This French Life

How the 'museum' that is France is slowly changing

WHEN you watch a city, and country, long enough you begin to recognise its idiosyncrasies; its swings and its roundabouts.

And it is these traits that the writing and observations of Matthew Fraser reveal, as he offers up views of life in Paris but also an insight into what lies beneath the French people.

His latest book, Home Again in Paris: Oscar, Leo and Me, tells of his return to the French capital, much changed from when he left it 25 years earlier, with two bichon dogs in tow.

Discover streets of 19th century Paris at the Wallace Collection

D. Cox, 'The Pont des Arts with the Louvre and Tuileries from the Quai Conti', c. 1837-38.
THE Wallace Collection, in London, will offer visitors the chance to take in the streets of 19th century Paris in an exhibition that opens on 20 June, 2013.

The Discovery of Paris will focus on the period c. 1802-40 and features seventy watercolours, preparatory drawings and associated prints, this exhibition includes outstanding works by Turner, Girtin and Bonington, and other artists who are now less familiar, such as Thomas Shotter Boys and William Callow.

The beautiful Parisian views they chose are often the same as those painted by the artists we can see today selling their pictures in Montmartre or on the banks of the Seine.

The Discovery of Paris charts the remarkable contribution of the British to the iconography of Paris, depicting the French capital as it became the major destination for mass middle-class tourism that it has remained ever since.

Hop on the bus for a movie tour of Paris

THE French cinema industry is great export for the country, but also a real draw for lovers of the 'seventh art'.

Rolling countryside scenes, dramatic coastal views and the streets of Paris have formed the backdrop of many cinema classics.

Such scenes lie at the heart of Abigail de Bruyne's business idea, Le Movie Tour- Set in Paris, which promises to take film fans to hidden corners of the capital and shine a light on the stories within.

Here Abigail answers a few questions about the business, but also highlights some of her favourite Paris film scenes and why the silver screen has such an appeal to many.

This weekend enjoy Tous à l'Opéra

ON the weekend of 11 and 12 May, 2013, the European Opera Days celebrate the role of opera bringing together artists and audiences.

More than 100 opera companies and associations in Europe and beyond will open their doors with the theme of this seventh edition, Opera: Playground, inviting the audience to come and play, and take ownership of the art form.

A number of events in France are on offer, with around 25 opera companies taking part, you can find out more at http://www.tous-a-lopera.fr/2013/

The Little Prince enjoys his 70th birthday

THE Little Prince is looking good for seventy years old as publisher Folio marks the anniversary of the publication of one of the world's most popular books.

Le Petit Prince fête ses 70 ans tells how the book was first published in New York in 1943, in English and French.

Since then, more than 145 million copies have been sold worldwide and the book has been translated into around 265 different languages and dialects.

A new biography of author Antoine de Saint-Exupery is set to be published this year as well as an edition featuring the original manuscript and an e-book containing archive drawings and special features.

Louvre-Lens set to open in former mining town

Visite Virtuelle : le Louvre-Lens par FranceInfo
THE official opening of the Louvre-Lens takes place today with the arrival of president Hollande, while the public will be able to visit the centre from Wednesday, December 12.

The Louvre will be presenting some of its most outstanding works of art in the new glass structure, built at a cost of €150m, found in the former mining town of Lens.

The museum’s Galerie du Temps, home to the semi-permanent exhibition, will house a selection of masterpieces from the Louvre, arranged chronologically.

All civilizations and techniques will be represented in this rectangular space, measuring 120 metres in length, from the birth of writing around 3500 B.C. up to the mid-nineteenth century, thus spanning the chronological and geographic breadth of the Louvre’s collections.

Masterpieces from the Louvre displayed in the Galerie du Temps will be divided into three main periods: 70 works from antiquity, 45 works from the Middle Ages, and 90 works from modern times.

Related: Coal mines of northern France recognised by Unesco

Capturing the sea, sands and light of Brittany's beaches

THE Celtic connection between Cornwall and Brittany is strong, and artist Melanie McDonald has taken this further in capturing coastal scenes from both sides of the Channel.

Here, in a short Q&A via email, Melanie writes on how Brittany compares to Cornwall, her artistic techniques and how some of the characters of the coast are transferred to canvas.

Click thumbnail images to enlarge.

Craig McGinty: How have you ended up in Brittany?

Melanie McDonald: Good question. I've lived mostly in Cornwall and first travelled over to Brittany in 2000 to visit friends, I fell in love with it instantly.

Many people say that Brittany is like Cornwall was years ago. It's always felt somehow familiar and yet invitingly different. The dream was to buy an old farm with land on the north coast near Locquirec, which is what we've done.

The old farmhouse kitchen is my make-shift studio, it's great. The five year plan is to build my dream studio where the old hanger is.

Celestial delights of the Dordogne

ENJOY a different view of some of the most popular tourist destinations in the Dordogne through the work of photographer Nicolas Escurat.

On his website, Périgord Etoilé, you can take in Domme, the sweep of the Dordogne river or the bridge near Castelnaud all in the dead of night.

Nicolas Escurat heads out when everyone else is tucked up in bed to capture the moon and the stars over the Dordogne countryside.

He uses a long exposure and various fish-eye style lenses, to bring a celestial view of castle ramparts, shallow rivers and wide sweeping fields.

His work really does show the area in a completely different light, and if you want to see it for real then the small coffee shop in Villefranche-du-Périgord, Au Goûter de Charlotte, has examples of his work on display throughout November.

Take a seat for the French Film Festival UK

THE 20th edition of the French Film Festival UK embraces France and francophone cinema in all its diversity in towns and cities across the country.

Running from November 8 to December 2, 2012 the event opens with a bang as the UK première of Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia / Astérix et Obélix: Au Service de Sa Majesté takes place in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee.

The film is a £50 million extravaganza adapted from René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo’s original 1966 comic book Astérix in Britain.

The festival presents a wide spectrum of French-language cinema from major hits to cutting edge new directors as well as classics and retrospectives.

The participating cinemas in Scotland are: Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh Dominion, Glasgow Film Theatre, Dundee Dca, Inverness Eden Court, Aberdeen Belmont and Cineworld Union Square, Kirkcaldy Adam Smith

Participating cinemas in England are: London Cine Lumiere, Bristol Watershed, Manchester Cornerhouse, Warwick Arts Centre.

Louvre seeks €800,000 to buy medieval statuettes

The final two statuettes, far right, would complete the collection
THE Louvre museum is hoping to raise €800,000 before the end of January to go towards the purchase of two medieval ivory statuettes measuring 20cm tall.

The statuettes of Saint John and the Allegory of the Synagogue would complete a collection titled Descent from the Cross, with museum director Henri Loyrette saying the pieces are a 'masterpiece of French gothic'.

However, the owner of the final two pieces is asking for €2.6 million and whilst half has been raised by the Friends of the Louvre Society, and art insurer Axa Art has contributed €500,000, there is still a €800,000 shortfall.

A special section has been created on the Louvre museum website, enabling people to find out more about the statuettes and the whole collection, as well as make a donation.