french heritage
Château de Clisson
There are some French castles which breathe history, the past seeps into their weathered stones…
The Château d’Alleuze
Mounted on a steep and rocky promontory overlooking the Alleuze River, is the 12th century…
Viaduc de Garabit
Before Gustave Eiffel built towers, he built bridges. There are hundreds of steel bridges in…
The Château de Maintenon and the woman who was almost a queen
With a medieval tower, Renaissance turrets, a gallery built specially for a king and the…
History articles
La Belle Époque in Paris? Not for these women
Ah, the Belle Époque in Paris. A whirlwind of balls, galas, theatre, can-cans at the…
Who were the Women in Red? – The Affair of the “Chemises Rouges”
The large group of people clothed in chemises rouges or red smocks gathered together under…
La Guirlande de Julie d’Angennes, a perfectly perfect love story from 17th century Paris
Original cover page of La Guirlande de Julie, image from Bibliothèque nationale de France At…
A short but revealing history of French swimsuits
France is the home of haute couture, of Paris fashion week, of innovation and style….
Madame de Villars, a scandalous life in 17th century Paris
In the Louvre museum there is displayed a rather shocking painting of a naked Gabrielle…
Flower power: the botanical art of Madeleine Françoise Basseporte
When Louis XV appointed Madeleine Françoise Basseporte the resident botanical artist at his Jardin du…
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artist of the week
Artist of the Week
Tamara de Lempicka
(1898 – 1980)
painter
Born in Poland, she spent much of her working life in Paris. Her brilliantly coloured and often erotic paintings were influenced by cubism and neo-classicism. The women in her paintings were strong and independent and sexual.
Tamara de Lempicka moved to the US with her husband as WWII and the Nazis spread over Europe. After her death she was buried in Mexico and her ashes spread over the volcano Popocatépetl.