Although it is one of the most well known museums in the world, not many know that Paris’s Musée du Louvre was once a fortress built under the reign of France’s King Phillip II in the 12th century. Since that time the Louvre had been remolded and extended to serve as the royal housing for numerous royal families of France ... Read More »
Already an established painter, Claude Monet was persuaded by a French statesman in 1914 to dabble in the artistic depiction of water lilies. Convinced to attempt his masterful hand at this next series of landscape paintings, Monet produced his marvelous Water Lilies arranged in a large-scale cycle. His condition for donating these works to the state was that they be ... Read More »
A beautifully restored 17th century building nestled in the heart of the scenic and hilly French town of Montmartre, this museum was once occupied by artists Raoul Dufy, Maurice Utrillo, and even Auguste Renoir. The picturesque surrounding of the town’s natural beauty inspired a number of Renoir’s paintings, including The Garden Rue de Cortot, Montmartre. Now, this exquisite mansion ... Read More »
Is apparently no longer the question as the Van Gogh Museum’s head researcher Louis van Tilborgh recently discovered. A question often posed by art historians is: why are there no portraits of van Gogh’s younger brother Theo when the two were so close? After years of careful examination, van Tilborgh has come-up with an answer. There IS a ... Read More »
We had a great time this year at BEA meeting so many readers, librarians and fellow publishers! Thank you all for stopping by to see us and to grab copies of our books, we hope you enjoy them! Remember to keep a look out this summer for our newest guide, Art + Paris: Impressionists and Post-Impressionists! Read More »
With a history dating back before Julius Caesar to the Gauls, Rouen is a fascinating stop for those with time to escape Paris for a day. As the historic capital of the region of Normandy in northern France, Rouen was once one of the largest and more prosperous cities in all of Medieval Europe. It’s great 13th century cathedral is ... Read More »
The French clothing brand The Kooples is about to open three of their first stand-alone stores in the UK. And they promise, they won’t be the only ones. The company that in two short years has taken over the young and trendy Paris scene is already imbedding itself in the world of London hipsters. The Kooples was founded by ... Read More »
Researchers from the University of Leicester in the UK have just been awarded £497,000 from the Science and Heritage Programme of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (there’s a mouthful) to conduct studies on the mysteries tombs of Tudor Suffolk using space technologies. The tombs in question are the Renaissance monuments ... Read More »
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