of the most accomplished tenors on the international opera scene, German singer Jonas Kaufmann continues to delight audiences wherever he performs.

Appearing at the most prestigious opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Vienna State Opera, Jonas Kaufmann brings us a perfectly controlled voice, undeniable musical qualities and deep emotion. In short, the audience is sure to be enchanted by this great tenor.

The pleasure of taste.

One of the largest food festivals in the world, Taste Festival takes over the Grand Palais in Paris for four days. It brings together gourmets and food experts from around the world.

Many stands, staffed by the people behind world-famous restaurants, will offer tastings. But Taste of Paris is more than a gastronomic feast: it is a family event that can be savoured by all, and it's known for its buzzing vibe and great mood.
This festival is organised with the help of Alain Ducasse and Joel Robuchon, patrons of the event.

Personal jazz.

Since his first album in 1998, Kyle Eastwood has continued to push the boundaries of his personal universe, illustrating with some expertise the extent of his musical tastes. Timepieces, the new album by the double bass player, sounds like the culmination of the work that he began with the young and talented English musicians who have accompanied him for three albums, now joined by a Cuban drummer who brings his impeccable sense of timing to the group. 

Pop icon.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has dedicated a retrospective to the career of British musician and pop icon David Bowie (b. 1947, London).

A singer, songwriter, producer and actor, David Bowie made his mark on the history of music, becoming a living legend.

Visitors can admire some 300 objects relating to this cultural icon: handwritten lyrics, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, decorations and instruments used by Bowie. This is an unprecedented exhibition, a pop odyssey which traces Bowie's musical partnerships as well as his personal life.

A fitting tribute to the man who helped shape 20th century music, from Ziggy Stardust to China Girl. In March Bowie released a new album entitled The Next Day.

A poetic and natural world.

Alongside the exhibition The Lower Depths of the Baroque, Rome of vice and misery in which Claude Lorrain will be represented by an important painting from the National Gallery in London, the Petit Palais offers another exhibition in one of the rooms of the permanent collection. All these works come from the Dutuit collection.

Claude Gellée, nicknamed "Claude Lorrain" in Rome as he came from the Lorrain region, the painter, who was also a draftsman and etcher, became famous for his landscapes and his poetic imagination.
His approach to depicting nature was sensitive but also very much idealized. 

Jazz in the streets…

Jazz is more than a genre of music; it's a spirit, a whole lifestyle that musicians and aficionados perpetuate and guide into new generations.

Taking place in one of Paris's most beautiful districts, the Jazz in Sain-Germain-des-Près festival is a model of elegance, an event that has managed to climb to the top of the cultural calendar in only a few years.
It brings a real spirit of sharing and of celebration to this legendary cradle of jazz: Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Heavenly ballet.

Drawing mainly on the poetic screenplay by Prévert directed by Marcel Carné, with Les Enfants du Paradis, the dancer José Martinez presents his first major ballet for the company.
The choreographer revives a Paris that has since disappeared, the Boulevard du Crime in the early nineteenth century, with its artists, theaters and cabarets.
In a setting reminiscent of a film set, the mime Baptiste recounts his memories, especially his meeting with Garance, his impossible love for such a wonderful and elusive woman, the world of the show and its magic, the stage, what went on backstage and the often blurred borders between reality and illusion.
Set to the original score by Marc-Olivier Dupin, the choreography alternates large group scenes and smaller pas de deux. 

A Wagnerian opera, French-style.

Composer Ernest Chausson saw the opening night of Parsifal in Beirut in 1882. It was a shock to him. His own work was to feed off the result of this discovery of Wagnerian language, making it his own by adapting it to his own sensibilities - and to the French public - creating an almost impressionistic work in his orchestral composition. This work was not without difficulty in the making: it took ten years (1886-1895) to refine the score of Le Roi Arthus. The composer's premature death (in a bicycle accident) was to prevent him from ever seeing his work performed on stage... But make no mistake: despite the parallels, Le Roi Arthus is anything but a copy of Tristan. Chausson, in his first and only opera, already employs the first person, and thus paved the way for Debussy and Dukas who, in their own way, would also fight against the naturalist movement which triumphed at this time. 

Art and writing come together.

With The Human Comedy: Dotremont, Duchamp, Picasso, the Maison de Balzac celebrates the encounter between Balzac and the CoBrA movement, highlighting a dialogue between the "painters of writing" of the nineteenth century (Théophile Bra, Victor Hugo) with modernity (John Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp, Asger Jorn, Henri Michaux).

Founder of the CoBrA movement, Dotremont had a complex and vibrant relationship with Balzac.
They shared elements of their research on writing and its relation to the text: the unexpected use of printing fonts, the importance of handwritten work, and so on.

Playful and poetic, the exhibition focuses on these visual art experiences in connection with writing initiated by Balzac, and reflects on the most intimate sources of artistic creation. 

Red carpet on the Champs-Elysées.

The international reputation of the Champs-Elysées, its accessibility and scale make it an obvious choice as a location for major and unique events.

The Champs-Elysées Film Festival aims to be a festival for all, and a key date in the film festival calendar for fans of both French and American cinema, set on one of the most beautiful avenues in the world.

With a full programme of screenings of independent films and big Hollywood previews (in the presence of film crews), this Festival aims to showcase the diversity of American cinema.

A love story.

Ramy and Julietta marry in secret, in Cairo. They want to be open about their love, but their families are sworn enemies.
From joy to sorrow, via love and rivalry, what future awaits these two lovebirds? What is this mysterious hand of fate that seems to intervene in their lives?

This theatrical dance creation is freely inspired by the eternal love story, Romeo and Juliet. Taly and Kareem Gad (co-directors of the company Bell'Masry) gracefully succeed in combining traditional Egyptian values with a modern 21st century setting.

Japanese sensibility.

The last great school of traditional Chinese painting, the school of Lingnan was based in Guangdong (the current region of Canton). In the early twentieth century, Chen Shuren and the two Gao brothers, Gao Jianfu and Gao Qifeng, were concerned about the political and cultural slowdown in China.

Like as many of their contemporary artists and thinkers, they then turned to Japan to rebuild a Chinese modernity. They drew on the Nihonga, the revival movement of traditional Japanese painting, and developed a new original painting style. The school of Lingnan turned to naturalist subjects in particular relating to Japanese sensibility.

The Cernuschi Museum will trace the birth of this school and explore its scope and complexity. 

Following the fleets.

France, with 12,840 km of coastline and 11 million square kilometres of sea surface is the second largest maritime domain after the United States. Every year, nearly 360 million tons of goods pass through the major French ports: Marseille, Le Havre, Dunkirk, Nantes, Rouen and Bordeaux.

In general, the Western world developed trade with the territories they discovered and which provided them with rare or unknown products. Thus, raw materials, manufactured goods and foodstuffs were often transported by sea.

In a 1000 m² space, the exhibition offers an interactive and fun visit, following the thread of trade routes and cargoes of foodstuffs: cereals, olive oil, salt and spices, coffee, tea and cocoa, wine and exotic fruits. For each period in the history of maritime trade an animated film invites you to interact with objects and trace a journey. 

Christian imagery through the ages.

In parallel with the exhibition Poussin and God, the Louvre explores Papal Rome's love for religious icons and examines how it influenced French painting between 1580 and 1660. The sixteenth century was marked by a major religious crisis that had an impact on artists and therefore on images.
By the end of the year 1522, a vehement iconoclastic attitude had taken shape in France and the Netherlands, reflecting a certain atmosphere that would affect many painters.

Religious art was rebuilt in Italy, taking as a basis the notions of purity and truth. The exhibition aims to explore both painting in Papal Rome and the influence of this art on the French School. 

An intimate moment.

The Marmottan Monet Museum presents a unique exhibition, the first on the theme of the toilette and the privacy of hygiene. Such a subject had never before been addressed in an exhibition, allowing the museum to surprise us with works by major artists from the fifteenth century to the present day, works relating to the rituals of cleanliness, their spaces and their gestures.

One hundred paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and moving images (also called chronophotographs) will be presented as part of the exhibition.

The first part presents works by the School of Fontainebleau, Georges de La Tour, François Boucher and so on. These paintings reflect the toilette in Europe under the old regime.
The second part of the exhibition will allow visitors to explore the changes in hygiene that took place in the nineteenth century, with new tools and modes of cleanliness. The emergence of the bathroom was to become a new subject for artists. 

Masterpieces in Paris.

As part of the third phase of its inauguration, the Louis Vuitton Foundation presents a historical exhibition: The Keys of Passion. This exhibition brings together masterpieces that have marked the history of modern art. You will have the chance to contemplate some of the most famous works of art in the world, including works by Mondrian, Malevich, Rothko, Léger, Picabia and Munch. These works on display come from the greatest museums in the world (the Tate Modern in London, the MOMA in New York, the Munch Museum in Oslo or the Los Angeles MOCA).
Take the opportunity to admire Munch's Scream in the flesh, lent by the Munch Museum in Oslo. 

Ferocious talent.

This exhibition will be an opportunity to discover the work of an unusual Italian artist, and indeed this exhibition reveals the many facets of her work. Carol Rama's irreverent body of work spanned almost the entire twentieth century and flirted with surrealism as well as concrete art, informal art, Arte Povera and outsider art, and yet she remains unclassifiable.


Carol Rama is now considered an artist whose work is essential in understanding the evolution in pictorial representation, a precursor to the work of artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Cindy Sherman, and Rosemarie Trockel. Her groundbreaking work has recently attracted much interest from institutions, art historians and artists. 

Tasty traditions.

This exhibition focuses on the traditional culinary arts. At a time of globalization and fast food, the works presented remind us that traditions and rites still exist, along with a certain set of principles regarding how we eat our food.
Traditions, acts and expertise are demonstrated, illustrating some of the history of cooking and food.

With masks, sculptures, art objects and so on... A series of works will evoke different cultures but also the culinary arts as practised all around the world. These communication and consumption methods are demonstrated with installations. 

The golden age of Spanish art.

A key artist in Western art history, Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) is undoubtedly the most famous painter of the Spanish Golden Age.

This exhibition at the National Galleries of the Grand Palais in Paris presents his work in a dialogue with paintings by artists of his time that he knew, admired or influenced in turn.

The exhibition also looks at changes in style and subjects in Velázquez's early compositions, the passage between naturalism and the influence of Caravaggio, as well as his ability to paint landscapes, portraits and history paintings equally well.

Style imposition.

Adolfo Wildt was an Italian sculptor, close to symbolism and the Liberty movement, who was able to develop a language in which Expressionism mingles with echoes of ancient art from the Renaissance to neo-Gothic, in a unique balance between the expressive power of the model and the grace of purely decorative motifs.

A stranger to the world of avant-garde, Wildt enjoyed a controversial critical success. This exceptional exhibition presents for the first time in France, the sculptures and drawings of one of the most refined and cultivated artists of the twentieth century. 

Social commentary.

A ballet in two acts, La Fille mal gardée (usually called "The Wayward Daughter" in English) is a pastoral romantic comedy. Although the theme of frustrated love is not a new idea, this work's originality lies in the fact of including the protagonists from the little people in a ballet.

A sweet ballet by Dauberval, in turn inspired by a gouache by Baudouin which he spotted by chance one day, depicting a young girl being reprimanded by her mother.

Major artist on the German scene.

The Paris Museum of Modern Art presents a retrospective of Markus Lüpertz (born in 1941 in Liberec), a major artist of the German scene.

From the sixties onwards, Lüpertz threw off the shackles of the predominant trend of abstract art. Reviving figurative art, he employed a repertoire of motifs from different registers, periods and styles. He was to establish, more widely, a singular dialogue between painting and sculpture, figurative and abstract, the past and the present. He was to revisit the history of modern art with great stylistic freedom.

This retrospective brings together paintings, sculptures and works on paper that trace the artist's entire career, from the early 1960s with the Donald Duck series, to his most recent productions, including his Arcadias series of 2013. 

All buttoned up.

The exhibition is an opportunity to see a unique collection of over 3,000 buttons dating from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. This collection was acquired in 2012 and it was given the status of a major work of cultural heritage by the Advisory Committee of National Treasures.
These pieces, despite their small size, are true works of art owing to the precious materials and techniques used in their manufacture.

They were made by craftsmen from various disciplines, including passementiers (makers of precious trimmings), embroiderers, goldsmiths, glass makers, ceramicists and drapers. These buttons alone illustrate the evolution of skills. They also attracted the interest of many artists: painters, sculptors and famous jewelry designers who created unique models for fashion houses.

The study of their use provides an alternative approach to the history of fashion. We discover how each designer approached the use of buttons, turning them into a fashion accessory. 

A history of Italian painting.

A pioneer in the rediscovery of Caravaggio, Roberto Longhi (Alba, 1890 - Florence, 1970) is one of the most important figures in the history of Italian art in the twentieth century.
His expert historian's eye sought out the great primitives, like Giotto (c 1266/1267 - 1337), Masolino (1383 - 1440), Masaccio (1401 - 1428) and Piero della Francesca (c 1415 - 1492), and Caravaggio. An open minded art historian who was close to contemporary artists such Morandi, through his studies, he dedveloped a new reading of the highlights of Italian painting.

With a selection of masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation and exceptional works lent by Italian and French museums (Uffizi, Florence Palatine Gallery, Vatican Museums, Gallerie dell'Accademia .. .), the Jacquemart André Museum will celebrate the Italian passions of Roberto Longhi. The exhibition will highlight two key axes of Longhi studies: the Italian primitives, and Caravaggio and his followers. 

A certain style.

The Palais Galliera presents the first Parisian retrospective of Jeanne Lanvin, who founded the oldest fashion house still in operation. This exhibition offers an original scenography realised with the help of Alber Elbaz, the current artistic director of Lanvin.
The exhibits come from the Palais Galliera's collections as well as of Lanvin's own collection.

In 1908, Jeanne Lanvin proposed her first collection for children. Based on this success, she joined the great names of Parisian haute couture and opened several departments. The label employed more than 1,000 workers.
In the 20s, the colour blue and its variations become a trademark for Lanvin, while Jeanne Lanvin made evening and lame boleros another trademark piece. 

Two great artists.

Continuing to explore links between the work of Victor Hugo and modern art, the museum compares the poet's drawings with those of Louis Soutter. We are invited to follow two unconventional artists who blur the boundaries, and allow themselves to be guided by their vision and freedom.

Designer and violinist Louis Soutter (1871-1942), was a major figure in Swiss art.
Between 1923 and 1927 Soutter lived in an old people's home in the Jura, and the age of fifty-two years began drawing and writing in pen and ink, in school notebooks, filling forty of them.
The exhibition also includes drawings and short commentaries on twenty works (novels, art books and poetry). 

Raising the curtain on Asian theatre.

The theatre world of the Far East is to be the subject of an exhibition at the Guimet Museum, with the epics, stories and myths that accompany it.
From India to Japan via China and Southeast Asia, masks, costumes, puppets and shadow theater illustrate the many facets of an art that's over a millennium old and that is still the subject of immense fascination far beyond the reaches of the Asian continent. 

Golden treasures.

In September 1943, two leaders of the religious services of the Spanish and Levantine synagogues in the Ghetto of Venice hid forty precious objects before the Nazis arrived in the city. The two men were deported, and would never return from the concentration camps.
Recently, the objects subject to spoliation were rediscovered thanks to the restoration by the Spanish Synagogue.

This liturgical treasure in precious metal, mostly silver, includes torah crowns account (keter torah), ornaments from torah sticks (rimmonim), reading stands (yad) boxes for spices (bessamim) and Hanukkah lamp sconces (festival of Lights), synagogue lamps, torah cabinets (tic), dishes, a basin and a ewer. 

An extraordinary period.

In the early twentieth century in Italy, the decorative arts began to become an expression of the desire for progress felt by this newly unified nation. Cabinetmakers, ceramists and glassmakers worked together with top artists, aiming to create a true "Italian style".

This period of extraordinary creativity is presented as a chronological journey comprising of a hundred works.
The Liberty style, which emerged at the turn of the century, is evoked by the creations of Carlo Bugatti, Eugenio Quarti and Federico Tesio. These form a dialogue with the work of Divisionist painters.
A second section is devoted to Futurism whose aesthetic, inspired by progress and speed, extended to all aspects of life. 

Two men, one ambition.

During the 1520s, the Spanish Empire of Charles V, hungry for gold and conquests, continued its exploration of the Pacific Ocean and the South American coast that began a decade earlier. At the same time on the native side, the largest Inca empire ever known - Tawantinsuyu, "the empire of the four quarters" - led an expansion under the reign of Huayna Capac. Upon the death of the latter, a dynastic crisis brought his son Atahualpa to power, coinciding with the arrival in the Peruvian territory of the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro and his conquistadores.

Exploring both Spanish and indigenous tales of conquest, illustrating the parallel paths and the confrontation of its two protagonists, the exhibition traces the key moments in the history of the South American continent. 

New flavours.

Praised for their medical and therapeutic virtues, the "exotic" beverages, introduced in the 17th century in Europe became a real cornerstone of pleasure and social life during the 18th century. Drinks made with cocoa, coffee and tea - plants not grown in Europe - became an integral part of aristocratic and the upper middle class society following their official introductions to the courts of Europe.

As an imported material, their high purchase price in the 17th and 18th centuries classed tea, coffee and chocolate as luxury goods and added to their image as prestigious items.

This was reflected in items of furniture and tableware that were designed for the consumption of these new drinks. Porcelain tea sets and other beautiful and luxurious pieces were produced in specialised manufactories. The rise of these products also created a new need for places designed for the public consumption of these drinks, such as cafes, and new mealtime additions such as at breakfast and afternoon tea, that spread throughout society.

This exhibition offers a new overview of these beverages and their entry into the rituals of everyday life, presenting works by many iconic 18th century artists such as Boucher and Chardin. 

The most prestigious flat race in the world.

Held at the legendary Longchamp racecourse in Paris, the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is considered by many to be the top event on the international racing calendar.
This global sporting event puts France among the top racing nations and has played an important role in the promotion of French thoroughbred breeding.

Renowned throughout the world for its unique atmosphere, as well as for the exceptional standard of horses entered, this flat race is run over the standard distance of 2,400 metres, on the first Sunday in October at Longchamp. The race brings together a real mix of generations to watch the best 3 year-old male and female thoroughbreds compete in Paris.

A legendary horse-race, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is the one of the ultimate goals for many in the racing world: every owner, trainer and breeder of thoroughbreds in the world dreams of winning this race.

One of the world's most important horse-races, in one of the most beautiful cities of the world, the Arc de Triomphe is a truly prestigious and exciting event for all involved, from spectators to jockeys.

The Breeder's Cup, the Japan Cup and the big Hong Kong races which happen at the end of the year cannot compare with this legendary race. The Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe boasts a glorious list of winners and a long history of famously hard-won battles on the turf at Longchamp.

Step into the Realm.

This exhibition is the result of an the exceptional gift made by the Darger estate. It presents an overview of the work of this artist who has long languished in the shadows, marginalized from the art world. Discovered a few months before his death by photographer Nathan Lerner, Henry Darger produced - in secret - a literary and pictorial work of great magnitude, including illustrations of the great epic known as The Realms of the Unreal based on the idea of a huge war that originated in the rebellion of children held in bondage by the Glandéliniens people.

Darger's work expresses the harsh challenges of the twentieth century, all in an aesthetic often referred to as pre-Pop. The exhibition highlights the various series he created: great narrative panels, character portraits and a documentary ensemble. 

Fabulous new show.

Following on from the revue entitled Bonheur, which had been popular since it was first created in 2003, a fresh new show has arrived at one of the most famous Parisian cabarets on the Champs-Elysées.
Taking over from the artistic director Pierre Rambert, is Franco Dragone, to whom we owe the The House of Dancing Water in Macau and the production of A New Day by Celine Dion in Las Vegas. He now takes the cabaret into a new era.
The new show in 2015 stays true to the soul of the Lido with Bluebell Girls, filled with fabulous sets, costumes, rhinestones, feathers and sequins, while bringing his own bold inspiration to the show.