Art in Paris: Our Top Tips for Fall

Thu 12 Sep 2013

Autumn is the big season for art in Paris, and this year there are plenty of girly delights. From vintage thrills to male nudes, from video to high fashion, there’s something for anyone. Many of the shows look like blockbusters, so your motto needs to be book ahead! That said, here are your hot tips for the stylish season.
September 13–January 20
Victorian masterpieces at the Musée Jacquemart-André

Victorian masterpieces at the Musée Jacquemart-André. Photo: Musée Jacquemart-André.

Meet the mainstream stars of the Aesthetic Movement. Launched in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, the “cult of beauty” swept first Britain, then France. Here is a chance to see paintings by all its movers and shakers: Alma-Tadema, Ford Madox Ford, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Burne-Jones and Lord Frederick Leighton.

September 18–January 6
Georges Braque at the Grand Palais
The cofounder of cubism finally gets his due. Let this huge retrospective take you from Braque’s days as a fauve to his work with Picasso. You’ll end up in awe of his final, masterful works.
September 23–March 16
Cocteau at the Cinémathèque française

La belle et la bête, Jean Cocteau at the Cinémathèque française. Photo: Cinémathèque française.

Meet the magician! The Cinémathèque mounts a lavish tribute to the poet’s work. It comes complete with special screenings, books and an exposition—which includes films, stills, scripts, posters, sets and photos.
September 24–January 2
“Masculine: The Nude Man in Art” at Musée d’Orsay

Male nudity at Musée d’Orsay. Photo: Mercure (detail), by Pierre et Gilles, Pierre et Gilles/Musée d’Orsay.

This adventurous show examines the male nude in art. Starting in the 19th century, it takes you through 200 years of paintings, sculptures, graphics and photography.
September 28–January 26
Azzedine Alaïa at Musée Galliera

Azzedine Alaïa at Musée Galliera. Photo: Patrick Demarchalier/Musée Galliera.

A gala show that marks the reopening of the Galliera—the French national fashion museum. It’s a celebration of the designer known for mastering haute couture (Alaïa can draw, cut, drape or sew). His hands-on expertise revolutionized how a woman’s shape is seen. In tribute to Alaïa’s love for the visual arts, one section is at Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris.
October 3–January 26
“Napoleon’s Sisters” at Musée Marmottan Monet

Napoleon’s sisters at Musée Marmottan Monet. Photo: Musée Marmottan Monet.

Visit the fascinating universe of Pauline, Caroline and Elisa—Napoleon’s three sisters. With paintings, sculpture, jewelry, gowns and accessories, it gives you a feminine take on the era that so changed history.
October 9–January 13
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera at the Orangerie

Frida Kahlo, on show at the Orangerie. Photo: Musée de l’Orangerie.

Partners in art and romance, the art of this mythic couple receives a very special showcase. It’s sure to be one of the autumn’s biggest events.
October 15–January 26
Fashion by Blumenfeld at the Jeu de Paume

Three profiles by Erwin Blumenfeld, Photograph Annual 1952. Photo: Jeu de Paume.

Among fashion’s most influential lensmen of the 1940s and ’50s, Erwin Blumenfeld was also a pioneer of photographic expression. Here’s your chance to check out the whole range of his creations.
October 16–February 17
The dazzle of art deco at Cité de l’Architecture
Born in France, the art deco movement embraced everything from fashion to sculpture, industrial design to performance. See how all the art in Paris embraced it, from legendary architecture to Guimard’s métro entrances.
October 17–March 16
Parisienne chic at Musée Carnavalet

Parisienne chic at Musée Carnavalet, Alice Alleaume’s workplace at the couture house Chéruit, shown in 1910. Photo: Musée Carnavalet.

This fascinating show centers on the wardrobe of Alice Alleaume, who worked at Chéruit, a turn-of-the-century maison de couture. It features all the contents of her closet—which was filled with clothing from historic Paris labels (in association with Musée Galliera).

Editor’s note: Girls’ Guide is going global! We are so excited about our new e-magazine, Girls’ Guide to Paris ET PLUS, we want to make sure you see it today. To experience the first issue for free, all you have to do is visit the Girls’ Guide to Paris ET PLUS subscriber page and scroll down. Enjoy it and share it with your friends—we hope you’ll become a subscriber as we travel the world together!

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