Bienvenue !

Bienvenue amis lecteurs,

Ceci est un blog sur tout ce qui m'intéresse par rapport à la Chine, ça peut être du digital, du champagne, des expositions d'art contemporain chinois... Vous trouverez aussi quelques récits de mes voyages là-bas !
Récemment j'ai choisi de partager avec vous des interviews de grands sinologues, d'experts et de personnalités que j'ai rencontrées lors de mon parcours académique et professionnel.

jeudi 7 février 2013

Exhibition “Les Arts de l’Effervescence. Champagne !” Reims museum of Fine Arts 香槟酒 的 曝光 - 兰斯 美术馆


It is a great exhibition where you travel in time, from 17th century until today. You will see here for example the stories of the first famous monks who produced champagne, like Dom Perignon and Dom Ruinart.

At the end of the 17th century the wine of the champagne region becomes a sparkling wine. It is rare and expensive, so only rich people can drink it. It becomes then a symbol of luxury and aristocracy. French King Louis XV ordered some bottles in 1735 for the Versailles Castle (赛宫).
























The funny thing to notice is the severe face of Mrs. Clicquot compared to the angel face of her back-granddaughter in the Leon Cognet painting.

 You will find also here amazing objects from this time, coming from all over the world, like precious champagne glasses. I find the one belonging to the former tsar of Russia especially beautiful. You will also find those belonging to Napoleon (拿破仑) and his wife Josephine.




At the 19 century champagne is a symbol of luxury, but also Entertainment and party. The exhibition shows many drawing and paintings of parties; and objects, which are old advertisements for champagne houses, like beautiful advertisement fans

At the end of the 19th century and beginning of 20th century, the champagne houses use all kind of arts to promote champagne, and take part in the great world exhibitions happening in France. Mercier for example is a great marketer and he will bring one of the biggest barrels to the 1889 universal exhibition, pulled by 24 cows.
It is also the Art Nouveau period.



Finally at the 20th century, major artists use the champagne in their art. You find here beautiful Picasso 加索 painting and drawings, Monet paintings and Dali works. The “barrel vergin” of the Japanese painter Foujita is very surprising. It represents peace after World War 2.

In this exhibition you will also see great Murano glass sculptures, the oldest champagne bottle found in the Baltic Sea in 2010, a Charlie Chaplin ·movie, and a lot more. 


I found this exhibition very rich, interesting, and pleasant to visit. If you go to Reims, don’t miss it. It lasts until May, 26 2013.