Paris Guide – THE BEST FOOD IN PARIS
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012Paris Guide 
Paris Guide
In one of the world’s great gastronomic cities, want to know where the locals go to satisfy their discerning tastebuds? Paris Guide –
Archive for February, 2012
Is Paris Still Europe’s Most Romantic City?
Sunday, February 26th, 2012Do you think Paris deserves its reputation as Europe’s capital of all things romantic, or has it lost its sheen due to Hollywood overkill? Susan Breslow Sardone over at About.com …
Paris Guide – Paris, France
Sunday, February 26th, 2012Paris Guide 
Paris Guide
Recorded July 16-21, 2011 My five days in Paris includes… 00:33 Les Invalides 02:00 Seine River 02:27 Petit Palais 03:23 Place de la Concorde 04:38 Paris Opera 05:30 Arc de Triomphe de Carrousel 05:57 Louvre 16:37 Jardin Des Tuileries 19:57 Notre Dame 24:24 Av Des Champs-Elysees 24:56 Arc de Triomphe 26:46 Eiffel Tower 39:10 Paris Subway 39:47 Sacré- Cœur Basilica From: timvp.com Paris Guide –
On Now: "Tricking the Eye" Exhibit
Friday, February 24th, 2012
By Colette Davidson
At an exhibition which recently opened in Paris, “Trompe l’oeil – imitations, pastiches and other illusions,” it’s all about the trick of the eye. The show at Paris’s Arts Décoratifs museum celebrates the “trompe l’oeil” technique and the complex art of deception. On through November, the exhibition explores the technique through a collection of over 400 works, from paintings and sculpture to textiles. Works are divided into twelve themes, categorized by medium, time period or technique.
Trompe l’oeil techniques found their beginnings in the fifth century BC, in ancient Greece. As the story goes, the artist Zeuxis unveiled a painting of grapes during an art competition that looked so real that birds actually flew down for a taste.
In the “Nature” room, viewers will find the sculpture of an apple by Hans Hedberg, so shiny and life-like, one might reach down to eat it – but for the fact that it is ten times its normal size.
Moving into the “hypnotic optical” room, visitors get a glimpse into how the first movies were made. Before images hit the screen, they were drawn onto squares of paper and set in a row on a lampshade-type structure. With a turn of the hand, the images spun into motion, such as in “Zootrope” (1860).
In the period room, a set-up of a mock living room from the 1900s features ornately decorated chairs, frescos and windows looking out onto the garden. However, on closer investigation, one sees that the chairs are made of papier mache, the frescos are actually printed wallpaper, and the windows and accompanying garden have been painted onto the wall.
These works are a good example of how artists used the trompe l’oeil technique for economic reasons. Instead of ordering a hand-painted fresco from a local artist, homeowners could impress their visitors with painted wallpaper. Or in the place of costly hardwood floors or mosaics, printed linoleum was used instead.
The trompe l’oeil technique was particularly influential in the fashion world, getting its start in the 1920s with Elsa Schiaparelli. The Italian designer is famous for her knit sweaters with sewn-in scarves and buttons, which appear to be separate pieces.
Sonia Rykiel experimented with the technique into 2008 when creating her women’s jumpsuits, complete with knitted belts, suspenders and pockets patterned into the fabric. And visitors won’t want to miss the Jean-Paul Gaultier coat, made entirely of a screenprint of a man’s naked chest.
While art history buffs will appreciate it more than most, this exhibition is a fascinating look into a much-used but somewhat unknown art technique, which spans across all time periods, mediums and milieus. Breezing through the rooms does it no justice, for the real magic of this exhibition is reading about what each piece is made of – after all, nothing here is what it seems.
Exhibition: Trompe l’oeil – imitation, pastiches and other illusions
When: February 2, 2012-November 2013
Where: Les Arts Decoratifs Museum – 107, rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement
Visit the official website
Related Features:
Image: Courtesy of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs.
Paris Guide – Montmartre and Pigalle, Paris, France
Friday, February 24th, 2012Paris Guide 
Paris Guide
A quick tour (1/4 hour) of Pigalle and Montmartre in Paris, France. About the first two minutes of the video contains scenes of Pigalle (including the Moulin Rouge); Sacré-Cœur Basilica and the areas on Montmartre start at 03:11. Turn on closed captions if you want narration. I redid the captions on January 8 because the original captions were a bit messy. Paris Guide –
