Fuji in all its forms

Celebrating its 130th anniversary, Paris’ museum of Asian arts, the Musée Guimet, re-opened its doors on July 8, 2020, after being closed for months due to the coronavirus. Its newest exhibition, “Fuji pays de neige” - “Fuji Land of Snow” - is a retrospective focusing on this much-revered volcano that dominates the Nippon archipelago and has served to inspire centuries of Japanese art. Artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849) is but one of many to have immortalized Fuji over and over. His iconic triangle of pure white as seen in “Fuji Blue” (above) served to influence the perspectives and technique of some of the Impressionists such as Claude Monet, as seen in his home at Giverny. Besides a selection of woodblock prints and watercolors there are extraordinary sculptures as well as other objets.

Note: all summer long in addition to this exhibit visitors will be able to take advantage of the "Carte Blanche to Ru Xiao Fan," extended until September 2020. Masks required. BPJ

Fuji Land of Snow
July 15 - October 12, 2020

Guimet Museum of Asian Art
Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet
6, place d’Iéna 75116

Below: Sazai Hall at the Temple of Five Hundred Arhats from series "36 Views of Mount Fuji" (Katsushika Hokusai); courtesans display a snow-capped Mount Fuji (Isoda Koryūsai); our (masked) press group at preview

 
Merci encore Mélanie

A Franco-American breakfast

Yesterday's usual French petit-déjeuner of coffee, tea, baguette toasts, butter and confitures was joined by a decidedly Anglo-Saxon visitor.

Above: organic fresh eggs baked atop a base of crunchy pan-fried hash browns then topped with smoky caramelized bacon curls, coriandre; avocado and sliced red onion accompany

A pretty spot

 Tables invitingly set out for lunch on a Left Bank side street.

A book by its cover

That which is striking and beautiful is not always right, but that which is right is always beautiful. - Ninon de l'Enclos, French courtesan, author, patron of the arts

Amaze

Author: Cristina Mittermeier
Publisher: teNeues Publishing Company 

Available at La Hune Gallery 16 rue de l'Abbaye 75006

Fantastic photographer, fantastic book

Bread sticks

Mouth-watering Benoîton nordique breadsticks made with rye flour and mixed seeds.

Find at:

 PAUL
corner of rue de Seine / rue de Buci 75006

Worth waiting for

The interior of Paris' oldest church, under scaffolding for almost two years, restored to its original splendor.

L'Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Hitting the spot

And the spot is Angelina, an old favorite on rue de Rivoli.

Above: hot béchamel cheese croissant, smoked salmon on brioche toast, coffee