Arts & travel

Looking forward…live art in 2021

As museums struggle through difficulties of closures and a lack of tourists, the highly acclaimed Guggenheim in Bilbao reminded us of how much we have missed and are missing visiting galleries and museums. Like many other museums around the world, the closure of the Guggenheim for almost three months, and the subsequent mobility restrictions, reduced the number of visitors to the Museum (to 315.908 people)  despite massive support of their digital initiatives.

In 2020, as in other arts organisations across the world, the digital presence of the Museum increased considerably in order to alleviate to some extent the impossibility of enjoying live art, and the results they say were very satisfactory. During the Spring quarantine when the Museum was required to close to the public, the digital initiative #GuggenheimBilbaoLive was launched, through which a total of 55 videos were made about the exhibitions and lesser-known aspects of the Museum activity, along with storytellers and artist workshops for children. In total, these videos achieved 2.3 million views on the Museum’s social media and generated a total of 90,000 very positive user interactions! Above: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Meanwhile, the Museum has maintained the highest quality in its Art Program and today the doors are open for Lee Krasner: Living Color (to 10th January 2021) and the retrospective dedicated to Kandinsky – running until 23rd May 2021. Drawn primarily from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, this is a comprehensive exhibition which traces along four geographic sections the aesthetic evolution of one of the foremost artistic innovators of the early 20th century.

If you’d like to find out more or review what’s happening online at the Guggenheim Bilbao in the next months, visit their website at www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus and lend your support! Follow the Guggenheim on Instagram @museoguggenheim. We look forward to bringing you more updates in our Arts & Travel column just as soon as the pandemic is under control.

Image above (full details): Vasily Kandinsky – Several Circles (Einige Kreise) January-February 1926 Oil on canvas – 55 1/4 x 55 3/8 inches (140.3 x 140.7 cm) Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift © [current year] Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris Painting Bauhaus

An Eyestylist update on trade fairs – 2021 looks set to welcome some new formats for the eyewear business’ trade events. Hall of Frames has joined with the You & Eye Weekend organisers to trial their new format in Lucerne in Switzerland based across venues as opposed to being held in one single place.

With the ongoing disruption to European eyewear events, the Swiss fair organisers, Hall of Frames GmbH has come up with a new opportunity for independent eyewear brands and opticians, designed for safety and wellbeing in the current climate, as well as enjoyment. Their new concept, in partnership with You & Eye Weekend (fair organisers from Sweden who arranged an eyewear event in Gothenburg in September 2020) will take place in the stunning cosmopolitan city of Lucerne in Switzerland in May. The exhibitors will be dispersed across unique venues within easy walking distance of one another so that the visiting and viewing of collections can be made both pleasurable and safe. The organisers have suggested that as well as exhibiting in hotel suites or stores, there will also be opportunities for brands to show in special private venues which are not normally open to the public.

The heart of the new event will be an electronic platform through which all registrations will be processed, and all information exchanged between the organisers, exhibitors and visitors. This platform will be activated at the beginning of January 2021 and will be regularly updated.

Hall of Frames Weekend will take place in Lucerne, Switzerland at multiple locations from 8th to 10th May 2021. The event is designed for store owners and opticians who wish to view and purchase collections for their stores. (trade only). Also taking place in 2021, the Zurich Hall of Frames (also trade only) is planned for 12-13th September in the newly renovated Zurich Convention Centre. www.hallofframes.ch

“Playfulness is a serious matter”

Award-winning textile designer Tania Grace Knuckey created her first scarf collection in 2015 as a one-off – mainly with friends and family in mind, and now she can’t stop! Fantastical creatures, exciting graphic colour mixes, and nature-inspired motifs are the focal elements of her playful creative world of silky scarves that are as much heirloom pieces of art as they are wearable accessories, with a contemporary and truly uplifting spirit. Above: Dinosaurs: Dino – 2020 – silk twill, made in France – limited edition

In the most recent series of collections, dinosaurs, serpents, ‘soft’ beasts, dogs and lobsters are among the friendly-faced creatures portrayed against colourful asymmetrical abstract backgrounds with “naive” handwritten messages – all conceived through exciting colour mixes on the silk and a strong attention to detail and hand finishing.

About : Tania Grace Knuckey is a textile designer and multi-media artist living and working in Geneva, Switzerland. She graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2009 with a Cum Laude BA in Design and from The Royal College of Art London in 2012 with an MA in mixed media textiles. Her artistic practice is playful with an unapologetic bold use of colour, and yet behind this aesthetic, more often than not, is a level of seriousness borne out of steady research. She seeks to surprise at times, to titillate perhaps, but always to unsettle the norm, questioning conventional notions of form and function. In 2015 Tania launched her limited edition silk scarves; unique, vibrant and playful. The manner in which colour folds, falls, intermingles, and intertwine when worn is particularly important as she spends a great deal of care designing and combining each motif to ensure it is authentic. Inspired from nature, animals and fantastical creatures, Tania’s scarf are a reminder that playfulness is a serious matter, that mark- making possibilities are endless, colours have power and prints can take on a life of their own. Knuckey’s work is available at Paradigme in Geneva, the Cloister in Milan and from her website at https://taniagraceknuckey.com

HOF Fair goes ahead in Zurich, Switzerland

Despite continuing travel disruptions and quarantine requirements with Coronavirus spikes in Europe, some small annual trade events which take special care to present independent labels – have managed to meet in their usual locations with strict safety measures and compulsory mask wearing. Hall of Frames, Zurich, an annual fair which takes place in a former paper factory in Zurich’s Sihlcity, went ahead on 14th and 15th September 2020 with over 40 brands exhibiting, a higher number than ever due to cancellations of other established larger shows.

The HOF organisers said that while visitor numbers were lower than usual, given the circumstances of the pandemic and new legislation brought in just before the fair making mask wearing mandatory, the fair was extremely well received by those who could be present as a means of orientation for the latest design trends, new collections and innovations to come. The team told us they look forward to welcoming friends, brands and visitors to the event in 2021 in a new venue called The Garden Rooms (new Zurich Convention Center), on 12 and 13th September 2021. Independent labels who exhibited at the fair included Lunettes ALF, Covrt Project, Falvin Eyewear from Denmark, YOUMAWO, Nirvan Javan, Didier Voirol, MYKITA, Feb31st and Parafina Eco-friendly Eyewear. For more information: www.hallofframes.ch

Seasonless, gender neutral, with both men’s and women’s collections and a mix of new launches – designers are adapting to new ways of working and presenting new lines online at the first virtual fashion week #LFWreset

London Fashion Week (#LFWreset) has launched today as a digital event, hosting multimedia content from designers, creatives, brand partners and other key collaborators. Described as a global meet-up point, the website is filled with content ranging from interviews and playlists and  podcasts to digital showrooms + lookbooks, webinars and designer diary “stories”, available to all who wish to be a part of it, and (uniquely) not just trade. Above: London-based Brazilian designer Joao Maraschin – New Foreigner Traveller series – the photoshoot is launched at LFW today – with photography by Lucas Fonseca – Maraschin: ” I invited Brazilian photographer Lucas Fonseca to create a collaborative series that would show both our visions of the collection adapted to the current situation.”

The event promises a new format with an official schedule of brands and shows the typical support for and dedication to young designers and emerging talent where feasible. They include Brazilian designer Joao Maraschin who launched his collection Foreigner Traveller in February 2020 with London College of Fashion. Maraschin’s new work is presented in powerful still life photography by Lucas Fonseca where the absence of models offers a poignant reminder of current restrictions and difficulties of working as we did before.

London Fashion Week takes place from 12th to 14th June from its new home at https://londonfashionweek.co.uk

To find out more about Joao Maraschin and his new collection, visit https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers/joao-maraschin/

www.joaomaraschin.com

X Terrace annual press preview – for London Hat Week

The annual X Terrace London Hat Week Preview Catwalk Show took place on 16th March at Shangri-La Hotel, at The Shard, showcasing 54 hats made by milliners from around the world.

Milliners were encouraged to use the theme ‘To the future and back‘ as a way to show their vision of the future of their hat designs. Each piece was uniquely inspired by an arrange of ideas such as sci-fi, high tech, environmentally friendly, imagined worlds, and 3D Printers.

Monique Lee Millinery was inspired by Renzo Piano’s striking vertical city “The Shard” and within it, a mystical utopia Shangri-La where people will live isolated from the world happily in the future.

Amina Marie Hood named her hat Mosstro Orbiter which has an eco-futuristic design coexisting in nature and was inspired by the “Fly Eye Dome” designed by R. Buckminster fuller.

X Terrace have announced the forthcoming launch of The Hat Circle, a website for the millinery industry to empower and connect independent milliners around the world with hat lovers everywhere.  https://www.xterrace.com/lhwmilliner

A new exhibition of Andy Warhol’s work (12th March 2020 to 6th September 2020) at the Tate Modern, London promises a new look at the life and work of the pop art icon. Warhol (1928-87) was one of the most celebrated artists of the end of the 20th century and his life and work continue to inspire continued discussion and new interpretations. The unique nature of his work continues to inspire artists and creatives around the world.

This major retrospective, the first of its kind for almost 20 years, will feature iconic pop images of Marilyn Monroe, Coca-Cola and Campbell’s soup cans, as well as work never shown before in the UK.

Twenty-five works from his Ladies and Gentlemen series – portraits of black and Latin drag queens and trans women – are shown for the first time in 30 years. Visitors will also be able to play with his floating Silver Clouds and experience the psychedelic multimedia environment of the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, dated 1966 and featuring musical performances by The Velvet Underground.

Image above: Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) Self Portrait 1986 – © 2019 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc / Artists Right Society (ARS) New York and DACS, London. The Andy Warhol Exhibition is organised by Tate Modern and Museum Ludwig, Cologne in collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto and Dallas Museum of Art. For more information visit www.tate.org.uk

Sotheby’s to auction items from across The Beatles’s career including iconic Oliver Goldsmith wire-framed sunspecs

Described by the auction house as “The most iconic sunglasses in rock and roll history”, the round metal rimmed glasses were given to Lennon for a role in the film ‘How I Won the War’ and caught on as his signature look. They later came into the possession of The Beatles’s’ chauffeur, Alan Herring, left behind in the back of his Mercedes.

“In the summer of 1968 I had picked John up with Ringo and George in Ringo’s Mercedes and driven the boys into the office,” recalls Herring. “When John got out of the car I noticed he’d left these sunglasses on the back seat and one lens and one arm had become disconnected. I asked John if he’d like me to get them fixed for him. He told me not to worry, they were just for the look! He said he’d send out for some that fit. I never did get them mended – I just kept them as they were as John had left them.”

The glasses themselves were a version of the model ‘Cluj’ (see above) and an example with the same gold finish is still to be found in the Oliver Goldsmith Sunglasses London archive, according to Claire Goldsmith, Oliver’s great granddaughter and custodian to an extensive rare collection of Oliver Goldsmith original frames with a rich and fascinating history. Claire said: “John Lennon was renowned for his eyewear and in particular the round metal frames we made for him. To be the brand that designed them is something we are very proud of.”

The Beatles sale includes a number of other curious items including the psychedelic portrait of Lennon by Larry Smart (above). Also up for sale are a semi-acoustic guitar owned by George Harrison (guide price £40,000 to £60,000), shirts worn by the band, a parking ticket, and a collection of items from the homes of The Beatles, which include a toaster.

In 2007, a pair of Lennon’s sunglasses – worn during the band’s 1966 tour of Japan –  were expected to fetch £1 million pounds, according to The Telegraph. The final amount paid for the glasses was never disclosed.  (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1559161/John-Lennons-sunglasses-sold-at-auction.html).

The Sotheby’s auction takes place online from 2pm GMT on 6th December 2019 – 13th December 2019. For more information visit www.sothebys.com . All rights reserved. Photography: @ Sotheby’s Auction House / PA

Note after publication: the frames sold for £137,500 in the auction in December 2019.

20^th anniversary of Fashion in Motion – Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Fashion in Motion, the V&A will be hosting a presentation by the acclaimed Chinese couturier Guo Pei. Famed for designing Rihanna’s yellow gown worn at the 2015 Met Gala, Guo Pei is one of China’s most spectacular designers, dressing celebrities, royalty and the style icons for over 20 years.

Fashion in Motion: Guo Pei will be the designer’s first ever show in the UK and will showcase looks from her AW 2019/20 Alternate Universe Couture collection inside the museum’s iconic Raphael Gallery on Friday 1st November 2019. Above: Guo Pei ‘Alternate Universe Fall-Winter 2019/20 – coming to #FashioninMotion at the V&A

Fashion in Motion is the V&A’s key fashion event enabling anyone to take a seat on the front row. Providing a platform for both established and up- and-coming designers, the regular series presents free-to-attend runway shows for the public and has previously featured Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Yohji Yamamoto.

Guo Pei first presented her Alternate Universe collection at this year’s Paris Couture Week. The collection is based on the idea of a new universe where light and darkness co- exist, angels and demons sit next to one another and magical creatures creep out of the shadows. Combining the use of pineapple hemp fabric, Lafite embroidery and her signature three- dimensional embroidery techniques, the collection conjures up vivid images of mystical creatures from a different realm. Drawing inspiration from myths, fables, religious texts and the beauty of natural life, animal and insect motifs feature heavily throughout the collection, from the monkeys of Aesop’s Fables to the poisonous snake which lured Eve to steal the forbidden fruit.

Guo Pei has established herself as one of the most inventive designers working today. Showcasing the finest of traditional Chinese craftsmanship while incorporating contemporary innovation, her designs take inspiration from myths, legends, architecture, and her cultural heritage. Free tickets will be released for the catwalk events from 21st October 2019 at

https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/fashion-in-motion-guo-pei CN

A new exhibition highlighting the creative talents of Belgian artisans takes place in Brussels this month. Ateliers Gabriel proposes an opportunity to get close to some of Belgium’s most accomplished craftsmen and women with an exhibition of the recent work and presentation of a selection of tools and photographs from the workshops which explore the expertise and precision that goes into the different handmade pieces.

“A world of passion and patience, where time and attention to detail make all the difference…” Substance Exhibition

Ateliers Gabriel is a project designed to represent high calibre Belgian workshops in  ‘crafts, decorative arts and art of living’. Members of the group who will be highlighted in the exhibition include the bespoke eyewear maker Lunetier Ludovic (www.eyestylist.com/2019/01/lunetier-ludovic-brussels-belgium/), Atelier Mestdagh, makers of stained glass, Niyona, the fine leather goods specialist and furniture maker Alexandre Lowie.

Maison Johanne Riss, Rue de la grosse tour, 3, 1000 Brussels from 19-21 September 2019. For more information about Ateliers Gabriel: www.ateliersgabriel.be CN

Eyewear material inspires limited edition furnishings for the home

A new exhibition by Italian designer Giovanni Botticelli explores a classic Italian eyewear material by the well-known company Mazzucchelli in the design of objects for the home.

By revisiting a material he knows well, cellulose acetate, the designer combines concepts, design, and formal purity with focus on welding and bending techniques. He mixes two or more colours by joining acetate slabs through compressed acetone. Thermal bending is the technique commonly used for curved-front eyewear. The colour palette also draws on independent eyewear design, with chic clean contrasts between tan, transparent monochromes, and opaline hues.

The installation resulting from this in-depth investigation is presented as a scaled transposition of architecture’s typical expressions and forms, suggesting correspondences between essential style codes and pure geometric shapes. Displayed in the gallery are wall bookcases, tables, and boxes — furnishings conceived as places where memories dwell, places meant to safeguard the precious memory of our things.

In Botticelli’s collection, the absolute precision of design meets experimentation to raise the material’s creative potential. The HABITAT collection was designed exclusively for SWING Design Gallery and produced in a limited and numbered edition.

The design project is supported by Mazzucchelli 1849 (www.mazzucchelli1849.it), the historic company in Castiglione Olona founded in 1849 as a small factory for the production of horn and bone combs and buttons. It went on to become a world leader in the production and distribution of cellulose acetate.

About Giovanni Botticelli

Giovanni Botticelli was born in Rome in 1987. He studied Product Design at IED Rome (European Design Institute) from 2006 to 2009, focusing on eyewear design and the craft and industrial processing of ceramics, glass and sheet metal. He expanded his technical expertise through training at ENSA Limoges and Abate Zanetti Murano. Since 2009, he has worked with companies throughout Italy, designing and overseeing the production of eyewear and sunglasses for Mondelliani and other brands exhibiting at international fairs. In 2010, his design for the Oled lighting systems for PPML was chosen for the ADI Codex Lazio publication and won the competition put on by Alstom in collaboration with IED. After his thesis project, he developed products for DMG Spa’s collaborations with Schindler Group and Otis Elevator Company. In 2016, he took part in the Salone Satellite in Milan and started to work at IED as an assistant and teacher. For further details: www.swingdesigngallery.it / www.giovannibotticelli.eu CN

The exhibition is open until 31 July 2019 in Benevento, Italy. Photography by Danilo Donzelli – www.danilodonzelli.com.

Glamorous girls and glasses by Anna-Karin Karlsson sparkled at The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, celebrated in California. Rock, hiphop, indie, pop, electronic dance, continuous live music, sculptures and art – Coachella has it all. The showcase for musical artists is also a style show with photo-op outfits that often launch new trends. Fun, fashion and frolic highlighted the festival visit for Marie Rosell from the AKK Team and her friend Sofia Sandelius. “It was so much fun,” said Marie, and the girls looked ravishing in their luxurious sun specs by Anna-Karin Karlsson. Marie wears Half Moon (top image) in Japanese titanium plated with Rose Gold, and adorned with hand set crystals.

Anna-Karin’s elegant, sleek adaptation of the aviator shape is worn by Sonia (left above image) enhanced with a graceful butterfly at the nose bridge, and a linear brow bar, all crafted in Japanese titanium, with Carl Zeiss sun lenses. Visit www.annakarinkarlsson.com to see more captivating designs for cruising or city life, beaches or boulevards, and fun festivals! JG

The Barbados brand by Alicia Hartman, Peoples from Barbados joined sustainably sourced leather accessories label Far From Lost this weekend for a London Fashion Week event at the prestigious Sanderson hotel. The evening was co-hosted by Geoff K. Cooper and Chimere Cisse. Above: dinner guests / London Fashion Week Men’s (#LFWM).

Peoples from Barbados, created and designed by optical entrepreneur Alicia Hartman, was launched in 2018. The brand is committed to producing high-quality designs (made in Japan) with unique patterns and colorations and exceptional technical details that ensure a longer lifetime. The sunglasses are available in leading fashion and optical stores in New York, London, Barbados and Jamaica.

Far from Lost sources the world’s finest remnant leather – before it is discarded – to create limited edition wallets by hand. Set up by Michael Menninger, the label’s luxurious, sustainable designs are made by Mark Hanks using traditional artisan leatherwork techniques. Far From Lost has its headquarters in San Francisco. For more information about both collections and to purchase directly from them online, visit www.peoplesfrombarbados.com / www.wearefarfromlost.com CN

An exhibition of char-coaled wood pieces by leading contemporary artists and designers, London

As part of the acclaimed London Craft Week, a festival of design, artisan craft, arts and fashion, Scorched is a new exhibition showing at the beautiful Fitzrovia Chapel in London. “My ambition is to create a densely forested installation that will silhouette against the highly figured marble and gold mosaic of the Fitzrovia Chapel”, explains gallery owner Sarah Myerscough. The display shows a collection of hand-crafted scorched objects and unique furniture pieces using traditional wood working processes, celebrating the wood material and its significance in the world of craft, art and design.

“My aim is for the intrinsic and modest beauty of wood to truly shine when juxtaposed with this decadent chapel interior. The organic and imperfect against the refined and geometric, the prosaic as opposed to the rarified and the matt black against the gold, one absorbing light and the other reflecting it.”

The Sarah Myerscough Gallery has long been aesthetically connected to the traditional Japanese charred wood process of Shou-Sugi-Ban. The exhibition offers an inspiring opportunity to investigate this process from a western perspective, with artists featuring who have already considered the process of scorching in practice.

The 17 featured makers are: Max Bainbridge, Eleanor Lakelin, Sebastian Cox, Alison Crowther, David Gates and Helen Carnac, Christophe Kurtz, John Makepeace, Malcolm Martin and Gaynor Dowling, Gareth Neal, Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley, Benjamin Planitzer, Wycliffe Stutchbury, Julian WAtts and Nic Webb. Prices range from £1,800 to £22,400. Fitzrovia Chapel, 2 Pearson Square, W1T 3BF

Photography above by Dan Weill London – www.danweillphotography.co.uk. For more details about London Craft Week which continues through to 12th May 2019 across London, visit www.londoncraftweek.com CN

Literature is embedded in the history of France, while French art and decorative objects are coveted worldwide. This weekend in Paris – 12th to 14th April – provides the ideal opportunity to view over a three-day period, a selection of rare books and unique drawings; portrait miniatures; furniture and porcelain; among other items, at the historical Grand Palais. Construction of the Beaux-Arts building began in 1897, and in 2000 the Grand Palais was decreed an historical monument. (Above image: Photo of Le Grand Palais by François Benedetti)

A structure of light steel and iron framing with reinforced concrete was amazingly innovative for the late 19th century. In these majestic surroundings, the written word becomes a work of art, and precious art objects with authentic provenance, can be viewed and admired.

The salon – now in its twelfth year – is among the cultural highlights of the French spring season. One hundred sixty exhibitors from fourteen different countries are participating in the event.

This weekend –  April 12th to 14th –  is a splendid and opportune occasion to partake in the French appreciation of significant books and exclusive objects d’art at the sublime Grand Palais.

Further details and information at www.salondulivrerare.paris JG

Marco Grassi creates figurative portraits that combine realistic and abstract elements. Since the start of his career, the Italian artist has developed a  personal style which praises the identity of the female subject in the specific moment in which they are painted. Through intense female portraits, Grassi is focused on captivating the viewer, and creating a silent dialogue between the subject and audience. Above: Marco Grassi – Gold Experience 2018 – Oil on aluminium with resin

Dreams do come true. Always keeping an “eye” open for opportunities, Richard Nahem, New York City former chef; caterer; events planner; producer and actor; realised a lifelong dream when he moved to Paris, where he proceeded to fulfil his inherent passion to be a photographer.

Roaming Parisian “rues” armed with enthusiasm and cameras, Nahem seeks and searches for the unexpected and unpredictable – whether landmark monuments; elegant Parisian doorways; the beauty of parks; and the marvellous play of light in Paris. “I strive to capture places and objects in a unique way that hasn’t been seen before,” says the Parisian aficionado. Nahem’s latest photos reveal the many sudden and remarkable moods of the city.

Nahem has established not only a stunning photography portfolio, but also a site – www.eyepreferparis.com  – to ensure that Parisian visitors, residents and those who appreciate and celebrate Nahem’s dream, are able to keep abreast of current and culturally exciting events taking place in the City of Light.

For a new, fresh perspective on Paris, enjoy Richard Nahem photos currently on display at the chic Hôtel Pont Royal until 31st March www.hotel-pont-royal.com JG

From the 16th Century through to the mid-19th Century, portrait miniatures were symbols of love and devotion. People eagerly wore them as pendants around their necks, or imbedded in bracelets – and even worn as ornamental brooches. Napoleon never left home without his portrait miniature of Josephine; Marie-Antoinette’s first glimpse of the future Louis XVI was a portrait miniature of the Dauphin – a flattering portrayal as a svelte young man, and not the stout boy he really was; and in Verdi’s La Traviata, as Violetta dies of tuberculosis, she gives Alfredo her young lover, a miniature with her image to remember their doomed affair. Nowadays discerning collectors seek these diminutive pedigree keepsakes. Connoisseur Thierry Jaegy – Jaegy-Theoleyre Gallery – shares his expertise, love and enthusiasm for Portrait Miniatures.(Above image: Portrait of a Lady by François Dumont which is in the Tansey Foundation Collection in Celle, Germany. Photo courtesy of Thierry Jaegy with kind permission of the Tansey Foundation)

How did you become inspired and excited about Portrait Miniatures? TJ: I discovered portrait miniatures when I was twenty years old in a “brocante” (antique show) in the small village of Sancerre in the Loire Valley. It was a miniature signed by Carteaux P.D.R (peintre du Roi – painter to the king), lost and forgotten on a dusty shelf. I was fascinated by the life in this very small portrait. The sitter seems to be waiting for me for many centuries, protected under this small fragile glass, ignored by everyone. How did this piece of art come from Versailles to be here, in the countryside, abandoned? In fact, the art of portrait miniatures is totally forgotten by French people; it’s different in England. I have great pleasure to participate with this art: to discover, reveal them, and share them. Laurent and I became passionate collectors during the past twenty years, and we made this passion our life ten years ago by starting the very first web gallery dedicated exclusively to this Art: The Gallery jaegy-theoleyre.fr

What Portrait Miniaturists do you believe are the most significant from the 18th and 19th Centuries? It is very difficult to choose when there were so many great artists everywhere in Europe. Difficult but not too much…as one of them touches my heart above all: this artist is Francois Dumont (Top image). Even if he is not regular in the quality of portraits, he made (but he painted so many that I pardon him), he created real masterpieces with an inimitable look that Dumont gives to his sitters eyes. A seduction, a dialogue between the portraiture and the portraitist, with a particular charm that touches me so much. In French, we have an expression about this way to look with seduction in the eyes: to have a “oeil de velours” (velvet eyes). Dumont was the only one to give his models this “oeil de velours” – an additional feeling of happiness.

Twenty-five years ago, there were International sales of Portrait Miniatures. Now there are virtually none. What has happened to the market? The age of collectors has changed: their buying habits changed too. The sales you talk about were only two times per year. Nowadays, nobody wants to wait so long for pleasure. With the Internet, collectors how have the possibility to access what they like immediately, when they want, night and day. This is the role of web galleries like e-commerce in general.

Are SnapChat and Instagram the 21st Century version of Portrait Miniatures? I don’t think so. Instagram, Snapchat…this is instantaneously forgotten as soon as it is published…it’s so far from the art of Portrait Miniatures. In our modern life, what has replaced Portrait Miniatures – for me – is our smartphones! We keep our pictures inside it, the small portraits of the ones we love, keep them in our pockets, to see them as soon as we need to – and this is exactly the role that Portrait Miniatures had.

Could you please give a brief profile of the Portrait Miniature collector?  In my opinion, the time when collecting portrait miniatures was reserved for a small select group of millionaires is finished. Now it appears that collectors are younger, curious and connected…Most often rich, but not exclusively. If the last generation bought star artists like Hall, Sicardy, Smart and Isabey…the new generation discovered that we can find true little masterpieces in unsigned portrait miniatures, or in pieces signed by less famous artists. But there are also investors who discovered this precious art; easy to preserve and to travel with, whose rating grows. www.jaegy-theoleyre.fr JG

On the streets of Manhattan, he was a familiar sight, his slim, lithe figure gliding skilfully amidst the raucous city traffic on his battered bike; trusty Nikon camera dangling from his neck. Bill Cunningham was an amazingly influential style authority and trend-spotter in the late 20th century. He was a beloved figure on the city’s streets, and in 2009, Cunningham was designated a New York living landmark. He captured the fashion icons of the day; attended museum openings and benefit dinners, in order to document the latest craze. When Bill Cunningham noted an item of fashion interest, headlines followed. (Photo above: Bill Cunningham on his bike – photographing Tziporah Salamon, 2011 Photo courtesy Antonio Alvarez)

Celebrating Bill Cunningham at the New York Historical Society is a wonderful tribute to his eclectic creativity, with a selection of objects, personal correspondence, photographs and ephemera that reflect his life and work. His career began as a milliner with stylish “Willian J” hats, as he described his label. On display at the museum is a beach hat – which even Cunningham described as “a bit outrageous.” His photography stint started in the 1960’s and for fifty years, he photographed and catalogued what New Yorkers wore on the streets. His favourite vantage point was 57th Street and Fifth Avenue – where gilded fashion emporiums Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany and Bonwit Teller (until the latter was demolished) were certain to attract the “fashionistas” of the era, and Bill could capture the moment with his Nikon.

The New York Historical Society has acquired his iconic Nikon camera; the French workers jacket that Cunningham adored for its numerous pockets; and one of his many bicycles. It is estimated that he owned at least thirty bikes over the years; frequently the bikes were stolen.

A transplanted Bostonian, Cunningham evolved into the quintessential New Yorker, who was passionate about the city, art and politics. This touching tribute to Cunningham is a reminder of what a revolutionary he was at the time…and how much he is missed. Celebrating Bill Cunningham New York Historical Society Museum & Library through 9th September. www.nyhistory.org JG