Bon Weekend: Louvre Edition
by habituallychic
06 . 06 . 14
Today I had the pleasure of visiting the newly renovated 18th-century Decorative Arts Galleries at the Louvre that just just reopened to the public. The Louvre was forced to close the galleries that were last updated in the 1960’s to bring them up to current fire and safety codes. Interior designer Jacques Garcia collaborated on the project with the curators of the Department of Decorative Arts and Michel Goutal, the Louvre’s senior historical monument architect. Pierre Frey also helped supply historical reproduction fabrics for the period rooms but the exhibition includes jewelry, porcelain, furniture, tapestries, marble, silverware, scientific items, and more from the reign of Louis XIV up to the French Revolution.
The results are stunning and the Louvre’s extensive collection of 18th-century collections are displayed to allow visitors a better overall experience. Pieces include gifts made by Issac de Camondo and items owned by Marie Antoinette. If you are an interior designer or just someone who appreciates the 18th-century, I highly recommend adding this to your must see list for your next trip to Paris.
Bon Week-end !
The cabinet turc room of “Turkish-style” decoration and furniture of COunt of Artois, Louis XVI’s brother from 1775-1785 was our favorite part of the galleries.
This beautiful little blue and gold room’s panelling, furniture, and objets d’art were from the hôtel de Villemaré- Dangé circa 1750.
This gorgeously panelled room houses vitrines of scientific objects and what looked like possible architecture tools.
Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic
15 Comments
Thank you for posting these wonderful pictures, I cannot wait to visit the galleries in person!
Heather what a glorious experience. That blue and gold has me swooning!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Thank you for sharing your pics with us! I was just at the Louvre in December and would have loved to have been able to see this exhibit! Enjoy your time in Paris!
Thanks so much for sharing all these wonderful moments. I’ve leased an apartment in Paris for 3 weeks in September and will be referring to your adventures as suggestions of what to do and what to expect. Thanks again!
Well done, Louvre! gorgeous!
x Lily
http://whilemyboyfriendsaway.blogspot.com/
Lovely exhibit! Everything is well designed and preserved. Thanks for sharing, et bon weekend aussi. 🙂
Stunning photos! And you do all these with your iphone?? I don’t know how you do it. Thank you.
MaryKay
Was this the famed TURKISH TENTED room of Bagatelle or The Temple? Comte d Artois really did have a sense of Beauty! Stunning images as your eye captured for those of us around the world! I love the beauty of water rippling around the IM PEI pyramid and those Caryatids on the Main facade…if only the Wm. A. Clark residence, which resembled much of this architecture was never demolished what a wonder the Met a museum would’ve had across the way on Fifth! Thank you!!!
I have not been to this wing of the Louvre since I took my Parsons students twenty years ago. It was in dire need of refurbishment then and we were the only visitors. It looks fantastic now.
The Devoted Classicist
Is the remodeling historically accurate? The pink trim intrigues me, given the rather subdued restoration at the Salon Dore in the Legion of Honor, San Francisco.
It must have been exciting to be in Paris on the 70th Anniversary of D-Day! God Bless all of the brave men!
Happy Weekend!
Wow! It is perfect, I agree that the results are stunning. Thank you for sharing all amazing pictures.
Hugs
Wow what stunning architecture and design! The renovation looks spectacular. And I love all the gold gilded walls…definitely looks like a piece of Versailles.
And what gorgeous weather! Every time I’ve visited the Louvre, it’s been cloudy out (which I guess doesn’t really matter for museum touring) but just to see the glass pyramid with the sun shining down on it is beautiful.
Really beautiful photographs Heather – thanks for the information about the galleries – I didn’t know that and I’m visiting in July (ugh for the month) but I’ll take Paris any time of the year.
Happy snapping – loving the posts.
I enjoyed looking at your beautiful photo’s. The 18th century rooms in the Louvre are some of my favorite. I will be in Paris for a month in a few weeks. I can’t wait to check out the rooms. It looks like they have changed up some since the last time I was in the Louvre.