Life & Luxury: The Art of Living in Eighteenth-Century Paris September 18, 2011–January 2, 2012


Part of Life, Luxury & the Avant-Garde, a journey across continents and through centuries of art in four stunning shows this season.



Experience the elegance of a typical day in a Paris town house during the 1700s. Life & Luxury: The Art of Living in Eighteenth-Century Paris reimagines—through art and material culture—the lifestyle of elite 18th-century Parisians. This sumptuous exhibition offers a glimpse into the conventional activities in the cycle of a single day: dressing, writing, collecting, eating, and evening entertainment.

Life & Luxury brings together some 160 objects, roughly half of them loans from 26 museums and private collections around the world. The beautiful works on view include paintings, furniture, sculpture, clocks and watches, textiles and dress, metalwork, architectural fittings, lighting and hearth fixtures, scientific and musical instruments, drawings, books, and maps.

The exhibition begins in the morning with the bedroom, then moves to daily correspondence and business affairs. The activity of collecting—particularly art—is explored in a section that evokes a private Parisian galerie. Tapestries, silver, and still-lifes consider elements of dining, and the next section focuses on two types of leisure occupations: music-making and game-playing. Life & Luxury closes with nighttime and the importance of private prayer.


This exhibition is organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum
in association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Lead Corporate Sponsor:
 

Major underwriting is provided by:
The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation / Margaret Alkek Williams

Additional generous funding is provided by:
The Scaler Foundation

Location

Audrey Jones Beck Building
5601 Main Street
Houston, TX 77005
Map & Directions