The Renaissance stands in continuity with the Gothic style while laying the foundations for the great French classical styles of the 17th century, notably the Louis XIII style. What’s Renaissance style? The Renaissance style marks a decisive break with medieval aesthetics. Around 1400 in Italy, artists and thinkers rediscovered Greco-Roman Antiquity. This fascination with classical…
Can a train be a work of art? Since 1883, the Orient Express has answered with a resounding yes. More than a mere means of transport, it embodies a certain idea of travel, one where every mile becomes contemplation, where the journey matters as much as the destination. After decades of silence, this rolling legend…
New York, 1950. The Museum of Modern Art inaugurates its first “Good Design” exhibition, organized by Edgar Kaufmann Jr. In the MoMA galleries, Scandinavian furniture, Japanese objects, and American ceramics coexist according to a single criterion: the intrinsic quality of design, regardless of price or prestige. While Mid-Century Modern celebrates American prosperity and Europe rebuilds,…
Brutalism, an emblematic architectural movement of the second half of the 20th century, continues to fascinate and divide nearly sixty years after its first stirrings. Characterized by the massive use of raw concrete and imposing geometric forms, this architectural style embodies both post-war social utopias and a radical aesthetic that still marks our urban landscapes…
(POST IN PROGRESS) Amsterdam, 1917. While Art Deco triumphed in Paris with its geometric ornaments and refined luxury, a group of Dutch artists and architects chose a radically opposite path. In a Europe torn apart by World War I, they founded a magazine that would give its name to one of the most radical movements…
Do you know the Empire style? Do you know the Empire style? This French decorative style is historically situated after the Directoire style and before the Restauration style. It corresponds to the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I) and marks the peak of French decorative art in the early 19th century. It should not be…
