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"Queequeq - The Maybach Sculpture" by Julian Schnabel

Luxury automaker Maybach has undertaken a series of sponsorship initiatives in the world of art. The program revolves around the work of one Julian Schnabel, an American artist and filmmaker, and was announced during Art Basel week in Miami, where Schnabel unveiled a piece entitled "Queequeq – The Maybach Sculpture" and auctioned off several of his works to benefit relief efforts still underway in Haiti.

The sculpture is inspired by "Moby Dick" and named after the harpoon thrower in the classic Melville novel, but that's only the start of the initiative. Schnabel also directed a film about Maybach, and an artistic development initiative will be undertaken by the artist and the automaker to mentor up-and-coming talent. Finally Maybach also announced a partnership with the Louvre in Paris whereby a rotating exhibit of sculptures will be displayed in the museum's glass pyramid.

Gallery: Queequeq – The Maybach Sculpture by Julian Schnabel

Tags: art basel, julian schnabel, louvre, maybach, moby dick, queequeq, queequeq - the maybach sculpture, sculpture, the louvre

An Inside Look at Paris' Famed Flea Markets

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art, Books

Forget the Louvre and the Champs Elysées – compulsive collectors, experienced bargain hunters, bewildered tourists, timid first-timers, specialists in the one-of-a-kind item, treasure seekers, Japanese fashionistas, incognito celebrities and couturiers from countries around the globe all travel to Paris' famed flea markets of St. Ouen for inspiration and fabulous finds. Antiquaires: Paris Flea Markets by Laure Verchere with gorgeous photographs by Laziz Hamani, new from Assouline, showcases highlights from the hundreds of diverse dealers there that make up the largest marketplace of secondhand furniture, clothing, books, housewares, curiosities, antiques and art objects in the world. The stalls outside the city's Porte de Clignancourt which once played host to farmers and ragpickers today house highly curated collections and attract up to 150,000 visitors each weekend. Check out the gallery for a preview.

Gallery: Antiquaires: Paris Flea Markets

Tags: antiques, Assouline, books, coffee table books, Decor, France, furniture, Interior design, Louvre, Paris, photography, travel

Hunt with Eagles on Dunhill's Luxury Adventure Tour

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Men's Style

Famed London luxury goods firm Dunhill is collaborating with UK adventure travel firm Black Tomato on a new series of excursions replicating a famed Dunhill journey in 1930. In that year Dunhill's Clement Court traveled overland from Paris to Japan to secure the very finest Japanese lacquered goods for the firm. Dunhill and Black Tomato are now offering modern versions of Court's epic journey, with appropriately luxurious accommodations and adventuresome activities along the way. The excursions are designed to demonstrate that "luxury is something more discerning, more elusive and more unique than just a price tag", as they put it.

The concept of discovery and exploration has been a hallmark of the Dunhill brand since 1893, as reflected in its most recent collections. The luxury packages are priced from about $4,500 and include destinations such as Paris, Moscow, Mongolia and Japan. Experiences include a private tour of the Louvre in Paris while the museum is closed, a flight in a Russian fighter jet above Moscow, learning eagle hunting in Mongolia (above) and bathing in Japan's oldest mineral hot springs. Guests can also opt to recreate Court's entire journey, including 10 days in a private cabin on the Golden Eagle Trans Siberian railway, starting at about $44,000.

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Tags: Black Tomato, Dunhill, hunting, Japan, London, Louvre, luxury goods, luxury travel, Mongolia, Moscow, Paris, Russia, train, travel, UK

Cy Twombly Hits The Ceiling At The Louvre

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Artist Cy Twombly has been given a rare honor. He is the third contemporary artist who has designed a permanent work for The Louvre in Paris. His ceiling mural covers more than 3,700 square feet in one of the Louvre's largest galleries, the Salle des Bronzes, in one of the older sections of the museum. Twombly is known for brightly colored abstracted pieces but for the Louvre he went a little classical. The mural is sky blue with simple spheres and insets that bear the names ancient Greek sculptors like Lysippus, Myron, Phidias, Polyclitus and Praxiteles written in Greek lettering. The overall effect is tranquil and elegant and works well with the gallery's existing exhibits.

Tags: art, cy twombly, louvre, mural, museum, paris

Strikes Close French Museums

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

If you are traveling in Paris right now you might have some difficulty visiting local museums. Workers are at the city's top museums went on strike on Wednesday. The AP reports that the Pompidou Center modern art museum and the Musee d'Orsay were closed Wednesday and the Louvre was only partially open. At issue in the strike is a policy of not replacing half of retiring public servants. Meetings on Wednesday afternoon between union leaders and Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand did not yield any resolution.

The Louvre Museum and the royal palace at Versailles closed Thursday as the French museum workers' strike began to gather strength. The AP paints a scene of tourists gathered outside the Louvre unable to enter past the blockade of protesting workers. Workers at the Francois Mitterrand National Library in southeast Paris have voted to join the strike Friday. At this point it is not known how many workers are on strike. The culture minister has remained adamant that France cannot make an exception for museum workers in the sweeping government staff reductions and that the museums must find a way to survive with fewer employees.

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Tags: louvre, museum worker, museums, MuseumWorker, paris, strikes, workers

Paris Follows London with Art Fair

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The big money's in Paris this season. Last night, a $24 million painting by Pablo Picasso of his mistress, Marie-Therese Walter, was put on reserve at the VIP preview of the Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain. The FIAC is France's largest art fair, and it follows the Frieze Art Fair in London. The French fair hopes to capitalize on Frieze's momentum, where dealers indicated that sales were up from 2008.

Picasso isn't the only major artist whose work is up for sale at a major price. L+M Arts, from New York, has put Francis Bacon's "Portrait of George Dyer Takling," which is being priced at approximately $40 million, and Fernand Leger's "Le Grand Dejeurner" is being shown by Daniel Malingue for $20 million to $25 million. The fair is already well attended, with Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH, and his ilk already in attendance.

FIAC ends on October 25, 2009 and has more than 200 modern and contemporary art dealers showcasing the work they represent. Most of the exhibits are in the Grand Palais, with another 80 by younger living artists displayed in a temporary structure in the Cour Carree of the Louvre. The art market slump has led to smaller numbers this year, with 40 galleries that participated last year not returning to Paris this year.

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Tags: art, art market, ArtMarket, artwork, bernard arnault, BernardArnault, fiac, francis bacon, FrancisBacon, grand palais, GrandPalais, louvre, pablo picasso, PabloPicasso, picasso

Breguet Ref. 1160 Marie Antoinette Pocket Watch Perfect Replica On Display At Louvre

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

When I first mentioned that Breguet was going to have an exhibit at the Louvre I speculated that they might include as part of the collection the special Ref. 1160 pocket watch that was a painstakingly made (over three years of work) replica of the original Breguet Marie Antoinette pocket watch that was itself completed in the 1840s after almost 40 years of efforts. The exhibit does in fact display the Ref. 1160 pocket watch nicely and fans of the Breguet brand or horological history should check out the exhibit if they are in Paris up until the 6th of September. In addition to the Ref. 1160, there are a number of very interesting Breguet pocket watches, chronometers, clocks, and other items that you'll probably never get a change to see, all in beautiful restored condition.

For more information check out the mini site for the Breguet Louvre exhibit.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 1160, breguet, exhibit, information, louvre, marie antoinette, MarieAntoinette, museum, paris, pocket watches, PocketWatches, swiss

Breguet Timepiece Exhibit June 25 - September 7 At The Louvre Museum In Paris

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Events

This is something you should certainly see if you are in, or going to be in Paris at the right time. Breguet watches will be having a special exhibition at the splendid Louvre museum in Paris, France from June 25 until September 7, 2009. The special exhibit is will be known as the "Apogee of Watch Making" a pretty lofty title, for what is essentially a history of Breguet, but what a history it is! Abraham-Louis Breguet is often known as the father of modern watch making. A lot of what he developed in his lifespan in the latter half of the 18th century (up to 1823) is still used in many of today's luxury wrist watches, even though he never made a wrist watch during his life (just clocks and pocket watches). The exhibit will showcase historical pocket watches and clocks, watch making tools, art, and historical documents and watch-related patents. Breguet watches were, and are today extremely inventive and also beautiful. They are probably the "favorite-child brand" of Nicolas Hayek, leader of the Swatch Group that has Breguet under its brand umbrella. The exhibit of course was helped by a generous contribution from Breguet to the Louvre.

The exhibit will require a separate entrance fee and will be open regular hours, and until 10pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information please visit www.louvre.fr or call 01 40 20 53 17 (France number).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2009, breguet, exhibition, history, louvre, museum, paris, timepiece, watches

The Louvre Picks Up A Crown Jewel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

The wonderful thing about vintage jewelry is the history that comes with it. The intricate piece shown here is Empress Eugénie's brooch which was made in 1855 by the Parisian jeweler François Kramer for the French Empress. The brooch was set to be part of the Christie's Eye of a Connoisseur sale which was halted at the last minute due to a court order and a complicated situation involving Fred Leighton owner, Ralph Esmerian and a few outstanding loans from Merrill Lynch. Esmerian was having trouble paying his debts and had to surrender the collateral, his collection. Merrill Lynch tried to cash in the jewels at a Christie's auction in New York but Esmerian was able to block the sale although he had to declare bankruptcy in the process and will sell the pieces privately.

The brooch had a pre-sales estimate of $4 million to $6 million but the Louvre paid close to $11 million, eager to get back a piece of the crown jewels. The brooch was first auctioned off in 1887 when the French government decided the property of French queens and kings would be sold to the highest bidder. The jeweler Emile Schlesinger bought the piece which was originally meant to be a belt buckle and was later turned into a stomacher: a pin that extends from the chest to the waist. Schlesinger bought the piece for Mrs. William Astor and remained in the Astor family for more than 100 years. The Astors were also, for a time, a type of American royalty so this beautiful piece acquired an additional worthy provenance.

Would the piece have been worth less without the history? A piece like this is just the sum of its parts, stones and metal. But it is also so much more, craftsmanship and history and that history was what the Louvre was willing to pay for.

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Tags: auction, brooch, diamonds, empress eugenie, EmpressEugenie, france, louvre

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