Tag Archives: Paris

Interior Design

Furniture from the Mondrian / De Stijl exhibit at the Pompidou Center

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Gerrit Reitveld Table, Pompidou Center 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Gerrit Reitveld Table, Pompidou Center 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Gerrit Reitveld Chair, Pompidou Center, 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Gerrit Reitveld Chair, Pompidou Center, 2011, Photo Romi Cortier
Theo Vn Doesburg, Cornelis Van Eesteren
Theo Vn Doesburg, Cornelis Van Eesteren, Building Model, Photo Romi Cortier

In early 2011, I made a mad dash to Paris for a four day weekend to see the Mondrian / De Stijl exhibit at the Pompidou Center. Decadent yes, but it was a must see event for an art history geek like myself.  De  Stijl, Dutch for ‘The Style‘ was a movement from 1917 – 1928 that sought to wipe out all historical references in art, architecture and furniture, creating a new design vocabulary for the 20th Century.

Painter Piet Mondrian and furniture designer/architect  Gerrit Rietveld are the two most famous people from this period. Their works were the subject of this monumental exhibit at the Pompidou Center, an exhibit that had a strict policy against photography with guards in every room chasing down anyone with a camera. How did I get these shots you ask… not easy. (lets hope they don’t find my blog) It was so exciting to get to see these works in person, although I almost didn’t make it to the exhibit entrance. Do you see the little glass tube at the top of the Pompidou Center, 6 stories up, not a good thing for a guy with a fear of heights. When the elevator doors opened, I almost fainted. Complete strangers in the elevator grabbed my arms, told me to close my eyes, and then walked me to the entrance of the exhibit. So worth the trauma!

It was exciting to see the evolution of Mondrian’s paintings from the cubist inspired ‘The Still Life with Ginger Pot II‘ to his starker images that we’re all so familiar with, such as ‘Composition with red blue and yellow’ 1930.  Many people associate this ‘look’ with the 1960’s or 1970’s thanks to the Partridge Family Bus from the television series ‘The Partridge Family. However, it all started about 50 years earlier.

 

Interior Design

Chairs from the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles

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French NeoClassical Chair in Blue
Louis XVI / French NeoClassical Chair in Blue Silk in the Room of Mirrors. Photo Romi Cortier
French Neoclassical Chair in Mauve
Louis XVI / French Neoclassical Chair in Mauve. Photo Romi Cortier
Gilded French Neoclassical in Yellow
Gilded French Empire Fauteuil (open arms) in the family room of Louis-Philippe. Photo Romi Cortier
Gilded French Neoclassical Chair in Crimson Red
Gilded French Neoclassical Chair in Fuschia in the room of Malachite. Photo Romi Cortier

These chairs from the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles speak volumes about their inhabitants during this critical time in Frances history. The reign of Louis XVI (the 16th, last of the three Louis’s including the 14th and 15th)  ended abruptly in 1789 with the French Revolution.  Louis XV (the 15th)  had a design dictum of Rococo, curvaceous with natural wood grains. The furniture above was a reaction to that period. Therefore, the look of the furniture became a reference to the Romans and the Greeks, which was inspired by the discovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Sleek straight lines with right angles, fluted columns, oak and laurel leaves, wreaths,  pastel tones… logical simplicity. Madame du Pompadour had an interest in all that was new and fashionable and helped influence this look that is now typically referred to as ‘French Neoclassicism’. The period was short lived, from roughly 1760 – 1789.  After the French Revolution in 1789, the outraged citizens held an auction to sell off much of the furniture of the Royal Court… an auction that lasted 365 days!

Architecture, Decorative Arts

Drapery Details from the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles

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Window Drapery Tassel
Window Drapery Tassel. Photo Romi Cortier
Drapery Tassel
Window Drapery Tassel. Photo Romi Cortier
Drapery Tassel Medallion
Drapery Tassel Medallion. Photo Romi Cortier

I Love these Drapery Details from the Grand Trianon at the Palace of Versailles! The Grand Trianon  was built by Jules Mansart in 1687 for Louis XIV, (also known as the ‘Sun King’)  as a reprieve from the formality of life at the main Palace. This little get away for him and his mistress, Madame de Montespan, was lush with decorative details. This remarkable color palette  is over 300 years old, and is proof that some things are always a classic, regardless of the current trends. I would assume that these items have been refreshed or refurbished since 1687, as much of the Palace has been undergoing renovations during the last decade.  The furniture and art of this residence is so spectacular, that these details could easily have gone unnoticed. I’ve been to Versailles several times, and this was one of the few times this residence had been open to the public. If you’re there and it’s open, don’t miss it. It’s usually less crowded than the main Palace and can easily be done in an hour… unless you like to linger and enjoy the details. Then by all means, walk very very slowly because there’s so much to take.