France Magazine #102 - Summer 2012 by France Magazine

the best of culture, tr avel & art de vivre

$5.95 U.S. / $6.95 Canada / francemagazine.org

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RICCIOTTI at the Louvre

MONTPELLIER: Trending Now

ARCADIA in Philadelphia

Summer 2012 features 26 Invitation to Arcadia The Philadelphia Museum of Art celebrates eternal summer with Gauguin, Cézanne and Matisse by Roland Flamini

32 Rudy Ricciotti The provocative Provençal architect updates the Louvre with a golden flying carpet by Sara Romano

42 The Overachiever Dubbed “La Surdouée” in the 1980s, Montpellier—Europe’s fastest-growing metropolis— is living up to the hype by Amy Serafin

departments 5 The f: section L E V O YA G E À N A N T E S V U PA R M AT H I E U B E R N A R D R E Y M O N D / © L E V O YA G E À N A N T E S ( D E TA I L )

Culture, books, film, music, travel, shopping, food & wine edited by Melissa Omerberg

22 Les Petits Penguins & Vampires by Tracy Kendrick

58 Calendrier French Cultural Events in North America by Tracy Kendrick

64 Temps Modernes Hope and Healing by Michel Faure

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This 50-ton, 36-foot-tall elephant from Nantes’s Galerie des Machines takes visitors on an unforgettable ride during the city’s summer festival. In addition to carrying passengers, the mechanical pachyderm can trumpet and spray water from its trunk.

Dear Readers,

France

KA RE N TAYLO R

Editor 2

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magazine

Editor KAREN TAYLOR

Senior Editor/Web Editor MELISSA OMERBERG

Associate Editor RACHEL BEAMER

Copy Editor LISA OLSON

Art Direction TODD ALBERTSON DESIGN

Production Manager Associate Art Director/Webmaster PATRICK NAZER

Contributors MICHEL FAURE, now

retired from L’Express, is pursuing a variety of journalistic ventures • ROLAND FLAMINI, a former TIME Magazine correspondent, now writes a foreign policy column for the Washington-based CQ Weekly and is a frequent contributor to France Magazine • DOROTHY J. GAITER is a New York-based writer and the co-author of four books • TRACY KENDRICK is a freelance journalist who often writes about French culture • SARA ROMANO covers cultural topics for a number of international publications • JULIA SAMMUT is a food writer and partner in TravelFood, which offers custom culinary tours • AMY SERAFIN, formerly editor of WHERE Paris, is a Paris-based freelance journalist who has contributed to The New York Times, National Public Radio, Departures and other media • HEATHER STIMMLER-HALL is an author and a hotel and travel writer for Fodor’s, Hotelier International and easyJet inflight. EDITORIAL OFFICE

4101 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007-2182; Tel. 202/944-6069; mail@francemagazine.org. Submission of articles or other materials is done at the risk of the sender; France Magazine cannot accept liability for loss or damage.

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The first time I went to France, I discovered that one of the unexpected benefits of traveling abroad is that it can change your perceptions of your own country, leading you to appreciate things you had taken for granted. This past year, I’ve been traveling around the Twitterverse, and those voyages too have changed the way I perceive my world, in particular magazines. I realize now that those of us who craft these publications are the artisans of the communications industry. We don’t merely toss out raw information but rather create a unique experience for readers through painstaking attention to an array of details, from titles and subtitles to captions and sidebars. Images are selected only after lengthy consideration of color and scale and mood and light; layouts are thoughtfully conceived to enhance the experience of the subject at hand. In this issue, for example, our art director, Todd Albertson, handcrafted the typography for the Rudy Ricciotti feature. He explained that he was inspired by the architect to fashion letters using only two shapes: COVER Montpellier’s spectacular a straight line and a 45-degree arc. “I wanted to limit •growth has been fueled by an my tools just as a smart architect or builder would exceptional quality of life and its role as capital of Languedoc-Roussillon. The in order to really think hard about what you have on region is notably the world’s largest hand, about how to use what you have as efficiently as wine-producing area; pictured here are vineyards in Banyuls. Article page 42. possible.” Through Todd’s creative designs and a host of other details, we invite readers to leisurely immerse themselves in a subject, intellectually and sensually. It is an experience that is increasingly rare in this “age of look-then-look-away,” as Holly Finn recently called it in The Wall Street Journal. “What makes a person stand out now is the ability to look and keep looking,” she writes. Her antidote for our decreasing attention spans? A “museum intervention.” It turns out that that looking at art—really looking at art—can even improve a doctor’s ability to diagnose patients. Reading her article, I wondered if what we offer our readers isn’t in fact a “magazine intervention” of sorts, a peaceful, thoughtful retreat from the flow of information rushing past us 24/7. But travel also broadens your horizons, and my forays into the Twitterverse have given me new perspectives not only on what we do but on how we can do it better. There is so much that we can and should communicate with our readers between issues, even if those messages are brief. So we are dipping our toes into the social media pond, wary of what the French call la chronophagie (our staff is minuscule!) yet excited about the new possibilities. For now, you’ll find me sharing more of “the best of culture, travel and art de vivre” along with random other bits on Twitter at @KTinWDC.

Join Us in Paris! American Friends Musée d’Orsay are delighted to announce the

Exhibition Preview Accompanied by Curators Cocktail Dînatoire & Music Musée d’Orsay, Paris Saturday, September 29, 2012 7.30 pm – Midnight

For more information: www.aforsay.org Email: gala2012@aforsay.org Tel.: +33 (0)1 40 49 47 80 Berthe Morisot, Young Girl in a Ball Gown 1879 ©RMN (Musée d’Orsay) / Lewandowski

THE ISLAND

France

OF LOVE...

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President LEONARD L. SILVERSTEIN

Publisher © martine savart

DANA PURCARESCU

...NEEDS YOUR LOVE! The American Friends of the Domaine de Chantilly is restoring the 19th-century gazebo on the Island of Love in the Château gardens. Join us in this labor of love!

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Associate Directors MEREDITH DAVIS TRACY KENDRICK STEPHANIE RENOU MARIKA ROSEN

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France Magazine is published by the FRENCH-AMERICAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION, Broken Statue of Eros

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magazıne

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DENIJS DE WINTER

The Festival International de Piano at La Roque d’Anthéron features performances at a variety of unusual outdoor venues.

Edited by MELISSA OMERBERG

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Culture

Paris & the provinces

Intense Proximity The Palais de Tokyo hosts the third edition of La Triennale, a wide-ranging festival of contemporary art. Subtitled “Intense Proximity,” the event investigates what it means to be a working artist in today’s diverse, globalized art scene. Through Aug. 26; latriennale.org. Misia Misia Sert, a talented pianist who ran an influential artistic salon, posed for Bonnard, Vuillard, Vallotton, Toulouse-Lautrec and Renoir, among others. A patron of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, she maintained friendships with Nijinsky and Stravinsky along with Cocteau, Chanel and a host of other luminaries. The Musée d’Orsay’s Misia, reine de Paris brings together portraits of this legendary beauty and her entourage as well as works that illustrate the French capital’s thriving cultural scene from the 1890s to the 1920s. Through Sept. 9; musee-orsay.fr. Stories of Babar With Les Histoires de Babar, the toy gallery at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs fêtes the 80th birthday of everyone’s favorite elephant king. The exhibit showcases some 100 original drawings from the various storybooks as well as Babar-inspired toys and games from the 1930s to the present. Also featured: archival photos, cartoons and products featuring the famous pachyderm. Through Sept. 2; lesartsdecoratifs.fr.

EXHIBITS PARIS

Tim Burton The Cinémathèque française pays homage to director Tim Burton’s talents as an illustrator, painter, video artist, photographer and sculptor in an eponymous exhibit featuring some 700 drawings, photographs, figurines, objects, costumes and film clips. The show is accompanied by a retrospective of Burton’s movies. Through Aug. 5; cinematheque.fr. Robert Crumb A founder of the underground comix movement, Robert Crumb is a legendary countercultural figure whose satirical view of society’s hypocrisies and absurdities is rendered in a

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distinctive drawing style. The Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris pays tribute to the artist—a French resident since 1991—in Crumb – De l’Underground à la Genèse, which explores Crumb’s various obsessions: his love/ hate/fear of women, his passion for music and his acerbic view of the modern world. Through Aug. 19; mam.paris.fr. Eight Decades of Ricard Summers in Southern France are indelibly associated with pastis, the anisette drink that became popular when absinthe was banned in 1915. With Ricard SA depuis 1932, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs toasts the 80th anniversary of an iconic French brand, examining its image, spin-off products and pop-culture creds. Through Aug. 26; lesartsdecoratifs.fr.

act fast... If you want to catch the following exhibits before they shut their doors: BOB DYLAN, L’EXPLOSION ROCK at the

Cité de la Musique through July 15. ARTEMISIA 1593/1654 – POUVOIR, GLOIRE ET PASSIONS D’UNE FEMME PEINTRE at

the Musée Maillol through July 15. BEAUTÉ ANIMAL at the Grand Palais

through July 16. EUGÈNE ATGET, PARIS at the Musée

Carnavalet through July 29. GIORGIO DE CHIRICO at the Musée d’Art

Moderne through July 31.

in Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors, Joana Vasconcelos’s whimsical “Marilyn” sculpture (made •outDisplayed of pots and lids) seems to be taking its grand setting in stride.

On the Beach Before achieving commercial success as a painter of historicized genre scenes and colorful

depictions of duels and massacres, Eugène Isabey worked as a watercolorist. The Louvre’s Eugène Isabey (1803-1886): Par les ruelles et par les grèves focuses on this earlier work, in which he explored the rugged, windswept coasts and landscapes of Normandy and Brittany. Both Boudin and Jongkind were influenced by these watercolors, whose palette and composition represented a new way of looking at nature. Through Sept. 17; louvre.fr.

de modes marks the 40th

Gerhard Richter Presenting more than 130 paintings spanning the past 50 years, Gerhard Richter explores the tensions between figuration and abstraction that come together in the German artist’s work. This comprehensive retrospective at the Centre Pompidou features such landmark canvases as “Ema (Nude on a Staircase),” “Betty” and “September” along with lesser known aspects of Richter’s œuvre, including his gray monochromes, his glass and mirror works and his intimist paintings. Through Sept. 24; centrepompidou.fr.

Comme des Garçons :

Richter on Paper Accompanying the Richter show at the Centre Pompidou (above), Art contemporain – Gerhard Richter: Dessins et travaux sur papier presents more than 100 works on paper. Featuring drawings and pencil sketches, watercolors and recent oils on paper as well as the artist’s “Two Sculptures for a Room by Palermo,” this exhibit at the Louvre highlights the diversity and enduring interest of Richter’s graphic work. Through Sept. 17; louvre.fr.

anniversary of the couturier’s death with three centuries’ worth of garments from his personal collection of traditional Spanish fashions and accessories ; they are displayed alongside 40 haute couture coats and dresses by Balenciaga. an installation designed by Rei Kawakubo, dramatizes life’s major events— birth, marriage, death and transcendence— through all-white apparel from the label’s Spring/ Summer 2012 collection. Through Oct. 7; parisdocks-en-seine.fr. White Drama,

All-white apparel from Comme des Garçons’ Spring/Summer 2012 •collection creates drama at Les Docks – Cité de la Mode et du Design.

Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs The fashion gallery at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs tells the stories of two innovative designers and their indelible contributions to la mode in Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs. While analyzing various trends and techniques, the exhibit highlights the ways in which both men pushed the industry forward, keeping Vuitton on the cusp of contemporary fashion through the force of their own particular visions. Through Oct. 14; lesartsdecoratifs.fr. Show and Tell

Balenciaga & Comme des Garçons Les Docks – Cité de la Mode et du Design is hosting two exhibits organized by the Musée Galliera while that institution remains closed for renovations. Cristóbal Balenciaga, collectionneur

Histoires de voir: Show and Tell brings

together some 400 works by more than 40 painters, sculptors and filmmakers from around the world. Hailing from Europe, Brazil, the Congo, Japan, Haiti, India, Mexico and elsewhere,

the artists featured in this show at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain have often been considered naïve or primitive and have rarely been invited to exhibit in museum settings. Curated by Italian architect and designer Alessandro Mendini, the exhibition seeks to free up the eye, offer new perspectives and give voice to “outsider” and self-taught artists who view the world with wonder. Through Oct. 21; fondation.cartier.com. Illuminating Lighthouses In the age of electronic navigational devices, lighthouses have lost none of their mystique. Phares! at the Musée de la Marine sheds light on every aspect of these maritime beacons— their history, their scientific and technical development, the lives of their keepers, their role in popular culture—through photographs, texts, films and objects. A highlight of the show is a full-sized model of the watch room in the Héaux de Bréhat lighthouse in Brittany. Through Nov. 4; musee-marine.fr. AIX-EN-PROVENCE

Masterpieces from Frieder Burda The Frieder Burda Museum in Baden Baden is known throughout Europe for its excellence and diversity. The Musée Granet’s Les Edouard Vuillard’s “La Nuque de Misia” •(1897-1899), on view at the Musée d’Orsay, pays tribute to the legendary beauty.

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Culture illustrated through objects, photos, drawings, posters, scale models and more (through Sept. 23; lehavre.fr/rubrique/musee-malraux). A companion exhibit at the Espace André Graillot, Mer d’argent, les arts de la table à bord des paquebots, looks at fine dining and tabletop accessories in the golden age of ocean travel (through Aug. 26; lehavre.fr/rubrique/espaceandre-graillot). LILLE

Gerhard Richter’s untitled 1978 watercolor is part of a show at the Louvre showcasing the •German artist’s works on paper.

of his fellow painters. In Bonnard Entre Amis: Matisse, Monet, Vuillard…, the Musée Bonnard looks at common themes explored by these artists: portraits that Bonnard, Vuillard and other Nabi artists painted of one another; depictions of Normandy, a region dear to both Bonnard and Monet; and window motifs in the work of Matisse, Bonnard, Manguin and others. Through Sept. 16; museebonnard.fr. LE HAVRE

GIVERNY

Light and Color A major donor to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, James T. Dyke is considered one of the U.S.’s most astute collectors of 19thand 20th-century European and American drawings. Nearly 100 works from his private collection and his donation to the NGA are included in the Musée des Impressionnismes’ De Delacroix à Signac — Dessins de la Collection

which focuses on French artists working from 1830 to 1930 and reflects the development of modern draftsmanship in France from the Romantics to the neo-Impressionists. July 27 through Aug. 31; http://www.mdig.fr. Dyke,

Ship Shape Le Havre, the erstwhile home port of the S.S. France, celebrates the 50th anniversary of that legendary ocean liner with Paquebot France, an exhibit at the Musée Malraux that examines the vessel’s history, style and interior architecture. The elegance of shipboard life is

METZ

1917 The Centre Pompidou-Metz presents a major exhibit on artistic creation during wartime. 1917 focuses on a single, devastating year of WWI; it includes works by major artists such as Duchamp and Brancusi as well as amateur artists coping with horrific events in the trenches. Destruction and reconstruction, both physical and psychological, are among the themes explored in the show, whose centerpiece is the stage curtain created by Picasso for the ballet “Parade.” Through Sept. 24; centrepompidou-metz.fr. MOULINS

Lacroix and the Paris Opera Ballet Christian Lacroix was the talent behind the

championing “Liberty” Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi made several plaster studies and models on his way to creating the STATUE OF LIBERTY, a centennial gift from the people of France to the United States. One

of these, measuring nine feet, was cast in bronze and displayed at the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition; it was later placed in the Luxembourg Gardens near the Senate. After it was vandalized in 2011, however, the Senate decided to move “Liberty” to the Musée d’Orsay. The

LE CANNET

Bonnard and Friends Pierre Bonnard maintained cordial professional and personal relationships with many

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American Friends Musée d’Orsay (AFMO) funded the repair, cleaning and restoration of the statue, which will be on view in the museum’s interior sculpture court as of this summer. aforsay.org; musee-orsay.fr.

©KUNSTMUSEUM WINTERTHUR /ADAGP

presents more than 50 masterworks—particularly large-format paintings—from that outstanding collection, including works by Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke and Georg Baselitz as well as American painters Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko and others. Also on view: seven oversized canvases from Picasso’s final period. Through Sept. 30; museegranet-aixenprovence.fr. chefs-d’œuvre du Musée Frieder Burda

Tower of Babel Babel at Lille’s Palais des Beaux-Arts is the first exhibition to consider how the legendary tower is dealt with in contemporary art. Featuring monumental works by artists such as Anselm Kiefer, Vic Muniz, Du Zhenjun, Roland Fischer and François Schuiten, the show examines the ways in which different aspects of the biblical story are interpreted through a variety of media, including painting, photography, film and graphic novels. Through Jan. 14, 2013; pba-lille.fr.

sumptuous costumes seen on stage in last fall’s revival of “La Source,” a Romantic-era ballet performed by the Opéra National de Paris. The tale of a nymph who sacrifices herself for the sake of a young hunter and the woman he loves inspired the designer to create a combination of neoclassical and Orientalist outfits embroidered with Swarovski crystals, now on display in Christian Lacroix, La Source et le Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris at the Centre national du costume de scène et de la scénographie. Through Dec. 31; cncs.fr. NORD-PAS DE CALAIS

Drawing Together Thirty museums in the Nord-Pas de Calais region join forces to showcase their collections of drawings and watercolors in Dessiner — Tracer: 30 musées; 30 expositions. The artists on view run the gamut from Géricault, Victor Hugo, Burne-Jones, Rodin and Matisse to contemporary figures such as Constantin Xanakis, Catherine Melin and Hans Op de Beeck. Through Sept. 2012; dessinertracer.com.

VERSAILLES

Vasconcelos at Versailles Each summer since 2008, the Château de Versailles has played host to contemporary artists whose creations form interesting juxtapositions with the Baroque surroundings. This year’s guest is Portugal’s Joana Vasconcelos, the first woman and youngest artist to date. Her show includes 17 monumental sculptures, eight of which are site-specific; among them are “Marilyn,” a pair of high-heeled peep-toes made of pots and pans; “The Bride,” a 15-foothigh chandelier crafted from wire, cotton thread and more than 14,000 tampons; and his-and-her ceramic lobsters dubbed “Le Dauphin” and “La Dauphine.” Through Sept. 30; chateauversailles.fr. Ladies of the Trianon Versailles’s Grand Trianon pays tribute to the women who frequented this gracious residence with an exhibit of paintings that showcases three centuries’ worth of changing fashions and portraiture styles. All the women of the royal and imperial family are present in Les Dames de Trianon, together with such royal favorites as Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry and various ladies-in-waiting and chambermaids. From July 3 through Oct. 14; chateauversailles.fr.

festive moments Once again, summer brings a wealth of festivals and cultural itineraries. Here are a few best bets: AIX The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence

presents orchestral performances, recitals, and classical and contemporary operas, including the world premiere of “Written on Skin” by George Benjamin and Martin Crimp. Through July 27; festival-aix.com. ARLES The Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie fêtes the 30th

anniversary of ENSP, the town’s prestigious photography school, with shows devoted to its founders, teachers and former students. Also showcased:

d’Avignon’s “The Animals •andThetheFestival Children Took to the Streets” mixes storytelling, live music and animation.

foreign artists such as Josef Koudelka and Amos Gitai who work in France. July 2 through Sept. 16; rencontres-arles.com. AVIGNON The Festival d’Avignon brings a host of new theater productions by international

artists such as Sophie Calle, William Kentridge, Thomas Ostermeier, John Berger and Simon McBurney, who débuts a new play based on Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. July 7 through 28; festival-avignon.com. LA ROQUE D'ANTHÉRON The Festival International de Piano features such keyboard

virtuosos as Boris Berezovsky, Aldo Ciccolini, Leif Ove Andsnes, Jorge Luis Prats and Hélène Grimaud performing at venues ranging from open-air theaters to the cloisters of a Cistercian abbey. July 21 through Aug. 22; festival-piano.com. LORIENT The Festival Interceltique de Lorient offers 10 days and nights of traditional,

folk and rock music and dancing from throughout the Celtic world; this year, Acadia is in the spotlight. Aug. 3 to 12; festival-interceltique.com. MARCIAC Jazz à Marciac’s stellar line-up includes Sonny Rollins, Winton Marsalis, Dianne

Reeves, Eddie Palmieri, Angélique Kidjo, Melody Gardot and Esperanza Spalding. July 27 through Aug. 15; jazzinmarciac.com. NANTES Le voyage à Nantes features cultural celebrations, river cruises and temporary

installations and exhibitions, all mapped out on a special itinerary. During the same period, Estuaire Nantes<>Saint-Nazaire transforms the banks of the Loire River into an exhibition

space for site-specific sculptures and installations. Through Aug. 19; levoyageanantes.fr and estuaire.info. PARIS During Paris Quartier d’Eté, the French capital’s streets, squares, churches, parks

and community centers are filled with music, dance and theater performances, many of them free. July 14 to Aug. 15; quartierdete.com.

REOPENING ORLÉANS

Joan of Arc Museum Orléans’s Maison Jeanne d’Arc has reopened its doors after a year of renovations in time to mark the 600th anniversary of Joan’s birth. The Maid of Orleans lived here during the

siege of the city; the building now boasts a brand-new multimedia room, information center and modern exhibition spaces. Upstairs, the Centre Jeanne d’Arc houses the world’s largest collection of documents relating to the young martyr, from historical manuscripts to posters, postcards and films. tourisme-orleans.com. F R A N C E • S U M M E R 2 012

Culture

spotlight on... Rousseau’s Tercentenary “People who know little are usually great talkers, while men who know much say little.” No, this isn’t a tweet about the evils of talk radio. It’s a quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Emile: or, On Education. Like much of his thinking, it’s still relevant nearly three centuries after he wrote it. The prolific author produced novels and essays that examined such wide-ranging subjects as love, education, religion, nature and politics; his Discourse on the Origin of Inequality and The Social Contract remain cornerstones of modern political and social thought. The Enlightenment philosopher also probed his own life in his lengthy Confessions, the first major autobiography to explore feelings and experiences of a non-religious nature. Less well known is his music—Rousseau was also a successful composer, writing seven operas and working in other musical genres as well. This year marks the 300th birthday of that multitalented philosophe, whose ideas today are all too often reduced to the cliché of the “noble savage.” Born in Geneva, Rousseau spent 18 years of his life in and around Annecy, Chambéry and Lyon; now known as the Rhône-Alpes region, the area inspired many of his works. To celebrate the anniversary, the region is hosting a yearlong program of events including exhibitions, concerts, readings, lectures, conferences and theatrical performances. The Rhône-Alpes tourism office is adding to the festivities by publishing a special trilingual map, “DANS LES PAS DE JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU,” featuring itineraries that allow visitors to follow in the great man’s footsteps—you can tour the Maison des Charmettes in Chambéry, where Rousseau lived with his lover Madame de Warens and amassed his “store of ideas”; visit the Manoir de La Tour in Thônes, where he spent a memorable day picking fruit with a couple of charming young women; hike in the Parc Naturel Plat, where he discovered rare plants…. Travelers can also download a free Rousseau2012 app (in French only) on their iPhones or Androids. Rousseau2012.rhonealpes.fr

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spent several happy years at the Maison des Charmettes in Chambéry; • Rousseau visitors can tour the house, including the room where he worked and slept.

Beaux Livres LOUIS VUITTON / MARC JACOBS

edited by Pamela Golbin

Written to accompany an exhibition at Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs, this new volume looks at how two men transformed what was once a small carriage-trade workshop into one of the world’s most successful global luxury brands. The first half focuses on the company’s founder, who turned the atelier into Paris’s leading trunk-maker; the second examines the contributions of Jacobs, whose collaborations with artists ushered the house into the 21st century. Rizzoli, $75.

PARIS Portrait of a City edited by Jean Claude Gautrand Weighing in at a hefty 10 pounds, this impressive tome recounts the history of the French capital through more than 500 photographs, from Daguerre’s early incunabula to images from recent decades. Editor Gautrand combed dozens of archives, libraries and private collections to amass this remarkable record of everyday life and urban transformation as captured by the lenses of photographers both celebrated—Atget, Lartigue, Brassaï, Kertész, Cartier-Bresson, Doisneau—and unknown. Taschen, $69.99.

WOMEN ARE HEROES A Global Project by JR

by JR; texts by Marco Berrebi

The French artist known as JR has traveled to Brazil, India, Cambodia and various African countries, interviewing women who have struggled with war and poverty and pasting their oversized photographic portraits onto buildings, bridges, trains and trucks. The same images are later transported to cities such as New York, London and Paris, where they reach entirely new audiences. This book documents JR’s global project and shares the women’s haunting stories. Abrams, $40.

CLAUDE & FRANCOIS-XAVIER LALANNE Art / Work / Life photographs by Paul Kasmin For more than 50 years, François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne worked side by side, producing whimsical, often dreamlike sculptures that drew upon the Surrealist tradition. In this intimate visual biography, their longtime gallerist Paul Kasmin reveals never-before-seen images of their studio and home, where study models and unfinished sculptures—largely inspired by the plant and animal worlds—offer an authentic, moving portrait of the artists at work. Skira Rizzoli, $60.

RONAN & ERWAN BOUROULLEC Works by Anniina Koivu

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec burst onto the scene in the late 1990s, exhibiting startling originality and a golden touch that has turned many of their innovative creations into instant design classics. This stunning monograph traces their entire body of work, offering photographs and illustrations of all their designs and featuring previously unpublished images and sketches selected by the brothers themselves from their personal archives. Phaidon, $49.95.

BRASSAÏ Paris by Night

foreword by Paul Morand

Initially interested in painting, Brassaï arrived in Paris from Hungary in 1924 and became part of the circle of artists that included Picasso and the Surrealists. Turning to photography in the 1930s, he began chronicling the nocturnal side of the City of Light, and in 1933 published Paris by Night. Comprising 64 breathtaking images of streets and quays, performers and prostitutes, this legendary album—back in print in a new, high-quality edition—still casts an irresistible spell. Flammarion, $45.

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Sons & Images On Screen BELOVED Catherine Deneuve, Chiara Mastroianni

By RACHEL BEAMER Ludivine Sagnier •serenades Radivoje Bukvic in the musical Beloved.

and Ludivine Sagnier reunite with director Christophe Honoré (Love Songs) in his newest musical drama. The film takes viewers from Prague to Montreal, spanning 45 years and two generations of love stories. Mother and daughter both on-screen and off, Deneuve and Mastroianni star as Madeleine and Vera, whose characters embody the libertine mores of the ’60s and the fearfulness of the ’90s. The film was the closingnight selection of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Co-starring Milos Forman and Louis Garrel, with a soundtrack by Alex Beaupain. Slated release: August 17. (Sundance Selects) UNFORGIVABLE Adapted from a Philippe Djian novel, André Téchiné’s

AMERICANO

mysterious drama stars French film veterans André Dussollier and Carole Bouquet. As crime novelist Francis (Dussollier) tours Venice properties with a striking real-estate agent, Judith (Bouquet), he agrees to take a house under an unusual condition: that Judith share it with him. Shocked but intrigued, Judith agrees, and the two strangers begin a complicated marriage. Suffering from writer’s block and preoccupied with doubts about his wife’s fidelity, Francis has Judith followed— discovering details that astonish him. Co-starring Mélanie Thierry. In French and Italian. Slated release: June 29. (Strand Releasing)

Following in the footsteps of his famous parents, Agnès Varda and Jacques Demy, Mathieu Demy makes his directorial debut. He also Salma Hayek and Mathieu plays the lead Demy star in Americano. character, Martin, who returns to California after the death of his estranged American mother. Wrapped up in the settlement of her estate and avoiding commitment pressures from his girlfriend (Chiara Mastroianni) back in France, Martin embarks on a road trip to Mexico to find Lola (Salma Hayek), his mother’s elusive friend who he believes should inherit her apartment. Shooting with 16mm film, Demy includes excerpts from Varda’s 1981 Los Angeles-based film Documenteur. An official selection of Lincoln Center’s Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. Slated release: June. (MPI Pictures)

Laborde (Léa Seydoux), a lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette (Diane Kruger), director Benoît Jacquot’s recent release takes place during the last days of the French Revolution. Forced to hide her passion for another woman as the monarchy verges on collapse, the queen confides in Sidonie, her devoted companion. Adapted from Chantal Thomas’s best-seller, this period drama creates an upstairs-downstairs portrait of the sheltered court of Marie Antoinette. Filmed on location at the Petit Trianon, Maison Lafitte and Château de Chantilly. Co-starring Virginie Ledoyen. Slated release: July 13. (Cohen Media Group)

Music THE TWO The Two

IF Je sais nager

Ara Starck and David Jarre are receiving praise for their debut album, but the musicians aren’t strangers to the spotlight—Starck’s father is designer Philippe Starck and Jarre is the son of composer Jean Michel Jarre and actress Charlotte Rampling. The duo’s charming self-titled and self-produced album offers intimate reflections on love and relationships. Having recently completed a mini-U.S. tour, the pair performed at Austin’s prestigious South by Southwest Music Festival. (The Two)

Known for her starring roles in such art-house films as The Double Life of Véronique and Red, actress Irène Jacob has mastered a new form of artistic expression: music. Partnering with her brother, Francis (a graduate of Berklee College of Music), the siblings meld jazz, folk and environmental sounds with Jacob’s soft, evocative vocals. Highlights include accompaniments by such world musicians as Grégoire Maret, Malika Zarra and Gilmar Gomes. (Sunnyside Records)

Additional film and music reviews as well as sound clips are available at francemagazine.org.

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C O U R T E S Y O F I F C F I L M S ; © 2 0 11 L E S F I L M S D E L'A U T R E

FAREWELL, MY QUEEN Told from the perspective of Sidonie

•

SPONSORING FOUNDATIONS

France Magazine and the French-American Cultural Foundation are honored to receive the support of these distinguished foundations.

For more than 35 years, the Florence Gould Foundation has been actively involved in a variety of projects that further Mrs. Gould’s desire to promote FrenchAmerican amity. Recent efforts include a grant to World Monuments Fund for the planning and documentation of the cloister restoration at the Church of St Trophime in Arles; a grant to The Frick Collection in New York for “Renoir, Impressionism, and Full-Length Painting”; funding for several American Postdoctoral Fellows to study and work at Paris’s Institut Pasteur;

The Annenberg Foundation is a longtime supporter of L’Académie Américaine de Danse de Paris, which trains students from around the world.

and a partnership with the French Heritage Society to aid in repairing the Monumental Staircase of Auch, in Gascony. On a smaller scale, a gift was made to Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo for the acquisition of two Baudets de Poitou, an endangered variety of French donkey. At last report, Samuel and Balthazar had completely settled in and were enjoying their new surroundings as they help educate the public about rare breeds of farm animals.

The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that supports nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. Its mission is to advance the public well-being through improved communication; as the principle means of achieving this goal, it encourages the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. Since 1989, it has generously funded programs in education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community life; health and human services; animal services and the environment. The Foundation contributes to numerous programs that foster cultural exchange between the U.S. and France through its Paris-based initiative GRoW Annenberg. GRoW supports innovative projects in the arts, education and humanitarian efforts.

Samuel and Balthazar, two rare Baudet de Poitou donkeys donated to Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo by The Florence Gould Foundation.

The Foundation’s French grantees include the Institut Curie, which has created a research lab to further the understanding of the origin of neuroblastoma, one of the most common forms of childhood cancer. It is also supporting the development of educational tools at the Louvre and the operations of L’Académie Américaine de Danse de Paris, which offers American-style dance instruction to students from around the world. In the humanitarian sector, GRoW funds a wide range of programs by CARE France and Médecins du Monde, which work to improve the health and well-being of individuals worldwide. The Foundation continues to be a vital presence abroad and remains among the most generous American contributors to France. annenbergfoundation.org

Bon Voyage

Notes for the savvy traveler PAST PERFECT

Nearly 150 exhibitors are showing their wares at the 2012 Biennale des Antiquaires.

Karl Lagerfeld is designing the décor for this year’s edition -• Nantes’s new Sozo

Hotel incorporates architectural details from the building’s previous incarnation as a chapel.

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• Hidden Gardens of Paris by Susan Cahill. Packed with literary and historical references, this new guide to the French capital’s green spaces features 40 famous and little-known parks as well as nearby cultural, botanical and culinary destinations. Saint Martin’s Press, $19.99. • Discover Paris by Metro by Anne-Clair Ruel et al. This handy little book provides a brief history of each métro stop, accompanied by a rundown of neighborhood attractions ranging from cultural landmarks to shops and eateries. Editions du Chêne, $19.95. • Markets of Paris by Dixon Long & Marjorie R. Williams. Featuring new photos, a refreshed design and updated restaurant listings, this pocket-size guide revisits Paris’s food, flea and craft markets. A helpful addition: best bets for visitors with limited time. The Little Bookroom, $18.95. • Paris for Men by Thierry Richard. After several girl guides, here’s one for the guys. The author highlights his favorite cigar bars, jogging routes, tennis courts, menswear boutiques, vintage car dealerships and much more. Editions du Chêne, $24.95.

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Palais’s glass dome to showcase thousands of furnishings, objets d’art, pieces of jewelry and more. The event will also spill over into the Salon d’honneur, opening its doors for the first time following lengthy renovations. Sept. 14 through 23; sna-france.com.

- - Hotel, housed in a revamped 19th-century Serenity reigns at the four-star Sozo chapel. Its 28 rooms—some incorporating original elements such as stained-glass windows and vaulted ceilings—offer a harmonious blend of historic architecture and modern design, with flat-screen TVs and sleek contemporary furnishings. From E97 with free Wi-Fi; sozohotel.fr. • PARIS Located in Paris’s trendy 11th arrondissement, the new 22-room Angely Hotel features a devilishly original décor: beds surrounded by diaphanous sheers and lit from below appear to be floating; trompe-l’œil curtains resemble the sky; floral patterns are projected onto walls.… From E249 with free Wi-Fi; angelyhotelparis.com. • MARSEILLE Philippe Starck strikes again! His super-trendy Mama Shelter in Paris’s 20th arrondissement now has a southern cousin. The new location boasts the same industrial-chic aesthetic and budget prices as the original, and as in Paris, its restaurant menu was designed by chef Alain Senderens. Mama Shelters are also in the works for Lyon, Bordeaux, Istanbul and Los Angeles. From E69 with free Wi-Fi; mamashelter.com. • NANTES

enchanting setting underneath the Grand

BEDS AND BEYOND

GUIDES

of the fair, creating an

FLIGHT PLANS

OpenSkies has added a new economy-class cabin to planes

between New York-Newark and Paris-Orly. Passengers traveling “Eco” enjoy comfortable leather seats as well as individual iPads loaded with 70-plus hours of entertainment. Improved amenities on the ground include faster boarding procedures for all passengers and the option for “Biz Bed” travelers to dine at the British Airways lounge before their flight to maximize resting time onboard. Round-trip “Eco” fares from $1,311; flyopenskies.com.

making a run for it

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For an original way to Marathon, a 10k and a 5k. Open to 3,000 experience France’s runners; registration for June 2013 begins charming villages, historic in October. lescourantsdelaliberte.com monuments, legendary • Mont Blanc Marathon For the ultimate vineyards and breathtaking scenery, sign challenge combining high elevation and up for one of the country’s many annual a positive vertical gain of 2,511 meters, running events. Whether you prefer to the Marathon de Mont Blanc isn’t for the break your record at the world-class Paris faint of heart. The weekend also includes Marathon or join in the merry atmosphere 23k and 10k races, and a vertiginous 2k of the wine country runs, there’s something “Vertical” run from Chamonix village to for everyone’s taste. the mountaintop, with an average grade • Paris Marathon Considered one of the of 50 percent. Open to 2,000 runners; top five international running events, the registration for June 2013 begins in Marathon de Paris brings together 40,000 September. montblancmarathon.net runners, almost 40 percent of them from • Médoc Marathon With 8,000 runners outside France (more than 1,500 U.S. dressed in humorous costumes and several runners participated in 2012). The route “wine stops” along the route, this convivial begins on the Champs-Elysées, passes the city’s iconic monuments take on •theRunners along the banks of the Seine ultra-challenging Mont Blanc Marathon. and traverses the Boulogne and Vincennes forests. Registration opens September 15, with fees from €65 (for the first 10,000 runners) to €95. April 7, 2013; parismarathon.com. • D-Day Landings Marathon The Marathon de la Liberté follows a route along Normandy’s famous D-Day beaches, including Juno and Sword, ending at the Caen Memorial. Alternative routes include the Pegasus Half-

race through the Bordeaux countryside has become known as the “Longest Marathon in the World.” The 9k Sunday Walk, open to runners and fans alike, takes place the following day with a leisurely hike punctuated by Haut-Médoc wine tastings and a festive lunch in the village of Macau. Registration for 2013 opens in March. Sept. 8, 2012; marathondumedoc.com. • French Riviera Marathon Officially known as the Marathon des AlpesMaritimes, this relatively new race welcomes 11,000 international runners. The seaside route starts on Nice’s legendary Promenade des Anglais, passes through Cap d’Antibes and finishes on the palmtree-lined avenue of La Croisette in Cannes. Register early for lower fees. Nov. 4, 2012; marathon06.com. • Beaujolais Nouveau Marathon Celebrate the arrival

of Beaujolais Nouveau in style with a costumed run through the villages and castles of this storied wine region. Choose from one of three routes: the marathon, the half-marathon or the 12k. Registration is available for up to 8,000 runners, with a post-run wine tour of the vineyards the following day. Nov. 17, 2012; marathondubeaujolais.org

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Bon Voyage

Notes for the savvy traveler TABLE TALK

• L’Office seems to be showing up on every foodie’s “best” list these days. The ingredients of its success? A warm, simple bistro décor and chef Kevin O’Donnell (from Mario Batali’s Del Posto), whose nouvelle cuisine de bistro has a slight New York accent—very trendy in Paris right now. Favorites include beef carpaccio, beef marrow cromesquis (a type of croquette) and super juicy chicken with super crispy skin (how does he do that?) served with seasonal baby vegetables. And for the perfect ending, a “chocolate passion” dessert paired with a white Haute Vallée du Rhône. Lunch menus at €19 and €24; dinner menus at €27 and €33; rue Richer, Paris 9e; Tel. 33-1/47-70-67-31. • Le Concervatoire de Cédric Casanova celebrates the edible treasures of Sicily. If you’re lucky enough to snag the single table at this gourmet grocery, you’ll enjoy a pique-nique gastronomique featuring a delicious selection of small plates, starting with warm bread dipped in olive oil and almonds and pumpkin seeds to nibble on. Next up: a salad of oranges, shallots, anchovies and olives, possibly followed by capers and fresh mushrooms or maybe some tuna sausage, then a plate of fettuccine topped with Chef Yannick Alléno at his locavore squash, fresh mint, almonds and pecorino. For dessert: a establishment, Terroir Parisien. refreshing mandarin granita. Menu at €30; 14 rue Sainte Marthe, 10e. The table can be booked for parties of 5 to 8; picnic@latetedanslesolives.com. • Terroir Parisien, Yannick Alléno’s first bistro, showcases locavore cuisine. In a setting designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the Meurice’s three-star chef presents the best ingredients of Ile de France: cold cuts from the traditional charcutier Gilles Vérot, spinach from Montfermeil, saffron from Le Gâtinais.... The menu features traditional Parisian dishes with evocative names: œufs en gelée à la “froufrou,” pièce de bœuf sauce Bercy, merlan Colbert and so on. Don’t worry, even French people have to ask for translations! Prefer to grab a snack at the counter? Try the tête de veau sauce gribiche on a baguette. About €15 at the counter with a glass of wine; €30 to €40 for a full meal; 24 rue Saint Victor, 5e; Tel. 33-1/44-31-54-54.

•

epic battle and horrific siege pitting the Gallic leader Vercingetorix against Roman forces in 52 BC. The Gallic tribes nearly prevailed, but when Julius Caesar himself led his last reserve forces into battle, Vercingetorix was forced to surrender, establishing Rome’s dominance

SHOP & GO

It just got easier to pick up a few souvenirs before catching your train or plane. • Paris’s Gare Saint-Lazare recently wrapped up a massive 10-year renovation that highlights its impressive classical architecture (detail, right). The airy new space now houses 80 new shops and restaurants, including Kusmi Tea, France’s first Muji To Go, Virgin Megastore, Swarovski and Pylones. • Roissy-Charles de Gaulle has finished revamping terminals 2A and 2C, offering easier access to the airport’s expansive duty-free area. Modeled after the rue du Faubourg SaintHonoré, the array of boutiques showcasing high-end leather goods and accessories includes such brands as Prada, Hermès, Gucci, Bulgari, Dior and Burberry. Air France’s new Satellite 4 hub, opening this summer, will feature the same concept on an even grander scale. Heather Stimmler-Hall and Julia Sammut contributed to this section.

Alésia was the site of an

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over Gaul. The new MuséoParc Alésia near

Dijon keeps that history alive through guided tours and other activities. Coming in 2016: a new archeological museum. alesia.com

J E A N - F R A N Ç O I S M A L L E T; © H V - S E M A L É S I A ; L E E V I G N E A U / S N C F - A R E P

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HISTORY LESSONS

A Passion for FRENCH

ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE

La Cour d'honneur ©Giovanni Ricci-Novarra, FMR Château de Fontainebleau

Of France’s magnificent architectural monuments, John D. Rockefeller wrote: “These are not only national, but international treasures, for which France is trustee.”

From October 8-14, please join French Heritage Society for its 30th Anniversary Trip to Gascony, weekend events in Paris and Gala Dinner and Ball at Fontainebleau. For more information, call 212-759-6846 or see website: www.frenchheritagesociety.org. French Heritage Society was founded in 1982 to help ensure the survival of the French architectural legacy both in France and the United States with particular emphasis on raising funds for preservation and education. The society fosters long established French-American relationships through cultural exchange as it strives to ensure that the treasures of our shared heritage will survive to inspire future generations. Its thirteen Chapters in the US and one in Paris have supported the restoration of over 500 buildings and gardens since 1982. French Heritage Society also organizes unique student internship opportunities in both countries and offers enriching cultural trips in France and the US for its members. Atlanta • Arizona • Boston • Dallas • Louisiana • Napa Valley/Sonoma • New York • Northern California • Palm Beach • Paris • Philadelphia • Santa Barbara • Southern California • Washington D.C.

Nouveautés

What’s in store

DECKED OUT The Rorschach-like prints on Trois Maison’s “Empreinte” DECK CHAIR FABRICS lend themselves to a bit of free association. We see swimming pools, beaches, cool drinks…. €59; troismaison.com.

TOP MARKS

STRIPE TEASE Does anything say summer in the south of France like striped cotton? Quel Objet’s multicolored TOTES AND SHOULDER BAGS from the Basque country are perfect for the beach, the farmer’s market or a weekend getaway to somewhere sunny. $50 to $168; quelobjet.com.

SHORE THINGS Pau-based Beach Access produces high-end, limited-edition BEACH ACCESSORIES designed by artists and produced by skilled artisans. Their latest collaborator: Berlin graphic designer Christian Rotenhagen, who has adorned umbrellas, blankets, towels, totes and espadrilles with his signature deer. Half of all profits on these items will go to the Keep A Breast Foundation. From €200; beach-access.com.

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V É R O N I Q U E M A I R E / Y 'A PA S L E F E U A U L A C ; T R O I S M A I S O N ; B E A C H A C C E S S ; © A N N E - C H R I S T I N E G E I G

Véronique Maire’s witty “Cantine” VASES are based on the generic drinking glasses found in every French school cafeteria. By adding cork tops in different sizes and shapes, she gives the tumblers a whole new extracurricular identity. From €40 to €60; yplfl.com.

ASSEMBLY LINE Designer F.X. Balléry was born in the Jura—a region renowned for its wooden toys. And toys—specifically wooden beads—were the inspiration for his “Les Perles” CANDLESTICKS,

which can be taken apart and reassembled in a number of configurations. Available in black, red or natural hornbeam with a matching or contrasting base. From €39.95; yplfl.com.

NESTING INSTINCT Roche Bobois has opened a new chapter in its “Saga” collection. After introducing Christophe Delcourt’s striking bookshelf and table designs a couple of years ago, the company is branching out with a line of OUTDOOR FURNITURE that’s beautiful enough to keep indoors. From $4,805; roche-bobois.com.

Y 'A PA S L E F E U A U L A C ; R O C H E B O B O I S ; P H I L I P P E X E R R I ; J E W E L L E R Y E T H I C A L LY M I N D E D / PA R I S ; A . P. C .

MAGIC CARPETS Philippe Xerri’s “Arlequin” ARMCHAIR AND OTTOMAN are part of a new line of furnishings for Rock The Kasbah that weds mid-century lines with colorful kilims. Xerri creates the designs, which are produced by a fairtrade women’s collective in central Tunisia. The Eameses would have approved. From €1,895 for the set; pxrtk.com.

GOLD STANDARD Inspired by the perforated sheet metal used in architectural projects, India Mahdavi’s “Voids” collection plays with notions of positive and negative space. Designed for JEM—a Parisian purveyor of environmentally and ethically responsible JEWELRY—it features chic rings and bracelets made from recycled 18k gold. From €380; jem-paris.com.

FEELIN’ GROOVY Make a splash this summer with this psychedelic one-piece BATHING SUIT from A.P.C. Referencing the pop aesthetics of the late ’60s and early ’70s, it’s part of a retro capsule collection created for the French brand by luxury swimwear company Tooshie. $165 to $295; usonline.apc.fr.

à la carte

French food & drink in America

“

A PROPOS...

By DOROTHY J. GAITER

PINK IS BIG

It’s not so easy to make something easy to drink.

”

— David Hénault, Nicolas Feuillatte’s new cellar master, at a tasting of Champagnes at Le Cirque, blocks from where the legendary Feuillatte had an apartment in the 1950s

Between 2010 and 2011, exports of PROVENCE ROSÉS to the United States soared 62 percent in volume and 49 percent in value. One contributing factor must be the magnum craze, which has taken hold from the yachts of St. Tropez to the beaches of the Hamptons. Some of these big bottles are super sleek, others are just plain pretty, and all say “summer party!” in a language that everyone can understand. When choosing these dry, crisp wines, aficionados go for the palest pinks—a sign of expert winemaking. Shown here: Domaine Mas de Cadenet rosé, $40.

Food Fête The French culinary world rejoiced when UNESCO added the “French Gastronomic Meal” to its “Intangible Cultural Heritage” list in 2010; now, the Fête de la Gastronomie invites French and foreigners alike to share in this time-honored Gallic tradition. Inaugurated last year, the all-day and all-night affair was celebrated throughout France with 6,000 events in nearly 2,000 towns and cities—one of the largest was in Avignon, which staged a banquet for 500 people on the Place du Palais des Papes. Several French-speaking countries also participated; this year, the party will extend to New York and Tokyo (the U.S. and Japan have the largest number of Michelin-starred chefs outside of France). Created by France’s Economy Ministry, the fête highlights French culinary savoir-faire and innovation. Which may explain the “restaurant bus” that planners say will drive around Paris with a different chef on board every night for the week leading up to the big night on September 22, the first day of fall. Three-star chef Michel Guérard is the honorary chairman of the 2012 event, whose theme is “Terroir.” Festival director Sophie Mise notes that the fête isn’t just for professional foodies; the idea is to make it accessible to everyone—some events will even be free. What to expect? Everything from special restaurant menus and wine tastings to picnics and cookouts. For more information on hosting or attending events in New York or France, visit fete-gastronomie.fr/en/.

• The Art of Cooking with Vegetables by Alain Passard. In 2001, this renowned chef shocked the culinary world when he declared that he would devote himself exclusively to exploring the potential of vegetables. With that, he removed 12 signature meat-based dishes from the menu of his three-star restaurant, L’Arpège, in Paris. With this book, illustrated with his fanciful collages, he invites readers to prepare 48 seasonal recipes that he describes as “a special gift” to L’Arpège, now fêting its 25th year. The “June-July” section kicks off with a recipe for “Passion fruit, stuffed and baked like a crumble.” A work of art. Frances Lincoln Ltd., $29.95.

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• Bordeaux: The Wines, The Vineyards, The Winemakers: A New Look at the World’s Most Famous Wine Region by Oz Clarke. One of Britain’s most popular wine writers (he also boasts a sizeable fan base on this side of the Atlantic), Clarke has revised and updated this dazzlingly thorough introduction to France’s storied wine region. Chock-full of details about Bordeaux’s different winegrowing areas and practical information such as “best buys,” this wine tutorial and travel guide will quench your thirst for knowledge while stimulating your appetite for the fruit of the vine. Sterling Epicure, $35.

COURTESY OF M AS D E CA D ENE T

mille feuilles

Paul Hobbs

( ) Talking black wine with…

THE KID FROM BUFFALO WHO BECAME MONSIEUR MALBEC

In the 1990s, California winemaker Paul Hobbs helped put Argentina on the modern wine map, thanks to his groundbreaking work with the Malbec grape, reputedly introduced to that country in 1868 by a French agricultural engineer. At the time, he was consulting with the Nicolás Catena dynasty in Mendoza; years later, he met French winemaker Bertrand Vigouroux, who eventually invited him to collaborate on his family’s celebrated vineyards in Cahors. How could Hobbs refuse? Cahors is the historic epicenter of Malbec, grown there since 50 B.C. and used to make its famous “black wine.” Still, a less confident man might have been intimidated. The Vigouroux family has been in the wine business since founding its wine brokerage firm in 1887, and Bertrand’s father, Georges, was instrumental in obtaining Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status for Cahors in 1971. And although the family’s four châteaux have centuries of history, the owners are decidedly forwardlooking, branching into wine tourism (one of their properties is a Relais & Châteaux) and online wine sales while launching two brands that retail for less than $20 a bottle. But for Hobbs, the offer was a unique chance to gain experience that could raise the bar for Malbecs worldwide. Four years on, he talks with us about his Cahors adventure.

D D M / M A R C S A LV E T

How did your collaboration with Vigouroux get started? Initially, Bertrand wanted to launch a joint venture, but I thought it would be better for me to begin as a consultant. So I started working with them on the top wines from their most highly regarded properties: Château de Haute-Serre, Château de Mercuès and Château Leret-Monpezat. All are in Cahors, but each has a very distinct geology. The first vintage involving my input was the 2009. What challenges have you faced? The vineyards were planted well but were poorly managed; they also had very outdated equipment. We have already made tremendous improvements without having to make big

financial investments. What we’ve done is clean up what they originally had and make operations more quality-oriented. We did install drip irrigation—this has been allowed in some areas of France for only a few years, so we’re pioneers. We did it because the vines were struggling.

is successful, the logical next step might be to buy land together. Right now, each party infuses equal amounts of seed capital. They provide all the vital local knowledge and resources, and I supply the expertise and experience that I typically bring to a project. That includes managing the vineyards, deciding when to pick the grapes, everything that has to do with how the wine is made. We grow the wine from grape to glass.

What do you value most from this experience? Being a part of an extremely old wine region, arguably the motherland of Malbec. I find that very intriguing. I just love being able to understand the varietal better. Cahors is particularly fascinating geologically, with many types of soil and stones. I’m still trying to figure out why Malbec survived in this region Bertrand Vigouroux and Paul Hobbs at Les Journées and not others. The soil here Internationales de Malbec in Cahors. has little pellets of iron and a Did the French have any problems taking wonderful aroma. I love the way it smells after advice from an American? We both wanted a rain, of game birds, legumes and that sort of to enhance the image of Cahors wines by thing. It is enchanting, similar to the soil of my improving quality and product consistency, and childhood in New York. It has a richness to it, they were interested in my long experience with a true earthiness, something we don’t have in Malbec. They knew that I had a lot of expertise California. There’s a broader palette of flavors with soil and climate and how they relate to that and textures. particular varietal. I had also learned a lot about water management for that grape. Malbec is like You are now involved with some 20 vineyards a camel; it has a membrane that holds water worldwide. I hear your love affair with wine better than other grapes, which allows it to started back in 1969. Yes, at my family’s home tolerate more extreme heat. on an apple farm near Buffalo, NY. My mother forbade alcohol in the house, but my dad loved And you did eventually agree to that joint wine and wanted to get into the winemaking venture…. Yes, the first vintage of our yet-tobusiness, and he smuggled a 1962 Château be-named wine—a Malbec, of course—was d’Yquem into the house. It opened my eyes to produced in 2011; we are aiming for a U.S. what a wine could be. Mom initially thought it was release in fall 2014. Quantities will be very limited. fruit juice, then kicked us both out of the house and we had to spend the night around a bonfire— How does your partnership work? Bertrand Dad because he brought it into the house, and f Vigouroux and I have a 50-50 partnership. If it me because I enjoyed it so much.

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Les Petits

Penguins & Vampires tv5 launches a new channel just for kids

American tots can follow • T’choupi and his adventures on TV5’s new kids’ channel.

If you are one of the many Americans who read Le Petit Prince for French class, you may not remember—or perhaps never knew— that the book was first published in the United States, where Antoine de Saint-Exupéry lived in exile during the German occupation of France. Later this year, the beloved blond boy returns stateside in his 21st-century incarnation on TiVi5MONDE USA, a new French-language television channel offering round-the-clock, commercial-free programming for children ages 3 to 13. Launched in January, the channel is an offshoot of TV5MONDE, the Frenchlanguage network broadcast to some 220 million households around the world. About 350,000 of those are in this country, where the network has been available for more than a decade now. “French is still the second most popular foreign language taught in schools in the U.S., so there are a lot of kids who might enjoy watching TiVi5 at home,” says Patrice Courtaban, Chief Operating Officer of TV5MONDE USA. Children of the more than 122,000 French expats living in the U.S. are another obvious target. The number of “likes” on the channel’s Facebook page—more than 8,900 within a few months of the launch—would suggest that the network has succeeded in catching the attention of its well-defined niche market. TiVi5’s programming offers young American viewers not only a linguistic change of pace but a cultural one as well—in other words, “Dora l’exploratrice” and “Bob l’éponge” may be popular in France, but you won’t find them here. “France produces 22

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a lot of kids’ shows—animation, cartoons— that are exported worldwide, so it’s not a problem to find content,” says Courtaban. “There will be more than 800 hours of fresh content per year, mostly acquired from France, with a few programs from other French-speaking countries.” Among the most conspicuously culturespecific offerings is an animated series based on the novel Le Capitaine Fracasse by 19th-century man of letters Théophile Gautier. Set in 17th-century Paris, the show follows the exploits of stage actor Justinien de Sigognac, whose alter ego is a swashbuckling agent of justice. The current lineup also includes Petit Lapin Blanc and the penguinesque T’choupi for preschoolers. Options for five- to eight-yearolds include series based on comic-book characters that are household names in France but little known stateside, such as the intrepid reporter Spirou and the mischievous, plume-haired schoolboy Titeuf. And for the upper end of the channel’s demographic, there’s “Galactik Football,” centering on a futuristic form of soccer, and

“Mon père dort au grenier” (“My Father Sleeps in the Attic”)—the only nonanimated show so far—about a teenage Goth girl named Kiss, whose father recently became a vampire. An upcoming highlight will be the aforementioned “Petit Prince,” a big-budget animated series complete with a catchy theme song, “De Planète en Planète,” recorded by tennis champion-turned-pop star Yannick Noah. Produced in collaboration with the Saint-Exupéry estate, the popular show was three years in the making and first aired in France in December 2010. The two dozen episodes find the little prince visiting new planets—the Planet of Time, of the Astronomer, of the Firebird—accompanied by his loyal friend the Fox. Parents who prefer to limit their kids’ television consumption to PBS programs might be pleased to know that TiVi5, although available in the U.S. only through paid subscription, has solid public-broadcasting credentials (a French-government holding company co-owns TV5MONDE with a consortium of public networks in France and other French-speaking countries). “Our priority is to offer quality and educational content,” says Courtaban. “As a public channel, it’s part of our mission to promote French language and culture.” Already TV5 is offering grants for free access to its programming to certain schools. Coming soon: teaching aids designed for educators who would like to integrate the f kids’ channel into their curriculum. TiVi5MONDE USA is available as part of DISH Network’s “French Bouquet” and at all U.S. Sofitel hotels, which offer a Petit Prince-themed package for kids. tivi5mondeusa.com

COURTESY OF TIVI5MONDE / THIERRY COURTIN

by TRACY KENDRICK

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American organizations dedicated to supporting French culture offer members and donors fabulous opportunities to enjoy truly unique experiences. Here’s a calendar of events planned for the following months. Sign up soon to save your place!

Calendar 2012-13 July 11, 2012

October 8-14, 2012

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE PARIS OPERA & BALLET

FRENCH HERITAGE SOCIETY

Summer Soirée featuring a performance by the Paris Opéra Ballet, on tour in the U.S. for the first time in more than a decade; supper and dancing to follow. For further information, contact Hal J. Witt, Director, hal.witt@afpob.org or Tel. 212/439-1426.

FHS’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations retrace Louis XIV’s 1600 journey across Gascony—musketeers and entire court in tow—to marry Marie-Thérèse of Spain; festivities culminate with a gala dinner and ball at the Château de Fontainebleau featuring a menu by Michelin three-star chef Eric Frechon. fhs@frenchheritagesociety.org or Tel. 212/759-6846

September 21-26, 2012

October 19-20, 2012

THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF VERSAILLES

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CHARTRES

“Voyage Spectaculaire” to the French Riviera, with tours— many including luncheons or dinners—of grand private residences, among them the Villa Santo Sospir, known for its wall paintings by Jean Cocteau; extension trip to Monte Carlo includes a private tour of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco. info@americanfriendsofversailles.org

Gala Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Chartres, Sanctuaire du Monde, AFC’s partner organization in France, to include a private, behind-the-scenes tour of the cathedral as well as dinner and festivities at the Hôtel du Grand Monarque, Chartres. friendsofchartres@yahoo.com or Tel. 212/750-8215 October 30, 2012

September 22, 2012

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CHARTRES

Open Air Artists Day with dozens of artists gathering at the cathedral in the morning to create works inspired by its beauty; exhibition and sale to follow in the afternoon. friendsofchartres@yahoo.com or Tel. 212/750-8215 September 25-October 2, 2012

THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BLÉRANCOURT

Prestige Tour including 17 private Loire Valley châteaux, the Château de Chenonceau, the Clos Lucé (Leonardo da Vinci’s final home) and the gardens and restored pavilions of the Château de Blérancourt. SOLD OUT; waitlist only. blerancourt@rcn.com or Tel. 212/725-5380 September 29, 2012

AMERICAN FRIENDS MUSÉE D’ORSAY

Fall Gala featuring a private preview of the Musée d’Orsay’s exhibition “Impressionism and Fashion” and a cocktail-dînatoire in the museum’s gilded restaurant. gala2012@aforsay.org or visit aforsay.org

AMERICAN FRIENDS MUSÉE D’ORSAY Dîner à l’Orangerie; by invitation only. info@aforsay.org November 12, 2012

THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BLÉRANCOURT

Annual Dinner at New York’s Harold Pratt House; highlights include announcement of this year’s recipient of the Anne Morgan Award of Excellence; menu by Chef Daniel Boulud. blerancourt@rcn.com or Tel. 212/725-5380 February 2013

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CHANTILLY

Valentine’s Package at the Domaine de Chantilly’s new Auberge du Jeu de Paume hotel in honor of the restoration of the Island of Love in the château’s English Garden. AFCeurope@orange.fr June 15, 2013

THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF VERSAILLES

Le Grand Bal de Versailles at the palace, with related events before and after in Paris and its environs. info@ americanfriendsofversailles.org

This October, the Château de Fontainebleau will host FHS’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

FRENCH HERITAGE SOCIETY Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, FHS is dedicated to preserving the French architectural legacy both in France and in the United States, fostering FrenchAmerican friendship and cultural exchange, and organizing transatlantic educational opportunities for students and architects. Its 13 chapters in the U.S. and one in Paris have provided grants for the restoration of nearly 500 buildings and gardens to date. frenchheritagesociety.org

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE PARIS OPERA & BALLET AFPOB seeks to share the treasures of the Opéra National de Paris with the American public. Since its establishment in 1984, it has become a leading promoter of French-American cultural exchange and has organized or funded hundreds of tours, guest appearances, productions, exhibitions, trips and special events. afpob.org

THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BLÉRANCOURT The AFB was established in 1985 to support the FrancoAmerican Museum at the Château de Blérancourt in Picardy. Founded by J.P. Morgan’s daughter Anne following World War I, the museum documents the two nations’ political, social and cultural contacts. Now under renovation, it will reopen in time for WWI commemorations in 2014. americanfriendsofblerancourt.org

THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF VERSAILLES The official U.S. representative for Versailles since 1998, the AFV raises funds for specific restoration projects in the palace and its gardens, and supports cultural interchange between France and the United States in the fields of education, architecture, fine and decorative arts, garden architecture and music. americanfriendsofversailles.org

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CHANTILLY

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CHARTRES

AMERICAN FRIENDS MUSÉE D’ORSAY

AFC was created in 2003 to help finance the restoration and preservation of paintings, sculptures, books and historic manuscripts at the Château de Chantilly; to refurbish the château’s grounds; to encourage Americans to visit this beautiful and historic site; and to provide tours and educational exchange opportunities with the Domaine de Chantilly. afchantilly.org

Founded in 2005, AFC works in association with Chartres, Sanctuaire du Monde in France to provide support to the French Government for the restoration of Chartres Cathedral. It is currently completing its inaugural project to clean and conserve the five lancet windows of the south portal, below the magnificent rose window. friendsofchartres.org

Created in 2010, AFMO increases public awareness and financial support for the Musée d’Orsay and its sister institution, the Musée de l’Orangerie, and encourages gifts of art to the museums. Funds raised support conservation projects, education, building renovations and exhibitions in both France and the United States. afmo.org

“The Large Bathers” (1906) by Paul Cézanne Considered a masterpiece of Modernism, this monumental canvas brought the tradition of pastoral painting into the modern age. Both Matisse and Picasso were fascinated by this seminal work, which also inspired the nascent Cubist movement.

I NV ITATIO N to

The Philadelphia Museum of Art celebrates eternal summer with Gauguin, Cézanne and Matisse sharing their visions of paradise on Earth. The sun always shines, love abounds, clothes are optional. By ROLAND FLAMINI

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THE BLOCKBUSTER EXHIBITION IS THE

lifeblood of modern museums. It pulls in the crowds and encourages new scholarship by bringing together related works sometimes not otherwise seen in the same country, let alone the same city. The “classic” blockbuster is the linear retrospective, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s hugely successful Van Gogh exhibition that closed in May, after being seen by more than 250,000 visitors. Now the PMA is following up with a show that offers a broader thematic sweep: “Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse: Visions of Arcadia,” which opened in June. Imaginative and scholarly, “Visions of Arcadia” brings together 40 works by 23 different artists. The show is built around the intriguing premise that, with the clouds of World War I scudding toward Western Europe, some leading French and German artists of the late 19th and early 20th century sought escape in a revival of the theme of Arcadia, an imaginary, tranquil place of love, song and simplicity first celebrated by Virgil and other ancient writers. At the heart of the exhibition are three acknowledged masterpieces created at what the show’s organizers call “a time of sweeping and 28

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often disruptive social, technological (and) intellectual change.” All three are large canvases, and each was chosen to represent a distinctive and powerful response to the Arcadian tradition: Paul Gauguin’s cryptic “Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?” (1897-98), Paul Cézanne’s “The Large Bathers” (1906) and Henri Matisse’s mural-sized “Bathers by a River” (1909-17). Quite a bit has been written about this Arcadian revival, but there has been no previous attempt to extend the theme all the way from Corot to Picasso in a major exhibition, identifying it as one of the key inspirations in modern art. Many critics may regard it as a bridge too far, but Joseph J. Rishel, senior curator of European Painting at the Philadelphia Museum and the show’s creator, has a ready answer. With war looming, he says, “artists fueled by high optimism and sometimes profound unease looked inward and to each other to give creative shape to the common fate of the human condition.” Of the exhibition’s titular artists, Gauguin is the easiest to put into the escapism context. “Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?” is his finest work from Polynesia, his transplanted Arcadia. The painting’s three main groups of figures represent the cycle of life: a baby and three women on the right of the picture, an adolescent in the center and an old woman on the left approaching death who, in the words of Gauguin, “appears resigned

(left) “Bathers by a River” (1909-17) by Henri Matisse Matisse painted three canvases exploring the theme of the female nude in a pastoral setting. This one— reworked repeatedly by the artist—is by far the most somber and is believed to reflect his reaction to the devastation of WWI.

(above) “Five Nudes (Study for ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’)” (1907) by Pablo Picasso “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” was said to have been inspired by Cézanne’s “Large Bathers.” The exhibit includes this study for Picasso’s masterpiece; while not typically idyllic, its presence in the show underscores the theme of artistic dialogue.

(right) “Boys Bathing” (1911) by Natalia Goncharova Arcadian themes are evident in this canvas by Goncharova, a key figure in the development of avant-garde Russian art before WWI. Affiliated with Der Blaue Reiter, she was influenced by Russian folk art, Fauvism and Cubism.

to her thoughts.” All this is set in a tropical paradise—a little river runs through the woods, a brilliant blue sea provides a backdrop; it is the Tahiti of sunlight and color that Gauguin sought, away from the industrialized West. Paul Cézanne’s monumental “The Large Bathers”—the title refers to the size of the canvas as well as to the subjects—is the largest in the artist’s series of “Bather” paintings. Its serenity is beautifully expressed in a carefully constructed composition: 14 nude figures in repose— apparently all of them women, but it’s hard to tell—are framed in a great triangle formed by trees. Perhaps they have all been skinnydipping and are now resting after their exertions; one swimmer is still in the water. The dominant blues of the sky and the lake emphasize the harmony of the scene. On the opposite bank, a clothed figure with a donkey walks towards the church spire of a distant town: That is the real world. When the painting was first shown after Cézanne’s death in 1907, it created a sensation. An impressed Henry Moore, the English sculptor, compared it to looking at Chartres Cathedral. The third seminal picture in the exhibition, Henri Matisse’s mural-sized “Bathers by a River” (1909-17), started out in 1909 as four figures splashing contentedly in an Arcadian landscape. Matisse had seen and admired Cézanne’s “Large Bathers,” and his own “Bathers by a River” was in part a tribute to the late artist. But four years

later, Matisse went back to the painting, reworking it into a Cubistinspired scene in which the women have become faceless, abstract forms. Three years on, he again altered the work, creating a background of three wide vertical bands of color to reinforce the geometric forms of the figures. The river is now a black stripe, and green fronds ripple on one side of the picture. The somber mood of the finished work is said to reflect the artist’s growing concern over the devastation of World War I. “VISIONS OF ARCADIA” IS AN ATTEMPT TO SHIFT SUCH PAINTINGS

away from the generic title of “bathers” and demonstrate how they are imbued with meaning, or at least poetic sentiment and intent. “There is no soap in sight,” quips Rishel, “It’s about poetry and painting.” The exhibition, he adds, looks at “the three greatest radical painters as they take on the oldest, grandest subject in painting, which is people wearing no clothes, under the trees.” Critics tend to mention Titian (ca. 1488-1576) as the inspiration for these Arcadian-themed paintings. Rishel, however, traces their lineage back to Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), an artist marinated in classical literature and especially the pastoral poetry that reached its pinnacle in Virgil’s “Georgics” and “Bucolics” but remained popular in France, Italy and England throughout the 17th century. FRANC E • SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

Shepherd + Shepherdess ___________ Idyllic l ve

Parallel to this literary vogue was a rich pictorial tradition, and Poussin was one of its main exponents. It represented the supposedly carefree, open-air life enjoyed by shepherds and shepherdesses who guarded their flocks, made love, played their flutes and composed poArcadia is actually a mountainous region in Greece, but you’d never etry in a bucolic or Arcadian know that from European literasetting of forests and hills. But ture stretching all the way from the Arcadia of pastoral poetry the 13th to the 16th century. A was also a safe haven, a place proliferation of literary works from Spain, Italy, France and England protected from the dangers and take up the theme of idyllic love in vicissitudes of life. harmony with nature, yet while the Rishel pinpoints Poussin’s inspiration may be classical, the “Bacchanale à la joueuse de guitare” (usually translated as “The Great Bacchanal with Woman Playing a Lute”) as a source of inspiration for Cézanne’s “Large Bathers,” maintaining that it is the work that “sanctified” the tradition. (Cézanne once famously said that he wished to “redo Poussin after nature.” He certainly had the classical chops for the job: After dining with Cézanne, American Impressionist Mary Cassatt recorded in her diary that she was shocked by his foul language but admired his ability to recite long passages of Virgil and Ovid in Latin.) “Bacchanale” (itself apparently inspired by a work by Titian) demonstrates Poussin’s masterful integration of landscapes and human figures. A group “The Bathers” of men, women and small children—the (1913) by men and children nude, the women miniJean Metzinger With its highly geometric mally robed in vivid colors—are ensconced landscape that includes in a deep, sheltered hollow among rocks fragmentary elements and trees drinking wine and listening to of a town, this Cubist a woman playing a guitar. But a question canvas pushes the notion of “Arcadia”— hangs over the idyllic scene as dark clouds traditionally devoid of encroach on a bright blue sky. urban imagery—to its Painted between 1627 and 1628, “Baclimits. The museum says chanale” was commissioned by France’s that stretching that definition, seeing how far it chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu. He subcould go, was part sequently lost it to King Louis XIV in a waof the exercise. ger over a game of tennis, which is how it ended up in the royal collection at the Louvre. Thus, argues Rishel, “All three (artists) would have known the painting.” Fittingly, it hangs in the Philadelphia exhibition, a coup entailing nerve-racking negotiations that went on until the last minute. The exhibition also considers other late 19th-century artists through the Arcadia lens, including Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean Metzinger and Georges Seurat. A few from the next generation—Picasso, Robert Delaunay, Henri Rousseau—are also shown adapting the age-old Arcadian theme to their own often radical pictorial purposes. Even German Expressionists Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Franz Marc are identified as having explored this motif; the latter’s Arcadian paintings are populated by idealized animals in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings. Some might question the inclusion of a few of these canvases, such as Jean Metzinger’s “Bathers” (1913). A Cubist who literally

settings tend to be local. In France, pastoral literature goes back to the tales of 13thcentury troubadours such as Guiraut Riquier and Jehan Erart. But the centerpiece is Astrée, a sprawling novel published in 1607 by Honoré d’Urfé, Marquis de Valromey and Comte de Châteauneuf. The inevitable plot line: Shepherdess (Astrée) meets shepherd (Céladon); shepherdess suspects shepherd of infidelity with (who else?) nymphs. Shepherd and shepherdess make up and live happily ever after. Meanwhile, France emerges from the detritus of the Roman Empire (don’t ask). Four centuries later, the novel enjoyed a renewal of interest when

the French director Eric Rohmer turned it into the movie Les Amours d’Astrée et de Céladon (2007). By the 17th and 18th centuries, the popularity of shepherds and shepherdesses had spread to music; they were fixtures in French Baroque opera, usually in dance sequences, and French opera audiences would immediately recognize a shepherd’s dance as a celebration of idyllic love. In some operas, the idyll emerges as subject matter, as in Rameau’s Daphnis et Eglé (1753). In this one-act opera, shepherd (Daphnis) and shepherdess (Eglé) enjoy a platonic friendship until Cupid wises them up to the fact that they are really in love. —RF

wrote the book on Cubism, Metzinger positions two small, nude women near the bottom of a canvas topped with a vertical geometric landscape of browns and greens for pastoral flavor but including the structures of an imaginary town. The museum defends its place in the exhibition, giving the common-sense reply that if all these paintings had already been identified as being “visions of Arcadia,” there would have been no need to mount a show on this topic. Stretching the concept, applying it to less obvious paintings, seeing how far it could go was part of the exercise. Picasso, who had also seen Cézanne’s “Large Bathers” when it was posthumously exhibited at the 1907 Salon d’Automne, is represented by “The Three Graces” (1925) from his Blue Period and a study for his form-shattering 1907 masterpiece “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” said to have been inspired by “The Large Bathers.” There are echoes of Cézanne in the final work, once you get past the last-minute addition of African masks on two of the women. We are a long way from the languid, fluid forms of Cézanne’s reclining bathers, and the situation of Picasso’s demoiselles (prostitutes in a brothel) hardly seems idyllic or Arcadian. But “Visions of Arcadia” is also about continuity, about how artists inspire one another, whether it’s Picasso’s more geometric than erotic nudity; Henri Rousseau’s tropical Arcadia, replete with jungle animals and appropriate greenery; or Robert Delaunay’s great decorative mural “City of Paris,” marrying the pastoral ideal with his favored subject, the modern city. The Arcadia theme and its role in the development of modern art are explored in further depth in various essays in the exhibition catalogue. The writers give Arcadia different meanings—earthly paradise, idyllic world, bucolic setting, golden age—but the main narrative remains the same: What goes around comes around, with French artists reaching back to a classical tradition and re-creating f it in new and powerful forms. “Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse: Visions of Arcadia” is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through September 3, 2012; philamuseum.org. Visitors may also want to stop by the new Barnes Foundation, just a quarter mile down the street, which houses Matisse’s “Le Bonheur de Vivre.” This painting makes the case for Matisse’s Arcadianism even more strongly than “Bathers by a River” (the artist himself referred to this work as “Arcadie”), but works from the collection are not allowed to travel. barnesfoundation.org FRANC E • SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

Rudy Ricciotti The audacious architect from Provence scored the world’s most prestigious museum commission when he and Mario Bellini were selected to create a new gallery at the Louvre. When it opens this fall, expect controversy à la Pei Pyramid. And expect the truculent Ricciotti to enjoy every minute of it.

By Sara Romano

RIGHT: The architect on the construction site of the Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée in Marseille, slated for completion in 2013.

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By Sara Romano

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On any given day, an estimated 30,000 people wander through the

hallowed halls of Paris’s Musée du Louvre. Few leave without taking in Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” gazing at the Renaissance beauty and marveling at her inscrutable smile. Soon, a glance out the gallery window will reveal yet another mesmerizing vision: A flying carpet woven with golden thread hovering above the splendid Cour Visconti. That glistening apparition is actually the roof of the Louvre’s brand-new Islamic Arts department, designed by architects Rudy Ricciotti and Mario Bellini. When it finally opens later this year, the €98.5 million, 37,000-square-foot space will showcase some 3,000 objects spanning 12 centuries and a geographical area stretching from Spain to India. “Working at the Louvre has been both moving and challenging,” says Ricciotti, 59, the younger of the two architects and by far the more outspoken. A Frenchman of Italian descent, Ricciotti lives in Provence, where he grew up, and speaks with a melodic accent. “The Louvre is a collage of façades from different periods, and I don’t mean that in a pejorative The undulating roof above way.” The new Islamic department, the Louvre’s Islamic Arts he says, is just the latest addition, a department (right) has been likened by its designbridge between East and West. ers to a “golden cloud” Made of gold and silver steel mesh, and a “dragonfly wing.” the undulating roof contrasts vivABOVE: Architects Rudy idly with the two levels of dark-gray Ricciotti and Mario Bellini. concrete galleries below, created by excavating some 40 feet beneath the courtyard floor. The idea came to Ricciotti from Montesquieu’s Lettres persanes.“The Persian arrives in Paris with feathers and shimmering clothes and capes, and the astonishment is mutual: The Parisian is staggered by the Persian and vice versa.” Its wavy shape is not intended to evoke anything in particular, he says. Rather, it grew out of a desire to avoid touching the façades of the Cour Visconti and to let light subtly seep through a few narrow entry points. He recalls that the original brief was to simply put 34

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a floor over the courtyard, install a ceiling and fill the space with artifacts. “Can you imagine that?” asks the straight-talking architect. “I refused.” This year and next are important ones for Ricciotti, who is slated to deliver a trio of high-profile projects: the Louvre gallery; the MUCEM (Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée) in Marseille; and the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris. These works spell triumph for an architect who has stubbornly kept his base in the tiny seaside town of Bandol—and who nearly committed professional suicide with a controversial stadium he built two decades ago near Marseille. Ricciotti is no stranger to the

fingers numb from the water, talking to the crabs. “Those childhood years spent in close touch with nature taught me a lot. Without that, I could have gone crazy,” he says. He remembers spending many a day in those deserted surroundings talking to no one, gazing at nothing but water. Later as an adult, he made up for that quiet childhood by becoming a candid conversationalist, interested in the limitless possibilities of language. “I like words,” he now says. As a 10-year-old boy, he sometimes wandered around his father’s construction sites—wearing no shoes and no hardhat, inconceivable even for an adult nowadays. He would gaze in awe at the cowboy-like men with hammers dangling from their belts. “It was a pretty macho environment.” He relates how tough his foreman dad was on the workmen. When it was time to pay them every week, his father would dock the wages of anyone who had shown up even 15 minutes late—“Ripping off the boss was out of the question”—and he’d stare down those who dared go on strike. He also cursed tirelessly at architects. “I guess you always end up doing what your parents don’t want you to do,” laughs his contrarian son. By the time Rudy reached his teens, he had started mixing with the wrong kind. His friends were drug dealers, and they carried guns. One of them hatched a crazy plan: He and Rudy would hold up the local post office early one morning and clear out the safe. Rudy knew that there were just two roads leading from the post office; arrest was a near certainty. So he refused, avoiding a life of petty crime and clearing the way for his education and a career. But his real wake-up call came when he discovered his final grade on the baccalaureate exam—a pitiful 6 out of 20. Rudy realized that he had to leave Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône if he was going to make anything of himself. So he studied day and night for three months to pass the entrance exam for an engineering school in Geneva that accepted final-year students and bacheliers. “I was terrified,” he says. He did get in, though, and at age 22, engineering degree in hand, he went on an architectural pilgrimage to the U.S., touring famous buildings by Walter Gropius, Eero Saarinen and Mies van der Rohe.

Islamic world. In fact, he was born in Algeria, where his father worked as a bricklayer. Henri Ricciotti (whose Umbrian parents had migrated to France) had heard that there were construction jobs available in Algiers, and in 1951 he traveled there to see for himself. He quickly found work with a masonry company, and when the boss suggested that he build himself a home using the construction materials on the property, he did just that—single-handedly and in one weekend—making it possible for his wife to join him. Before long, little Rudy was on the way. Henri named his first-born after a baby he saw in a soap ad on a billboard in Algiers. “He probably thought it sounded chic,” says Ricciotti. “Or it could have been a way to break with his origins as an Italian immigrant—the name probably had a modern ring to it.” Around that time, Algeria began to feel unsafe. Tensions simmered between the local population and French settlers, and a When he arrived at New York’s Seagram flare-up seemed imminent. At the first sign Building, he dipped his toes, Camargue-style, of trouble, Henri moved himself and his family to France. Soon afterward, civil war in the fountain, looking up in awe at the Mies broke out, tearing the two communities van der Rohe skyscraper. “I said to myself, apart and forcing hundreds of thousands of ‘You’re in the presence of the master himself.’” French settlers to leave. The family settled in the small town of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, a windswept and mosquito-ridden place halfway between Arles and Marseille that borders the Camargue marsh. Henri did When he arrived at New York’s Seagram Building, he dipped his construction work on new housing projects, and the family home toes, Camargue-style, in the fountain, looking up in awe at the Mies was an isolated cabin with a pond on one side and a canal that cargo van der Rohe skyscraper. “I said to myself, ‘You’re in the presence of ships glided through on the other. the master himself.’” Young Rudy spent his mornings angling for bream in the canal and After enrolling at the Ecole d’Architecture de Marseille, he set up his his afternoons hand-fishing for crabs in the pond. Sometimes he and own practice in Bandol, designing residential additions and a café lohis daredevil friends dove into the polluted canal, wearing nothing cated along the port. He then started entering competitions and, after but their jeans, to impress the local girls. “Every now and again, we’d losing 32 of them, won the 33rd: a project to build a highway-safety come out of the water with a streak of fuel oil across our faces,” recalls agency in Marseille run by the Ministry of the Interior. The building, Ricciotti. “To us, it felt like a war wound.” which he now describes as “stylish, fresh and clean, and therefore not More often than not, however, Rudy was on his own, toes and provocative,” was well received when it was inaugurated in 1992. 36

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It Works

Gwenaëlle Fellinger, deputy director of the Louvre’s Islamic Arts department, deconstructs the successful elements of the Ricciotti-Bellini design

From the Louvre’s beginnings to the early 1990s, only a small portion of France’s vast Islamic Arts collection was on public display—and then only as part of the Département des antiquités orientales. It wasn’t until 1993, with the Grand Louvre project under way, that 8,600 square feet of galleries were earmarked for these objects. Then in 2002, months into his second term, President Jacques Chirac gave the go-ahead for the creation of a full-fledged Islamic Arts department. Now with an extension of its own, it will display some 3,000 objects out of a total of 18,000 drawn from the collections of the Louvre and the Musée des arts décoratifs. The French government and the Louvre contributed a third of the $130 million needed to build the new wing; the rest was raised from foreign states and private donors, chief among them Saudi Arabia’s

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. Rudy Ricciotti and Mario Bellini’s design was chosen for several reasons, says Gwenaëlle Fellinger, deputy director of the Louvre’s Islamic Arts department. “Aesthetically, the project is a success,” she says, “and it responds very intelligently to the technical requirement that the courtyard be covered.” Instead of sealing the Cour Visconti completely—which would have been awkward both technically and visually, given the surrounding buildings’ differing heights and periods—the new extension stops conveniently at the first floor. How does she respond to criticism that the gilded roof clashes with the courtyard’s façades? “It’s contemporary architecture, so it’s inevitably different from the historic architecture all around,” says Fellinger. “But the Louvre itself is a patchwork of various periods, with

buildings that have been added over time. This is yet another one that nicely echoes the Pyramid on the other side.” She notes that the two architects also fulfilled the requirement that the galleries be spread over a limited number of floors—everything is laid out on two levels—and that exhibition designer Renaud Piérard carefully respected the curatorial demands of the Islamic Arts department. Broadly speaking, the upper level focuses on calligraphy, and a dimly lit lower gallery is dedicated to book arts and carpets, which can be brought out of their dark storage rooms only once every six years for a six-month display. High on her “must-see” list are a 1627 Persian miniature representing Shah Abbas I and his pageboy;

the Saint Louis Baptistery, a basin thought to have been commissioned by a European in Syria that wound up in France sometime between the 14th and 15th centuries; and the Pyxis of Al-Mughira, a carved ivory box made in Cordoba in 968 and given to a prince who was assassinated shortly afterward. The Louvre hopes that the expansion of its Islamic Arts department will facilitate a better understanding in the West of “a culture about which little is known and preconceptions abound,” says Fellinger. “One of our aims is to dismantle these preconceptions. For example, there is the widely held belief that there are no figures in Islamic art. Visitors to these new galleries will immediately discover that notion is completely false.” — SR

TOP: A cross-section of the Cour Visconti, showing the iridescent roof. ABOVE:

Enameled and gilded mosque lamp from Egypt or Syria (c. 1347 to 1361); detail from a Persian tapestry (late 16th century); ceramic plate from Iraq (10th century). FRANC E • SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

Preljocaj uses the same adjectives when describing Ricciotti and his designs. His buildings, he says, are “both radical and sensual, and ultimately very moving.”

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Built out of concrete, Ricciotti’s preferred material, the architect’s designs embrace an astonishing variety of unorthodox forms. (a) The Mediatheque and Contemporary Art Center, Colomiers, 2011 (b) “Stadium” concert hall, Vitrolles,

1994 (c) Nikolaisaal symphony hall, Potsdam, 2000 (d) Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée, Marseille, 2013 (e & f) Musée Jean Cocteau – Collection Severin Wunderman, Menton, 2011.

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The Centre Chorégraphique National, or Pavillon Noir, launched Ricciotti’s reputation when it opened in Aix-en-Provence in 1999. Its crisscrossing concrete skeleton eliminates the need for internal columns, making it ideal for dancing.

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Ricciotti’s portfolio includes a few international projects, such as the curvy Footbridge of Peace in Seoul, which connects the Korean capital to a nearby island, and the Nikolaisaal concert hall in Potsdam, Germany. Coming up next are the CIAC (Centre International d’Art et de Culture) in Liège, Belgium, and for the Arts-Gstaad festival started by Yehudi Menuhin, a grotto-like performance hall nestled in a mountain. Given the choice, though, he’d rather work in France, where he feels that architects are well respected and duly compensated. His priority is to keep his 30 staffers employed and to reach out as much as possible to construction workers in France. His favorite material is concrete; because it has to be mixed on site, using it creates local jobs. Moreover, its carbon footprint is 80 times smaller than that of steel and 220 times smaller than that of aluminum. To underscore the point, Ricciotti makes a cooking analogy. “Using concrete is like buying local ingredients that you chop and cook yourself as opposed to buying ready-made meals sourced from around the globe that you simply heat up.” Choosing concrete is also a silent tribute to the father he admires so much and to the bricklayers he watched growing up. “I’m preserving their memory,” he says. “They’re fantastic people. If we want to keep jobs at home, we have to use this material, not steel.” Among his most recent projects is the Musée Jean Cocteau in Menton, which opened last November to rave reviews. Sheathed in a starfish-like outer structure, it too makes extensive use of concrete. The design was inspired by the drawings that Cocteau used to do without lifting his pencil off the page, a reference that is at once subtle and effective. “Rudy Ricciotti had the wisdom not to stick too closely to Cocteau—to detach himself while at the same time evoking his memory,” says Célia Bernasconi, the museum’s curator and a member of the team that unanimously picked Ricciotti’s proposal over those of the three other finalists. “He interpreted Cocteau’s trait délié and his style of sketching without reproducing it literally, which is the trap that other architects fell into.” To Bernasconi, the building is very much a reflection of Ricciotti’s personality: “His audacity and insolence led to his risky Choosing concrete is also a silent tribute to the and ultimately clever decision to locate the father he admires so much and to the bricklayers building on a site that others hadn’t chosen.” Already the museum “has made a he watched growing up. “I’m preserving their true imprint on the image of the town,” memory,” he says. “If we want to keep jobs drawing a higher-than-expected 10,000 at home, we have to use this material, not steel.” visitors a month. When not designing buildings, Ricciotti likes to watch bullfights, drink fine wine, read—he runs a publishing house “It’s like a torch held up over the city to show that art exists, that art called Al Dante—and cook. He’s good at game and fish, and he makes a mean ragoût de seiche à l’encre. He is currently restoring is something vital and necessary to all of us.” Preljocaj uses the same adjectives when describing Ricciotti and a stone building in Cassis (Provence), turning it into a cave for his designs. His buildings, he says, are “both radical and sensual, and aging goat cheese. “I am an intolerant fundamentalist when it comes to fromage de ultimately very moving.” The architect himself is “a very truculent personality—almost Rabelaisian, someone very generous who makes chèvre,” he says cheerfully, explaining that he eagerly ingests the stuff large gestures when he speaks and who can be extremely provocative.” even when it’s covered with the microscopic cheese mites prized What of his reputation for being difficult to work with? “I had by some aficionados. Designing the aging room inspires him no heard people say that,” acknowledges Preljocaj. “But I never had a less than building the Louvre’s latest great extension. It is, he says problem with him, perhaps because he knew and liked my work as a with characteristic panache, “a metaphysical experience—like a f romantic and revolutionary adventure.” choreographer and respected me as an artist.” But the project that really got him noticed was a stadiumcum-concert-hall in Vitrolles, near Marseille. Completed in 1994, it is a chunky dark concrete box that sits on barren, rocky, bauxitefilled terrain. Inspired by Land Art, a movement that Ricciotti admired at the time, it had tiny red perforations in place of windows. “It set off an avalanche of criticism,” remembers the architect. “That building brought me schizophrenic recognition: On the one hand, articles about it were published everywhere, even in China. On the other, I was barred from getting any public commissions for four years.” Just before the inauguration, a visiting delegation from the Ministry of Finance scolded him for building a windowless concert hall in the land of Van Gogh. Ricciotti responded by planting 600 plastic sunflowers on the patio. The stadium was shut down after a National Front mayor was elected in the mid-1990s and has been vacant ever since. The town’s current mayor would like to reopen it, says Ricciotti, who would love to see that happen. The architect spent the next several years working mainly on villas and educational facilities. He entered but did not win the 1999 competition for the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, and his plans for the redesign of the Centre National de la Photographie in Paris were also overlooked. Still, it turned out to be a good year for Ricciotti, whose reputation soared with the opening of the Centre Chorégraphique National d’Aix-en-Provence. Dubbed Le Pavillon Noir, it had been commissioned by renowned choreographer Angelin Preljocaj. The glass building is enveloped in a zigzag of black concrete—like a large bamboo cage with crisscrossing shoots. That outer skeleton conveniently eliminates the need for interior columns inside the edifice, making it ideally suited for dancing. “It’s a building that adheres scrupulously to the brief yet at the same time is incredibly audacious,” says Preljocaj. The dark color is experienced chiefly from the outside, he says, explaining that the interior of the Pavillon Noir is luminous with expansive views. “I’m very happy about the blackness of this building,” adds the choreographer.

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The

Over

achiever

By Amy Serafin

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MONTPELLIER

The former mayor of took a page from the marketing pros when he brazenly dubbed his town “La Surdouée” back in the 1980s. Now the fastest growing metropolitan area in Europe, this sunny southern city has more than lived up to the hype. The popular Festival Radio France lures crowds to Montpellier’s neo-Grecian Antigone neighborhood.

every day, nine people unpack their bags and make Montpellier their new home. Indeed, this southern French city is a very convincing sell: located three hours by train from Paris, Spain and Italy, it offers nearby beaches and vineyards, world-class museums and festivals, a highly respected medical school and an azure sky that can send artists into fits of ecstasy. When The New York Times put Montpellier on its list of The 45 Places to Go in 2012, it only confirmed what inhabitants already knew: The city is on a roll. Even the soccer team came out of nowhere and roared into first place this year. For tourists, this means that if you visited several years ago, there is much you won’t recognize today, from buildings by star architects to a whole new crop of wine bars out to prove that the local juice really does deserve the kudos it has been earning from critics worldwide. It may seem like this transformation happened overnight, but it has actually been decades in the making. Since 1954, Paris the population of the metropolitan area has soared from 129,000 to 420,000, keeping Montpellier Montpellier on the list of France’s fastestgrowing cities (if not the fastest). Among the earliest causes of this rapid expansion The city offers a growing collection of edgy was the French government’s decision in buildings by leading the 1960s to set up regional administra- architectural talents. tions throughout the country; Montpellier OPPOSITE PAGE: City was chosen to be the seat for the préfecture Hall, inaugurated in 2011 and designed of Languedoc-Roussillon, a sprawling re- by Jean Nouvel and gion stretching from Provence to Spain. François Fontès, who In the 1980s, the government’s decentral- describes it as “Mediization plan vastly increased the regions’ terranean Modern.” RIGHT: Two projects powers, further enhancing Montpellier’s coming soon: Jean importance and prestige. Nouvel’s center for conThe Algerian War was the catalyst temporary home design for another stream of newcomers, and (top) and Rudy Ricciotti’s dramatic Pont de la throughout the 1960s, immigrants from République (bottom). other North African countries also found their way here. Around that same time, IBM, encouraged by tax incentives, chose to build a large plant on the city’s outskirts; later, Dell and other multinationals would set up shop nearby, laying the groundwork for a burgeoning information and technology sector. Montpellier sealed its happy fate in 1977 when it elected largerthan-life Mayor Georges Frêche. The Socialist firebrand harbored grand ambitions, not the least of which was to expand his fief to the Mediterranean Sea, five miles to the south. In a particularly audacious move, he christened his city “La Surdouée” (“The Overachiever”), and during his 27 years in office bolstered that claim by creating new neighborhoods, launching cultural initiatives and propelling Montpellier from its position as France’s 25th largest city to its eighth. 44

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When Frêche first arrived, the city’s undisputed center was the medieval district, l’Ecusson. It is still the most tourist-friendly neighborhood, with a jumble of shop-lined pedestrian lanes leading to picturesque squares with irresistible outdoor cafés. But Frêche gradually inched the center of town closer to the sea, transforming a huge tract of land formerly owned by the military into Antigone, a new quartier with homes and businesses. Unlike neighbors Nîmes and Arles, the relatively young Montpellier has no Roman ruins, so the mayor hired Catalan architect Riccardo Bofill to inject a dose of antiquity with this neo-Grecian complex. Its stone-colored buildings with Doric columns and cornices so resemble a Hollywood set that you half expect Richard Burton to stroll by in full battle gear. Frêche left office in 2004 to become president of LanguedocRoussillon’s regional council (he passed away in 2010), but many of the projects he launched are still being carried out by his successor, Hélène Mandroux. An anesthesiologist and native of Montpellier who attended its famous medical school, she quips that she was trained not only to induce sleep but also to rouse patients, a skill she is putting to good use in this Sleeping Beauty of a city. Her own contributions to Montpellier’s evolution include the recent acquisition of a site that was formerly the grounds of a military school; she plans to turn the 86 acres into a park, student housing, a journalism school and film studios, and to add a fifth tram line to connect it with the rest of the city. “With our demographic growth, we need to build, and we are lucky there is still property left to buy,” she says. Mandroux orchestrates Montpellier’s development from her

Seated at her blue-leather-topped desk (also designed by Nouvel), the mayor can gaze out at the cranes dotting the horizon, a constant reminder of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race to keep up with its popularity.

Environmental friendliness has been key to the city’s expansion; pedestrians have the roads to themselves in many areas, including the historic center.

Blue skies, green spaces, nearby beaches and an eco-friendly ethos contribute to Montpellier’s appeal. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Esplanade Charles de Gaulle; outdoor cafés on the Place de la Comédie; the old city, now boasting designer streetcars and pedestrian zones.

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office on the top floor of the brand new City Hall. Inaugurated last November, the massive, masculine building on the banks of the Lez River is like a three-dimensional puzzle, a dark blue rectangular box with sections removed. It was designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Jean Nouvel and local architect François Fontès, who describes the style as “Mediterranean Modern.” Its imposing size is classically Greek or Roman— “like a grand Italian palace that symbolizes the unity of a city”—while the interior patios have a slightly Moroccan feel. At the same time, the structure is undeniably contemporary as well as eco-friendly: On the roof, 14,000 square feet of solar panels mounted on sliding frames close to create shade when the weather is hot. At ground level, a pool of water abuts one wall, helping to modMontpellier’s erate the temperature inside. Seated at her blue-leatheroldest folie topped desk (also designed by Nouvel), the mayor can gaze With his head of wavy hair in a distinout at the cranes dotting the guished shade of gray and the erect horizon, a constant reminder of stature of a true nobleman, it is easy the city’s race to keep up with to spot Count Henri de Colbert as he strolls the grounds of his Château de its popularity. In another sign Flaugergues. Built in 1696, Flaugerof the times, the new Hôtel de gues is the oldest of a crop of folies, Ville is not in the historic cenmagnificent estates that sprang up ter but rather reigns over Montaround Montpellier in the 18th century as country homes for wealthy pellier’s newest quartier, Port merchants. Marianne. Launched while Though open to the public, Frêche was still in office, this Flaugergues is still inhabited—in fact, mixed-income neighborhood 10 generations of the same family have lived here. Today it is the Count is expected to house some and his wife who sleep in its antique 40,000 people within a decade. beds, and you might come across “Twenty percent of Montpeltheir grandchildren playing hide and lier’s housing is subsidized,” seek among the olive trees. The château sits on 100 acres of land, much notes Mayor Mandroux. “It’s of it devoted to French and English an essential aspect of our apgardens that the count has painstakproach to living together.” ingly replanted with more than 10,000 Several renowned French trees from around the world: giant sequoias, Chinese kumquats, Chilean architects were selected to design coconut trees, even a bamboo forest. Port Marianne’s various housing A guide is on hand to give tours of complexes, with each incorpothe home and gardens, but if you’re rating different references to lucky, the Count himself might show you around, pointing out in his thick Montpellier’s surroundings: French accent the rare three-story François Fontès’s chocolatestaircase supported by hanging brown structure includes a cykeystone arches, the extraordinary lindrical tower inspired by a lighthouse; Jacques Ferrier’s 350,000-square-foot complex, dubbed La Mantilla, has a lacy concrete façade; Christian de Portzamparc’s 2,000 dwellings are situated in what he calls a “21st-century garden city”; and Rudy Ricciotti’s white building evokes a cruise ship. Construction will soon begin on his 240-foot-long Pont de la République, a feat of engineering in high-performance concrete that will cross the Lez near City Hall. Ricciotti is quick to say that he admires Montpellier for its “phenomenal dynamism,” adding, “The landscape may be rocky, but the city’s vitality makes it sparkle.” Across from the Hôtel de Ville, another Jean Nouvel building resembling steel drawers will soon house the new RBC center for contemporary home design. It sits on avenue Raymond Dugrand, a mile-long axis that city planners say will one day rival Barcelona’s

Rambla. Their vision for this broad avenue includes offices, administrative buildings, cultural venues and shops, with pedestrian walkways and tramways running along either side. And not just any tramways. Montpellier’s streetcars are moving works of art. Four lines have gone into service since 2000, with the cars on each boasting a distinctive décor inspired by the four elements. The design duo Garouste & Bonetti created the motifs for the first two: Line 1 (Air) has white swallows on a cerulean background, while Line 2 (Earth) features exuberant bursts of flowers. Fashion designer Christian Lacroix outfitted the cars on Line 3 with a rainbow of sea creatures (Water) and lavished Line 4 with gold baroque flourishes, conjuring up the Sun King, or Fire. Gliding silently past every few minutes throughout the day until 1 A.M. (2 A.M. on weekends), the tramways help keep Montpellier remarkably green. Indeed, environmental friendliness has been key to the city’s expansion. Pedestrians have the roads to themselves in many areas, including the historic center; anyone can rent a bicycle for an hour or a day via Flemish tapestries depicting the life Vélomagg’, the local equivalent of Moses and portraits of his ancesof Paris’s Vélib’; and many of tors, including one who supposedly the new complexes in Port slapped the Pope. The folies were originally outside Marianne are écoquartiers, with city limits, but expanding Montpellier solar panels and ample parkhas swallowed up the Château de land. Last year, the city’s savvy Flaugergues, which now stands as a integration of green spaces into peaceful reminder of another era just steps from the new shopping and its urban areas helped it earn entertainment complex called the Odthe title of European Capital of ysseum. “We are really in the city and Biodiversity. in the country at the same time,” says The mentality extends even the Count, who has made the survival of this oasis his life’s calling. To help to new family entertainment pay for its upkeep, he has sold paintcenters. Built to raise people’s ings to the Musée Fabre, opened a consciousness as much as to restaurant for lunch on the terrace, amuse, they are extremely rents out the property for weddings and exports his wines as far away as popular with the locals, who China. (The family makes seven varietvisit en masse on the weekends. ies from their nearby vineyards, inAn Amazonian greenhouse at cluding a red Côteaux du Languedoc the zoo, for example, re-creates lauded by Wine Spectator magazine.) At times, the Count can’t help but characteristics of an equatorial wonder if it makes sense to keep an rainforest, housing more than 18th-century folie in a 21st-century 60 species from leaf-eating ants city. But he knows better than anyone to their nemesis, giant anteatthat without it, Montpellier would lose part of its soul. —AS ers. And the Mare Nostrum aquarium stands out for funky features such as a soundtrack by Emilie Simon, a local singer-songwriter of electronic music, and a fantastic décor by Montpellier exhibition designer Henri Rouvière. Crowd favorites include the simulation of a boat rocking in a storm and a hurricane that buffets you with winds of up to 90 miles per hour. “I wanted the visit to be more dynamic, more energetic than the typical aquarium tour,” says Rouvière. “The idea is to constantly surprise people as they move from one area to another.” FRANC E • SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

The Back Country Montpellier’s charms don’t end at the city limits. Rent a car and take some time to explore the back country of the Hérault Valley, where you can duck into grottos, shop for pottery, taste wine and stroll through one of France’s most beautiful medieval villages. The sites are close enough that you can do it all in a day. BY AMY SERAFIN

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

CLOCKWISE:

Drive 25 miles through the garrigue, the scrubby lowlands typical of the Mediterranean region, past gray limestone foothills, vineyards and the occasional flock of sheep, until you reach Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. Don’t let the name fool you—there is no desert here, but a dream of a medieval village miraculously squeezed into a narrow valley like a zipper between limestone cliffs. Today the village is home to about 300 people living in houses built into the rock higgledy-piggledy on top of one another. Some of these centuries-old dwellings have a scallop shell, or coquille Saint-Jacques, on the outside wall, indicating that a resident had made the Saint-Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage. Others have a wild cardabelle flower hanging on the door, believed to predict rain when the petals close (though it is now illegal to pick them). At the beginning of the 9th century, Guilhem—Count of Toulouse, cousin of Charlemagne and military hero—retired from the battlefield and came to this quiet place to establish a Benedictine monastery, bringing with him what was reputedly a piece of the True Cross, a gift from Charlemagne. Guilhem was canonized after his death in 812, and troubadours wrote ballads celebrating him. His monastery (now the Abbaye de Gellone, rebuilt in the 11th century) developed into an important pilgrimage stop. But neglect, the Wars of Religion and the Revolution caused the abbey’s decline. Its beautiful two-story cloister was turned into a stonemason’s quarry; an American eventually bought half of the structure, and it ended up at The Cloisters museum in New York. In the 1960s, the French

The picturesque village of SaintGuilhem-le-Désert; the 11th-century Pont du Diable, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; traditional pottery from St-Jean-de-Fos.

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government started restoring the abbey to its original condition, and today a small community of Carmelite nuns lives here. Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a paradise for hikers, who follow rue du Bout-du-Monde (end of the world) to the Cirque de l’Infernet (circle of hell), an astonishing cul-de-sac formed by cliffs at the end of the valley. A small passage, the Fenestrettes, links the Gellone Valley to the Larzac Plateau. Visitors swarm this village in the summer, so it is best to see it in the early morning or late afternoon, ideally spending the night at the town’s sole hotel, Le Guilhaume d’Orange, or at a B&B. Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Tourist Office Tel. 33/4-67-57-44-33; saintguilhem-valleeherault.fr. Hôtel Le Guilhaume d’Orange From €69; the hotel also offers truffle-themed weekends in the winter season; Tel. 33/4-67-57-24-53; guilhaumedorange.com. Chambres d’hôtes Le Lieu Plaisant From €80 including breakfast and parking; Tel. 33/4-67-5807-61 or 33/6-84-96-40-97; Email: lieuplaisant@voila.fr.

Pont du Diable The 11th-century Pont du Diable was built for pilgrims crossing the Hérault River at the mouth of the gorges. Now it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the dramatic backdrop for a different kind of pilgrimage—to a favorite bathing hole formed by the river here. Visitors reach the Pont du Diable from the Maison du Grand Site (see below) by crossing another footbridge, the Passerelle des Anges, designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti and completed in 2009. A destination in its own right, the elegant black bridge is an unsupported 220-foot span constructed from high-performance, fiber-reinforced concrete, the first of its kind in Europe. Nearby, the Grotte de Clamouse might be the most stunning of the Hérault Valley’s thousands of caves, filled with stalagmites, stalactites and bouquets of white crystals like oversized snowflakes. Grotte de Clamouse Tel. 33/4-6757-71-05; clamouse.com.

Saint-Jean-de-Fos The glazed green tiles on the roof of the clock tower in Saint-Jean-de-Fos are a reminder of the village’s history

as an important pottery center, a tradition that dates back to the 15th century thanks to the region’s large clay deposits. Workshops turned out utilitarian items such as roof tiles and olive jars, but the practice died out in the early 20th century. The craft is now honored at Argileum, a museum opened last summer in an exceptionally well-maintained 19th-century pottery workshop. Its compelling contemporary exhibition design includes holograms and virtual books that explain time-honored pottery methods and keep the memory of this bit of local history alive (all texts include English translations). In the 1980s, a new generation of potters started coming to Saint-Jean-de-Fos, and today there are a dozen of them working and selling their wares in the village.

O Argileum Tel. 33/4-67-56-41-96; argileum.fr.

Puéchabon Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest winemaking area in the world, so there is no shortage of wines to try. If you intend to visit the medieval village of Puéchabon, you may want to book a tour at the Domaine de Montcalmès, where Frédéric Pourtalié, like many of the region’s young winemakers, is aiming for top quality— his Côteaux du Languedoc is considered one of the better wines around. Alternatively, you can order a bottle across the road at the adorable Couleurs Café, opened a year ago by Raphaële Usciati, a spirited woman who left Paris to pursue her dream of running a bistro in the south of France. Because her business plan promised to revitalize a village that lacked a café or grocery store, she received financial aid from the village, the region and even the EU, and has put the investment to good use by creating a true gathering spot. In this light-filled 19th-century schoolhouse, a chef from Trinidad and Tobago turns out simple dishes with a touch

of exoticism. The café hosts evening concerts and art exhibits, and one corner is set up with shelves offering an assortment of dry goods, from local saffron to lavender syrup. The terrace out front is a very tempting place to watch an afternoon slip away over a glass or two…or more. Domaine de Montcalmès Tel. 33/4-67-57-74-16 or 33/6-13-0889-16; domainedemontcalmes.com. Wine tastings by appointment only. Couleurs Café Tel. 33/4-67-84-4112; couleurscafe34.com.

La Maison du Grand Site Increasing tourism has created a strain on some of the most popular sites in France, leading the government to create a “Grand Site de France” designation for places that provide less damaging ways to visit to their attractions. In high season, you can park at the Maison du Grand Site near the Pont du Diable, where a free shuttle bus takes you to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and other destinations. The Tourism Office rents out audio guide tours in English. Open April 7 through November 7; Tel. 33/4-99-61-73-01.

on a Saturday afternoon in February last year, Mayor Mandroux performed a symbolic ceremony: She united two men in matrimony, her way of protesting France’s reluctance to legalize gay marriage. “This is a city where people of all backgrounds and orientations feel at home,” she states proudly. Apparently, it’s true. Handsome young florist Yannick Benas, who moved here from Burgundy, told me, “There are no gay neighborhoods like in other cities; here, I just feel comfortable everywhere I go.” Which might explain why Montpellier has the second-largest gay population in France. Its reputation as a welcoming place dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was a trading post on a well-traveled pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. It attracted Jews and Muslims learned in medicine and pharmacology, and many Jews escaping persecution in Andalusia eventually settled in the Ecusson district, where there is still a medieval mikvah, or ritual bath, in remarkable condition. Hidden underground, it was rediscovered in 1985, and the Tourist Office now offers visits. The city’s openness to diversity also owes much to its student population. This has long been a university town where young people rule; today more than 40 percent of Montpelliérains haven’t yet turned 30. They give the city an undeniable energy, partying in cafés in the historic center; shopping at Polygone, the region’s largest mall; or sunbathing on the beaches of the Mediterranean, only 10 minutes away. Students have in fact gathered here for centuries—at least since medical practitioners started disseminating their methods to pilgrims. In 1220 the Church made the instruction official, and today Montpellier is home to the oldest surviving medical school in the Western Hemisphere. Among the famous names who studied here are Renaissance writer François Rabelais and Nostradamus (who was expelled). Across the road is the oldest botanical garden in France, the Jardin des Plantes, founded in 1593 so botanists could research the medicinal properties of herbs and plants. The Tourist Office offers guided tours of the school, housed in a 14th-century building that was formerly a Benedictine convent. The visit also includes a mind-blowing museum of anatomy, whose origins go back two centuries. Off limits to children and pregnant women, it is a veritable gallery of horrors: two-headed fetuses in glass jars, clumsy gynecological instruments, rare 18th-century anatomical wax models and other bric-a-brac stored in no apparent order. (Paris recently sent its own anatomical collections to further enrich this one.) “It’s a unique combination of content and container,” says the school’s Professor Lavabre-Bertrand. Unique indeed. Where else can you find a large, fussy 19th-century room with ersatz marble pillars and glass cases stuffed with such gruesome contents? Like any self-respecting French town, Montpellier takes great pride in its cultural offerings, seeing them as essential to a good quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Its crown jewel is the Musée Fabre, one of France’s most important provincial museums. Created in 1828, it displays major works of art from the RenaisFRANC E • SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

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A performance of the avant-garde “Skinners” at AGORA, Cité Internationale de la Danse. OPPOSITE: The Musée Fabre boasts the world’s largest public collection of works by Pierre Soulages, “the painter of black.”

Montpellier’s cultural crown jewel is the Musée Fabre, created in 1828 and now one of France’s most important provincial museums.

sance to today and recently received a four-year, €62.7 million facelift and expansion. The overhaul has notably made it possible to showcase the world’s largest public collection of paintings by Pierre Soulages, “the painter of black.” The artist was a frequent visitor to the museum in the 1940s, when he attended the Montpellier School of Fine Arts, and in 2005, he donated 20 of his works. His oversized ultra-black canvases now seem to hover, gleaming darkly, in an airy new wing with frosted glass and pale concrete walls. In adjacent rooms, the Musée Fabre displays canvases by Rubens, Veronese and Delacroix alongside treasures of local interest. These include “Bonjour, Monsieur Courbet,” painted by Gustave Courbet while he was visiting the Languedoc; several bucolic canvases by the Montpellier Impressionist Frédéric Bazille; and wondrous humanoid beasts by sculptor Germaine Richier, who also studied here. This summer, a temporary exhibition dedicated to Caravaggio’s impact on European art opens in Montpellier and Toulouse before traveling to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT. Montpellier is among the few cities that can boast not one but two opera houses for its national orchestra and opera company: the modern Opéra Berlioz, built in 1990 in a pink granite conference center, and the 19th-century Opéra Comique, reopening this December after two years of renovations. The city has also spruced up its Centre Chorégraphique National, housed since 1986 in a sunfilled, 17th-century convent. After a €12 million upgrade, the CCN was unveiled in 2010 as AGORA, Cité Internationale de la Danse,

complete with artists’ residences. It is still run by the fearlessly inventive Mathilde Monnier, who for nearly two decades has turned out arresting works such as her version of the Greek tragedy “Antigone,” which features African dancers. According to Mayor Mandroux, Montpellier has worked hard in recent years to broaden its cultural embrace by encouraging festivals and contemporary creativity in all forms. Throngs now gather for annual celebrations of dance and music as well as newer events such as “Estivales,” an outdoor party with live performances and stands selling food and wine. Especially popular is “Festival Radio France,” a mega-event in July featuring classical music plus other styles from reggae to electronic. Audiences might see famous musicians alongside up-andcomers who perform legendary works as well as obscure creations. Though classical music is often considered elitist, this festival is not—of nearly 180 different performances in the city and surrounding region, some 90 percent are free. As a result, it attracts 130,000 people every year. One musician who will appear at the festival this summer is star violinist Renaud Capuçon. Should his 1737 Guarneri pop a string, a number of luthiers will be on hand to help out. The history of stringed-instrument makers in Montpellier dates back to at least 1768, when an Italian violin maker set up shop in the city, soon followed by others. The profession faded away in the 1900s, only to be reborn in the 1980s. Today nearly a dozen specialists craft and fix fiddles in the Sainte-Anne neighborhood—just one more growing f population in this eclectic, electric city. FRANC E • SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

Trending Now... Languedoc-Roussillon Wines BY DOROTHY J. GAITER

Reports that Languedoc-Roussillon wines have radically improved are so well worn that wine aficionados greet them with eye rolling. For the average consumer, though, it’s still news that the region that produces simple, tasty, value-priced wines great for gulping at summer picnics also makes wines that you’d be proud to open for your in-laws (if you like them), that special someone or your best friend. So what should you know when you set out to (re)discover these wines? First, that Languedoc-Roussillon, which has been growing grapes for more than 2,000 years, is big. Very big. In fact, it’s the largest wine-producing area in the world (528,000 acres of vineyards compared with 306,000 in Bordeaux and 45,000 in Napa Valley). Some 25,000 individual winemakers and 270 cooperatives turn these grapes into wine. The range of wines coming out of this region is big too, thanks to its extraordinary variety of climate, topography and soil. LanguedocRoussillon produces just about everything: dry and sweet; red, white and rosé; sparkling and still; varietals and blends. The challenge of promoting this sprawling, complex region falls to Sud de France, the regional development agency, which has set up “Maisons de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon” in London, Casablanca, Shanghai and New York. Since opening in 2009, the Big Apple outpost has aggressively courted the U.S. market, holding wine tastings and seminars, sponsoring art and charity events, partnering with chefs and restaurants, staging an annual festival and enlisting social media. They must be doing something right—exports to the U.S. were up 22 percent last year. We talked with Sud de France officials, representatives of the Languedoc and Roussillon wine bureaus as well as winemakers throughout the area to find out what’s trending now in this astonishingly diverse and dynamic winegrowing area.

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New Classifications

It’s not easy for consumers looking for quality wines to find their way through the thicket of AOCs made here—13 in Roussillon and 19 in Languedoc. To help simplify things, Languedoc has introduced three quality levels for its AOCs: AOC Languedoc, representing everyday wines (30 percent of the AOCs), Crus du Languedoc (60 percent) and, at the top of the ladder, Crus Classés (10 percent). Going Rogue

While some producers are fighting to get their fair ranking in the classification system, others are ditching classifications altogether in order to have the flexibility to do whatever they think will make the best wine (their bottlings are labeled simply “Vin de France”). Unlike in Bordeaux and Burgundy, laws do not dictate which grapes can be planted here, so these rogue winemakers are free to try combinations other than those stipulated by AOC rules. They may also use whatever techniques they like (irrigation, screwcaps); vinify grapes from vines of any age; make varietal wines (classified wines require a blend of at least two grapes); list the grapes on the label; and so on. One producer aptly described the region as “the New World of Old World wines.”

Wine Tourism

The region’s outrageously wonderful climate—300 days of sunshine annually and breezes coming off the Mediterranean and mountain ranges (think Napa Valley with beaches)— makes it ideal for growing grapes. It’s also ideal for vacationing, and winemakers are seeing enormous potential in wine tourism. A growing number are opening their doors to visitors, and a few have started offering special activities and entertainment. Mas Belles Eaux, for example, stages Les Nocturnes every Wednesday evening from June to September. Purchase tapas and wines by the glass and dine under the stars (mas-belleseaux.com). Gérard Bertrand’s Château L’Hospitalet, meanwhile, has pulled out all the stops with a hotel, restaurant, art exhibits and a jazz festival—this summer’s edition features Earth, Wind & Fire (chateau-lhospitalet.com).

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Guests gather at Mas Belles

Eaux for alfresco dining; horses are a common sight in the region’s vineyards, many of which are organic or biodynamic; barrels at Vignobles Gilles Louvet; Limoux vineyards, where sparkling wine has been made since the 16th century.

Sticker Shock

Although the huge majority of wines sell for $8 to $30 and generally beat the pants off U.S. wines at those prices, the region is producing some painstakingly crafted wines that cost big bucks. A 2009 Château Maris Minervois La Livinière Les Amandiers, for example, is made from Carignan, Cinsaut, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre using biodynamic and organic methods; it retails for about $184. Mas Belles Eaux’s Sainte-Hélène (Syrah, Grenache and Carignan) sells for $50, and Gérard Bertrand’s 2007 La Forge Corbières Boutenac (from 100-year-old vines, half Syrah, half Carignan) is rich and chewy and retails for $75. It’s so big that Bertrand recommends decanting for two hours.

Hot Grapes More than 30 varietals thrive in

the region, and much time and effort has gone into identifying which grow best where. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre are especially popular these days, and Picpoul is gaining ground— partly because the name is so much fun to say, partly because it offers a clean, crisp alternative to oaky Chardonnays. Southern Sparklers

Legend has it that the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon (1638-1715) invented sparkling wine. But in 1531, monks in the Abbey of Saint Hilaire, near Carcassonne, were already making bubbly. Today the area’s Crément de Limoux, a delightful sparkler with lovely minerality and priced at less than $20, is enjoying a surge in popularity.

New World Tactics

Tweet Wines In 2010, Louise Hurren, a

British PR whiz, organized a number of Languedoc winemakers into a group called The Outsiders to help them stand out among their peers. Hailing from the U.S., Australia, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand and France, these self-described “maverick wine folk” tweet together under the name @OutsidersLR. From their Twitter bio: “We came, we saw, we made wine.”

Domaine Paul Mas, run by fourth-generation winemaker Jean-Claude Mas, proves that just because a wine company has history doesn’t mean it can’t adapt. Borrowing a page from Australian and Chilean marketers, he launched an affordable line called Arrogant Frog in 2005. At $10, it’s now 30 percent of his company’s output. That’s a lot of croaking.

Southern Belles A few estates that are turning heads. Mas Belles Eaux Robert Parker gave its 2008 Les Côteaux 91 points ($20). The estate is owned by French insurance giant AXA, whose wine portfolio also includes superstars Quinta do Noval and Château Pichon-Baron. mas-belleseaux.com Domaine Cazes Established in 1895, it has recently developed the largest organic and biodynamic estate in France. cazes-rivesaltes.com Mas de Daumas Gassac In 1982, Gault et Millau called it “a Languedoc Château Lafite.” Now some of its wines command prices equal to those of the best Bordeaux. daumas-gassac.com Domaine Le Roc des Anges Marjorie Gallet started making wine here in 2001, managing the estate alone until her husband, Stéphane, joined her in 2008. They produce intense, noteworthy reds. rocdesanges.com Domaine Léon Barral Named after owner Didier Barral’s grandfather, this biodynamic vineyard makes low-sulfur wines that have received serious note. domaineleonbarral.com Domaine O’Vineyards Hailing from New Orleans, the O’Connell family produced their first vintage here in 2005; their tasty wines have cheeky names such as Trah lah lah, Les Américains and O’Syrah. ovineyards.com

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BELOW: A label from one of the wines produced by

Vignobles Gilles Louvet reflects the vineyard’s commitment to organic agriculture. BOTTOM: Chilled bottles of Blanc de Limoux, a sparkling wine that is attracting a growing fan base.

the Ambassador Globetrotting Winemaker Gérard Bertrand

if Gérard Bertrand has his way, he will do for Languedoc-Roussillon

what Georges Dubœuf did for Beaujolais. Which basically means leading a winegrowing area from relative obscurity to world renown. Acting as its unofficial ambassador, he has rapidly become the face of the region and an easily recognizable one at that, with his rugged good looks and six-foot six-inch frame. As he travels around the world, his objective is to promote everything about Languedoc-Roussillon— the place, the culture, the lifestyle and, of course, the wines. For this enfant du pays, they are all intimately connected. Bertrand, now 47, began making wine with his father, Georges, when he was 10. He went on to become a rugby star, with a career that lasted until 1994. Since then, he has turned the family enterprise into a $52 million business, with six estates, prestigious clients such as Alain Ducasse and Fauchon, and exports to 60 countries. He strives to stay ahead of the curve on environmental issues and is taking the lead in wine tourism here. Last year Wine Enthusiast magazine named Gérard Bertrand “European Winery of the Year.” Bertrand’s ambassador creds are strengthened by the fact that his portfolio includes every type of wine made in Languedoc-Roussillon, every price point and every style, from classified domain wines to unclassified varietals. And he makes a point of including the words “Sud de France” on every label, encouraging fellow winemakers to do the same. “We feel that those three words evoke images of sun and beaches and conviviality,” says U.S. Director Mark Fine. “We think they make an emotional connection between the wine and the land, its people and their way of life. That’s what we’re all about.”

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Rethinking Roussillon

The Big O

When Roussillon’s vins doux naturels began to dip in popularity several years ago, smart winemakers from other areas of France and abroad saw a terroir ripe for making dense and flavorful dry reds and whites. The Maury area is particularly hot. Dave Phinney of Napa’s Orin Swift Cellars, who became famous with his Zinfandel-based The Prisoner wine, makes oldvine Grenache here at his D66 winery (named after the département number). Abe Schoener of the Scholium Project, near Napa, makes Clos Thalès. Closer to home, Saint-Emilion “bad boy” Jean-Luc Thunevin of Château Valandraud has teamed with locals Jean-Roger and Marie Calvet to make Carignan and Grenache, and famed Rhône Valley winemaker Michel Chapoutier has weighed in with his Bila-Haut label. Joining him in another enterprise, Marius wines, is Bill Terlato, whose family owns a huge portfolio of wines in California and around the world.

Languedoc-Roussillon is a large laboratory for winemaking, with its widely diverse soils and terroirs each imparting different tastes and character. One area of intense experimentation is sustainable farming, and the region is now the largest producer of organic wines in the world. The leader of the pack is Vignobles Gilles Louvet, which makes three million bottles a year and is the number-one supplier of organic wines in France and Europe. His O Vineyard Pinot Noir, made from organically grown grapes, is jammy with delicious pure fruit. Biodynamic winegrowing is also in vogue, and horse-drawn plows are a common sight.

Le Guide

with stone walls and wooden tables a popular spot. Seating is also available at outside tables on this pretty street in the Ecusson district. Menus at €28-34; 3 rue Terral; Tel. 33/467-66-37-26; le-pastis.fr.

The Best of Montpellier

Tamarillos

BY AMY SERAFIN

Chef-owner Philippe Chapon worked for 12 years as head pastry chef for Guy Savoy before striking out on his own here. His deft hand in the kitchen makes for sophisticated cuisine with an emphasis on fruit and flowers. You may want to try the local Tarbouriech oysters; also called Pink Diamonds, they have pale-rose shells and are favored De la Luce sells artisanal clothing and objects, including bags by Isaac Reina (above). LEFT: Terres Anciennes’s vintage wares include regional pottery.

Le Petit Jardin This local favorite in the historic center offers a garden terrace with a view of the Saint-Pierre Cathedral. Under new ownership since 2009, the restaurant’s young, enthusiastic staff includes an Irish chef who gives a modern slant to traditional French dishes such as sole meunière or côte de boeuf sauce béarnaise. A wine bar serves fusion tapas. Menus at €36-50; 20 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Tel. 33/4-67-60-78-78; petit-jardin.com.

La Réserve Rimbaud Atmosphère, atmosphère, with a bucolic terrace on the banks of the Lez River. The restaurant has a Michelin star for dishes such as blue lobster with a ginger-lemongrass bouillon. Reviews of the cuisine are mixed, but the setting is undeniably magical. Lunch menus at €28-35; 820 avenue de Saint-Maur; Tel. 33/4-6772-52-53; reserve-rimbaud.com.

RESTAURANTS The Michelin-starred Jardin des Sens (jardindessens.com), run by the Pourcel brothers since 1988, put Montpellier on the gastronomic map. Since then the brothers have gone global and the city has expanded its culinary offerings with an array of restaurants serving original takes on local ingredients along with excellent regional wines.

Shopping Wander the winding streets of the historic center, where you’ll discover unique little shops. A number of artisans have congregated around the St-Roch area, and boutiques selling clothing, antiques, home décor and gourmet items also abound. Here’s a short list to get you started:

Cellier et Morel, La Maison de la Lozère Considered by many to be the best table in town, this haute cuisine restaurant with medieval stone arches and soft cathedral lighting is located in the historic city center. Chef Eric Cellier makes excellent use of ingredients sourced from local farms and the sea, using them in intriguing combinations and adding a hint of Japanese influence. The buttery richness of pan-fried duck foie gras contrasts with the bright flavors of blood orange and kumquat; turbot is cooked at low temperature until the perfect texture is achieved, then served with a shiitake infusion and soy, ginger and yuzu. The restaurant is justifiably famous for its light-asa-cloud aligot, a tomme cheese and

fountain in one of the prettiest squares in the Ecusson district, this restaurant is casual and inexpensive with consistently tasty fare. A reliable choice for dishes such as local red mullet filets on a quinoa risotto. There is also an adjacent wine bar. Lunch menus at €12-25, children’s lunch menu at €12; 3 Place St-Ravy; Tel. 33/4-67-86-46-50, lecarreresto.fr.

De La Luce

potato purée, served as an all-youcan-eat accompaniment (self-control is recommended). Lunch menus at €30-54; 27 rue de l’Aiguillerie; Tel. 33/4-67-66-46-36; celliermorel.com.

Le Pastis Reliably good French food enhanced with exotic flavors and a noteworthy wine list make this cozy dining room

by such discerning chefs as Alain Ducasse. Those who find the dining room to be a tad too colorful may prefer a table on the terrace. Menus at €50-90; 2 Place du Marché aux Fleurs; Tel. 33/4-67-60-06-00; tamarillos.biz.

Le Carré With a terrace overlooking a medieval

A gorgeous store with raw wood floors and 15th-century stone arches near Place St-Roch. Owner Olivier Bardou has impeccable taste and sells what pleases him— artisanal, often minimalist clothing and objects. The aesthetic is South of France-meets-Japan with a bit of Scandinavia thrown in. Along with Comme des Garçons clothing and lambskin bags by the small French house Isaac Reina, you’ll find unusual treasures such as an Indian cashmere shawl decorated with a woman’s face or delicate porcelain votive lights with botanical FRANC E • SU M M E R 2 0 1 2

The five-star Domaine de Verchant Hotel and Spa, with its inviting pool. BELOW: Cellier et Morel offers haute cuisine in a unique setting.

Best Western Hôtel le Guilhem European Best Westerns generally have more individuality and charm than their North American counterparts, and this one is no exception. Ideally located in the historic center, the hotel occupies the 16th-century residence where Jean-Jacques Rousseau once lived. Its 35 rooms are all different and decorated in an attractive traditional French style. Many have recently been renovated, and several offer pretty garden views. Breakfast is served on a terrace that looks out on Saint-Pierre Cathedral. From €96-190; 18 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Tel. 33/467-52-90-90; leguilhem.com.

Domaine de Verchant Hotel and Spa

sketches from Sweden. Bardou also makes and sells silver jewelry and small pewter sculptures. 2 rue Saint-Côme; Tel. 33/4-67-06-90-75; delaluce.com.

A recent visit turned up a rare vase d’Anduze planter signed by André Caulet in 1830. 11 rue du Palais des Guilhem; Tel. 33/4-67-66-11-19; terresanciennes.com.

Violette

Pinto

This three-level boutique in the Saint-Roch area specializes in an eclectic selection of contemporary home décor, from Droog lamps designed to stick on the wall to Tse & Tse vases, fabrics by Caravane and rugs made from recycled tires. 2 rue du Petit Saint-Jean; Tel. 33/4-6792-99-29, boutique-violette.fr.

A gourmet food store open since 1957. The shelves groan with goodies such as foie gras and truffles, local olive oils, garrigue honey, dried-tomato and basil tapenade, Languedoc saffron and regional wines. You can also stock up on grisettes de Montpellier, honey-andlicorice candies that have been a local specialty since the Middle Ages. 14 rue de l’Argenterie; Tel. 33/4-6760-57-65; pinto.fr.

Square A funky shop with casual clothes and shoes (e.g., plastic models by Melissa), home accessories (Keith Haring pillows) and a cute little tearoom. If you are looking for a Montpellier souvenir, check out the very attractive calfskin handbags designed locally by Jill and crafted in Tuscany. Equally unique are the 1950s armchairs reupholstered by the boutique’s owners. 5 rue du Petit Saint-Jean; Tel. 33/4-6766-32-73.

Terres Anciennes An antiques shop with an excellent selection of regional vintage pottery. A great source for 19th-century pots in traditional greens and yellows; made in St-Jean-de-Fos, they were originally used for olives or duck fat. 56

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Hotels From an 18th-century mansion in the city center to a stylish new Marriott, hotels cater to a variety of tastes and budgets.

Baudon de Mauny In the heart of the medieval district, this 1777 mansion has belonged to the same family since 1829. Four years ago, Alain de Bordas and his wife, a decorator, completely renovated it, turning it into a B&B. The rooms are bright and airy with 15-foot ceilings and sculpted moldings of doves and mandolins. Artfully contrasting with this 18th-century backdrop are metal Knoll chairs, Marimekko

prints and flat-screen TVs. From €165-375, breakfast at €15; 1 rue de la Carbonnerie; Tel. 33/4-67-0221-77; baudondemauny.com.

Hôtel Courtyard by Marriott This brand-new three-story hotel is located smack-dab on the esplanade of the new City Hall in the burgeoning Port Marianne district. It is clean, quiet and contemporary with a slight 1950s vibe, offering 123 guest rooms and suites in sophisticated shades of chartreuse and beige with furnishings in blond oak and thoughtful details such as an iron in every room. Superior rooms have terraces. The hotel also features an attractive, lightfilled restaurant and bar, meeting rooms, a business center with Macs, a fitness room with a view of the garden and a heated outdoor pool. From € 125-225; Place Georges Frêche (rue du Chelia); Tel. 33/4-99-54-74-00; marriott.com/mplcy.

A five-minute drive from Montpellier, this is the only five-star hotel in the area. Owners Pierre and Chantal Mestre made their fortune with a children’s clothing chain and in 2002 bought and carefully renovated this winemaking estate, parts of which date back to the 16th century. Opened in 2007, the hotel has 26 rooms, suites and apartments decorated in a bold, contemporary style. Furniture is a hit list of designer names, from Poltrona Frau to Moroso, while each room boasts numerous plasma TVs and a desk with a personal computer. The renowned Bühler brothers landscaped the park in the 19th century, while the Pourcel brothers conceived the restaurant menu. Other luxe amenities include a large spa featuring Anne Semonin and Valmont products, and a gorgeous indoor pool with a mosaic backdrop. From€300-800; 1 boulevard Philippe Lamour, Castelnau-le-Lez; domainedeverchant.com; Tel. 33/467-07-26-00; verchant.com.

Events & Tours Montpellier Tourist Office Stop by or consult the Tourist Office’s Web site for a schedule of upcoming festivals and a list of tours, such as a Segway visit of the city, canoeing trips on the Lez and a new two-hour English-language tour of the historic center. 30 allée Jean de Lattre de Tassigny; Tel. 33/4-67-60-60-60; ot-montpellier.fr/en. —AS

Homage a Jean Béraud 1849 – 1935 • Everyday France The artwork At the Theatre (1885) inspired contemporary painter John Pacovsky as he created this, one of more than 150 pieces in our Absente Homage to Great Artists Collection.

GRANDE ABSENTE ~Absinthe Originale Its maker’s private recipe has stood uncompromised since 1860. Hand-crafted in Provence. Only fine botanicals of the region are selected – including artemisia absinthium, the wormwood of legend. Grande Absente is 138 proof so please enjoy responsibly.

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Calendrier French Cultural Events in North America

July-September 2012

• Auguste Rodin’s passionate “Eternal Springtime” remains as fresh as it was when it was cast in 1885.

NOTA BENE In the 1920s, movie-theater mogul Jules Mastbaum amassed one of the largest Rodin collections outside France, then enlisted French-American architect Paul Cret—author of the original Barnes Foundation building—to create a showcase for his treasures on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway. French landscape architect Jacques Gréber, the very man who had modeled the parkway on the Champs-Elysées, would design the grounds. Mastbaum died before construction began, but thanks to his widow, the R odin M useum opened in 1929. On July 13, the museum will reopen after a three-year overhaul to restore many original features—statues once again occupy long-empty niches—and introduce improvements such as a skylight over the main exhibition space. The inaugural show explores Rodin’s magnum opus, “The Gates of Hell.” Search that work, and you’ll find the same female torso that graces its spiritual antithesis, “Eternal Springtime” (above), also displayed in the refurbished galleries. rodinmuseum.org

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EXHIBITS Washington, DC WOMEN ARTISTS FROM THE LOUVRE

T H E R O D I N M U S E U M , P H I L A D E L P H I A , G I F T O F PA U L R O S E N B E R G , 19 5 3 ; C O U R T E S Y O F J O A N B M I R V I S S , LT D . , N Y / P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R I C H A R D G O O D B O D Y

Beyond being suspected of moral laxity, female artists in 18th-century France faced numerous practical challenges that forced them to exercise their talents outside mainstream avenues. They could not attend life drawing classes, and their membership in the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture was capped at four in 1783. Royalists to Romantics: Women Artists from the Louvre, Versailles, and Other French National Collections explores how the Revolution, rise and fall of Napoleon and restoration of the monarchy each ushered in a new landscape to negotiate. Through July 29 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts; nmwa.org.

New York JAPANESE CERAMISTS

Until recently, Japanese ceramic art has been a male-dominated field, with women forbidden even to touch a kiln. The French Connection: Five Japanese Women Ceramists and a Passion for France highlights the work of a handful of female artists who have overcome this weighty tradition to achieve international success. Ranging in age from their forties to their seventies, all were classically trained in Japan yet chose to further their studies in France, where they found the freedom to express their individual voices and become pioneers in their medium. Through Aug. 3 at Joan B. Mirviss. Ltd.; mirviss.com.

prized paintings, sculptures and works on paper. Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris surveys the prolific and everinnovative master’s career, with prime examples from every major period—Blue, Rose, Cubist and Surrealist, to name but a few. Through Aug. 26 at the Art Gallery of Ontario; ago.net.

IMPRESSIONISM IN A NEW LIGHT

Comprising 150 works from the late 19th- and early 20th centuries, Impressionism in a New Light: From Monet to Stieglitz explores the influences behind the Impressionist movement, particularly photography. The new medium’s ability to reproduce reality absolved painters from attempting to do so while driving them to lend their creations an equally instantaneous quality. Pictorialists, meanwhile, sought to demonstrate that photography was more than mere documentation, manipulating the medium to achieve painterly effects. The show illustrates the fruits of this artistic interplay by juxtaposing works by Degas, Renoir and other Impressionists with those of such Pictorialists as Käsebier and Steichen. Through Aug. 26 at the Carnegie Museum of Art; cmoa.org.

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

Indianapolis

Whether showcasing men’s skirts or sending plus-size models down the runway, Jean Paul Gaultier embraces an irreverent and fun-loving aesthetic that celebrates individuality. Emphasizing haute couture, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk presents 120 outfits, most never before exhibited. Complementary materials such as sketches, film clips and stage costumes highlight the designer’s fondness for collaborating with fellow artists as varied as Pedro Almodóvar, Maurice Béjart and of course Madonna. Through Aug. 19 at the de Young Museum; deyoung.famsf.org.

SNAPSHOT

Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard reveals the impact of the Kodak handheld camera on the work of Post-Impressionist artists who embraced the new invention, first sold in 1888. Aiming their lenses at city streets, landscapes, family members and sometimes each other, these artists snapped a total of some 10,000 pictures, about 200 of which are on view. Some 70 paintings and prints show how the artists incorporated the new medium into their craft, be it by reinterpreting the snapshot in paint or by using photographs to explore foreshortening, cropping and other effects. Through Sept. 2 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art; imamuseum.org.

the Country are united with their close cousin Dance at Bougival, offering a vivid window onto the social gatherings and fashions of the day. Through Sept. 3 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; mfa.org.

Philadelphia VISIONS OF ARCADIA

Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse: Visions of Arcadia (see article, p. 26) explores how these masters brought their modern sensibilities to bear on the enduring theme of a bucolic paradise. Centering on three monumental masterpieces: Gauguin’s “Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?” (1898), Cézanne’s “The Large Bathers” (1906), and Matisse’s “Bathers by a River” (1909-17), the show also includes works by Corot, Seurat, Rousseau and other 19th-century and early 20th-century artists. Through Sept. 3 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; philamuseum.org.

Portland, ME THE NORMANDY COAST

Once they became accessible by train in the 19th century, the picturesque fishing villages of Normandy began attracting stylish beachgoers and artists alike. Comprising some 40 paintings and works on paper, The Draw of the Normandy Coast, 1860–1960 illustrates the ways in which the region inspired a wide array of European and American masters, among them Monet, Matisse, Renoir, Whistler and Picasso. Through Sept. 3 at the Portland Museum of Art; portlandmuseum.org.

Washington, DC

PICASSO’S PICASSOS

Closed for renovations until next year, France’s Musée National Picasso in Paris is home to the world’s largest trove of the artist’s work. North American audiences now have an unprecedented opportunity to view some 150 of the museum’s most

France includes Chieko Katsumata’s “Sculpture in the form of a pumpkin” and Kasuko Sakurai’s “Porcelain sculpture with torn openings” (both from 2008).

Pittsburgh

San Francisco

Toronto

The Mirviss’s show of Japanese •women ceramists who studied in

Boston

BRIGITTE BARDOT

DANCING WITH RENOIR

BB Forever – Brigitte Bardot, The Legend presents 30 photographs of the actress and sex symbol during her rise to fame and at the peak of her celebrity. Bardot’s international career took off

Dancing With Renoir presents two of the most recognizable works from Paris’s Musée d’Orsay. Renoir’s full-length canvases Dance in the City and Dance in

when she appeared in her then-husband Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman in 1956. She went on to appear in more than 25 other films, notably Godard’s Contempt (1963), before retiring from show business in 1973 to devote herself to defending animal rights. Through Sept. 13 at the Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square and Sept. 26 through Dec. 31 at the Sofitel New York; sofitel.com.

New York VUILLARD AND HIS MUSES

Through some 50 works in assorted media, Edouard Vuillard: A Painter and His Muses, 1890-1940 examines the many ways in which the master drew inspiration from his friends and patrons. The show spans his career, covering his artistic beginnings as a member of the avant-garde Nabi movement and the domestic interior scenes for which he is best known; his graphic art for the periodical La Revue blanche; his decorative commissions; and his lesser-known later portraits. Through Sept. 23 at The Jewish Museum; the jewishmuseum.org.

New York MONET’S GARDEN

Monet spent the last three decades of his life nurturing and painting his garden in Giverny, which he called his greatest masterpiece. Monet’s Garden examines the profound influence this magical place had on the artist’s life and work through such evocative means as period photographs, seasonally changing floral displays, waterlily pools (starting in July) and re-creations of the façade of his house and the Japanese footbridge familiar from so many of his canvases. Of course, an Impressionist exhibit wouldn’t be complete without paintings, and one of the two on view here has never before been displayed in this country. Through Oct. 21 at the New York Botanical Garden; nybg.org. F R A N C E • S U M M E R 2 012

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Elizabeth Murray’s “Autumn beside Monet’s bridge,” at the New York Botanical Garden, is one of more than 30 images documenting the Impressionist master’s country retreat.

ROGER VIVIER

Shoe designer Roger Vivier (1907-1998) is often credited with inventing the modern stiletto heel, or talon aiguille, at Dior in the early 1950s. His many other contributions to foot fashion include the thighhigh boots favored by Brigitte Bardot and the chrome-buckled, square-toed Yves Saint Laurent pumps sported by Catherine Deneuve in Luis Buñuel’s 1967 film Belle de Jour, a much-copied style now emblematic of the Vivier name. Roger Vivier: Process to Perfection features 50 items at any one time, with new pieces regularly rotated in. Through April 7, 2013, at the Bata Shoe Museum; batashoemuseum.ca.

PERFORMING ARTS

Voltaire’s mistress, writing a treatise on the nature of happiness, and translating Newton’s Principia Mathematica into French. Starring soprano Elizabeth Futral. July 19, 21 and 22 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater; lincolncenterfestival.org.

of the Bastille, during which Marie Antoinette declares, “Let them eat Tastykake!” and snack cakes rain down on the crowd from the prison towers. Spectators are encouraged to dress as either peasants or aristocrats.

Boston

Los Angeles and Santa Barbara

FRENCH FILMS

BASTILLE DAY WEST

The 17th-annual Boston French Film Festival showcases both classic pictures and recent releases. Among the diverse selections are 17 Girls (2011), about a group of teenagers who intentionally get pregnant at the same time; Daniel Auteuil’s 2011 remake of the 1940 Marcel Pagnol film The Well-Digger’s Daughter; and a restored print of Truffaut’s thriller The Bride Wore Black (1968), starring Jeanne Moreau. July 12 through 29 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; mfa.org.

The Bastille Day Los Angeles Festival (July 15 at Kenneth Hahn Park, bastilledaylosangeles.com) features comedians, singers and artists; French fare and wares; a Provençal pétanque tournament; a children’s village; and a waiters’ race. In addition to its signature poodle parade, the 24th Annual Santa Barbara French Festival (July 14 and 15 at Oak Park; frenchfestival.com) presents non-stop live entertainment ranging from cancan dancing and cabaret music to grand opera.

New York and Philadelphia

Milwaukee

Washington, DC, and New York

BASTILLE DAY EAST

BASTILLE DAY MIDWEST

PARIS OPÉRA BALLET

Bastille Day on 60th Street (July 15 between Fifth Ave. and Lexington Ave.; bastilledaynyc.com) includes Gallic edibles, market stalls and continuous live music, as well as face-painting and other activities for the kids. The highlight of the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site’s annual Bastille Day Festival (July 14 on Fairmount Ave.; easternstate.org) is a wacky reenactment of the storming

The largest event of its kind in North America, the Bastille Days Festival attracts a quarter of a million revelers annually with four stages of live music; a marketplace selling French and Cajun food, wine and gifts; and hourly light shows beamed out from a 43-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower. New this year is Mardi Gras Friday, with parades throughout the night. Saturday is Kid’s Day, which kicks off with a French-themed breakfast and continues with ballet lessons, soccer drills and other activities. July 12 through 15 at Cathedral Square Park; bastilledaysfestival.com.

The renowned Paris Opéra Ballet returns to the United States after an absence of more than a decade to perform Giselle, choreographed for the company by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot 170 years ago. In New York, where they will take part in this year’s Lincoln Center Festival, they will also present Serge Lifar’s Suite en blanc, Roland Petit’s L’Arlésienne, Maurice Béjart’s Boléro and Pina Bausch’s take on the Gluck opera Orpheus and Eurydice. July 5 through 8 at the Kennedy Center, kennedy-center.org; and July 11 through 22 at the David H. Koch Theater, lincolncenterfestival.org.

Philadelphia New York

SPECTRAL IMPRESSIONS

EMILIE

The New York-based Argento Chamber Ensemble performs Spectral Impressions, two concerts featuring world premieres of new works by Tristan Murail and Philippe Hurel, respectively. Both composers are leading practitioners of

The lineup of this year’s Lincoln Center Festival also includes Emilie, with music by the Paris-based Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho and libretto by the Goncourt Prize-winning Lebanese author Amin Maalouf. A 75-minute solo opera, the multimedia piece evokes the final days of the Marquise du Châtelet, whose fascinating life story included being

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Brigitte Bardot channels Bonnie and Clyde in a Paris-Match photo on view at Washington DC’s Sofitel.

Spectralism, a method of composition based on computer analysis of sound waves. Commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the reopening of the Rodin Museum (see p. 56), the pieces are inspired by the artist’s sculpture. July 22 and 28 at the Rodin Museum; rodinmuseum.org.

Annandale-on-Hudson, NY SAINT-SAËNS AND HIS WORLD

The 23rd-annual Bard Music Festival focuses on Saint-Saëns and His World, treating audiences to an in-depth auditory tour of Belle Epoque France through 12 concerts of works by the composer and his contemporaries. The programs include masterpieces from all genres of Saint-Saëns’s expansive oeuvre, from such well-known pieces as his “Carnival of the Animals” and “Organ Symphony” to his score for the 1908 film The Assassination of the Duke of Guise and a concert performance of his rarely heard grand opera “Henry VIII.” Fellow composers represented include Fauré, Gounod, Debussy, Liszt and Stravinsky. Aug. 10 through 19 at the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts; bard.edu.bmf.

New York CROSSING THE LINE

Now in its sixth year, Crossing the Line is a monthlong festival devoted to the talents of avant-garde visual and performing artists based in France and New York City. The 2012 edition includes the participation of playwright and stage director Joris Lacoste, whose recent work has explored hypnosis as art, and performer, songwriter and radio artist Gérald Kurdian, whose varied projects range from “Je suis putain,” an audio-documentary about female prostitutes in Toulouse, to an “anti-pop solo band” called This is the hello monster! Sept. 14 through Oct. 14 at various venues; fiaf.org. —Tracy Kendrick For a regularly updated listing of cultural events, go to francemagazine.org.

E L I Z A B E T H M U R R AY; J E A N - C L A U D E S A U E R / PA R I S M AT C H / S C O O P

Toronto

RELAIS DU PHOTO CREDITS

An elegant 17th-century chartreuse tucked amid the Bordeaux vineyards

Invitation to Arcadia

pp.

26-27: philadelphia museum of art, purchased

with the w. p. wilstach fund ,

1937;

pp.

28-29:

the art institute of

Rudy Ricciotti

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Château d’Arche is one of the rare grand cru classé estates to open its doors to guests. Situated on a hill, this lovely property offers nine beautifully appointed guestrooms and sweeping views of the rolling vineyards and the village of Sauternes. Jérôme and Sabine Cosson are warm and knowledgeable hosts, delighted to guide your discovery of the wonderful wines, cuisine and natural beauty of this storied region.

38-39:

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carbonne.

The Overachiever

pp.

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rbc mobilier, agence rudy ricciotti, mc lucat; pp.

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courtesy of

©henri comte,

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2008, ©ot carcassonne, ©s. bernert, vignobles gilles louvet, courtesy of mas belles eaux, domaine cazes, mas de daumas gassac, domaine le roc des anges , domaine léon barra , domaine o’vineyards ; pp.

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courtesy of gérard bertrand , © ot carcassonne , vignobles gilles louvet, terres anciennes, ©mc lucat/espace de la luce ; p.

R E L A I S D U C H ÂT E A U D’A R C H E - 33210 S A U T E R N E S F O R R E S E R VAT I O N S: T E L. 33/5-56-76-67-67, FA X 33/5-56-76-64-38 C H AT E A U D A R C H E @ WA N A D O O.F R - W W W.C H AT E A U D A R C H E-S A U T E R N E S.C O M

de verchant, maison de la lozère cellier

& morel.

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Temps Modernes

Hope and Healing

The expression “French doctors” has world-

wide currency, thanks to the renowned Nobel Prize-winning organization Doctors Without Borders. Every day, physicians of many nationalities fly off to treat the victims of wars and disasters— often in enormously difficult and dangerous circumstances—yet these “French doctors” continue to possess a special mystique. I witnessed this up close during a trip to Kabul two years ago for a book I was writing with a French doctor, Eric Cheysson. In that incredibly chaotic city, Cheysson succeeded in building a pediatric hospital meeting the most stringent international standards. He himself is one of the original “French doctors,” a longtime friend of former Eric Cheysson •visits a child at foreign minister Bernard KouchKabul’s French ner, who founded Médecins Sans pediatric hospital. Frontières and later Médecins du Monde. In 1979, Cheysson joined Kouchner to save the Vietnamese “boat people” languishing in the China Sea. The following year, he and a young colleague were the first Western physicians to enter Afghanistan, a few months after the Soviet invasion. All the Afghans I met during my stay in Kabul—and there were many of them—consider the “French doctors” extraordinary beings, speaking of them with hand over heart. But I met many other remarkable medical professionals who weren’t French. There was Dr. Alberto Cairo, an Italian orthopedic surgeon working with the Red Cross, who offered a prosthesis workshop staffed by employees who had all lost limbs in mine explosions. Kate Rowlands, an incredible English nurse who has been living in Afghanistan for a dozen years and has saved many children. And Alexander Leis, the hospital’s medical director, who is German. I soon realized that these people were so beloved and respected that their Afghan patients and friends referred to them as “French doctors,” as if it were an honorary title. If the French have a penchant for humanitarian action, it may be because deep down inside, they still have a revolutionary streak. Sons and daughters of the Republic that gave the world the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the French doctors are rebels at heart. And like many of their countrymen, they have trouble keeping their mouths shut when controversy arises. We tend to take sides quickly in France and enjoy getting all worked up for a just cause. We can be a royal pain, certainly, but we wear our heart on our sleeve. Bernard Kouchner worked for the International Red Cross during the Biafran war in the 1970s, but before long, he’d had enough of the organization’s neutrality. That’s why he founded Médecins Sans 64

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Frontières: to care for the victims but also to denounce their executioners. The reason he left MSF a few years later to establish Médecins du Monde was because at the end of the Vietnam War, he stood up for the boat people who were fleeing the new Communist regime. After years of chanting “Yankee go home,” MSF’s left wing was reluctant to follow his lead. “You are the bureaucrats of charity work,” hurled Kouchner, slamming the door on his way out. Over time, these internecine quarrels died down. But what endured was the eminently likeable quality that gives these physicians their appeal and prestige: their spontaneous need to get involved, an overwhelming feeling that has nothing to do with calculations and realpolitik. It explains why they were the first foreign doctors to clandestinely enter Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion. And why, as soon as the Taliban fell in December 2001, Cheysson flew to Kabul to see what he could do to help. He saw so many children in desperate straits that he thought of building a pediatric hospital. It was a completely crazy dream at the time. The capital was in ruins, devastated by years of fighting. Refugees were living in bone-chilling cold amid the rubble, huddled around stoves, with blue plastic tarps their only shelter. The once leafy city no longer had a single tree. Its only children’s hospital had no heat, pipes burst by the freezing temperatures, broken windows patched with pieces of cardboard. Babies were dying of cold and exhaustion in front of frantic doctors who had no medicine or food left for their patients. But crazy dreams are what make good French doctors. Cheysson found the land, the money and the benefactors, and against all odds, the hospital was built, opening its doors in late 2005. Each year since then, French doctors in Kabul have trained five Afghan physicians and operated on some 25,000 children. It was here that Afghanistan’s first open-heart surgery was successfully performed in April 2006. At a time when hope may seem like a luxury in Kabul, when anxiety and the fear of a new civil war are rampant, the French hospital is a haven and—in a land so accustomed to war—a weapon of peace. As Western troops prepare to leave, the French doctors remain. True to their tradition, they ignore cautionary advice and geopolitical experts, showing fellowship and solidarity with the most vulnerable—children and their mothers. In a country where a woman dies in childbirth every f 30 minutes, the hospital will open an OB-GYN ward next year. “Au Cœur de l’espoir” by Eric Cheysson with Michel Faure, Editions Robert Laffont, Paris 2012.

L A C H A Î N E D E L’ E S P O I R

by MICHEL FAURE

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