french heritage
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…
The exquisite 18th century bedroom of Madame Thierry
Before the eighteenth century in France, there was little notion of privacy. Kings and queens…
A short but insolent history of the Château Gaillard
The 10 most beautiful cathedrals in france
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.