Juxtaposing Jardins and Joyaux - Monday, 3 April

The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées was built for the 1900 Universal Exposition (World’s Fair), as was the Eiffel Tower. It’s that imposing building with a stone façade and huge iron and glass barrel-vaulted roof on the right bank at the spectacular Pont Alexandre III.

Astonishingly, I haven’t been inside before. So today was the day to see two exhibitions there. It’s an interesting juxtaposition - “Jardins” featuring diverse artists’ reactions to and study of what comes up from the earth and how to organize it, and “Joyaux” featuring some spectacular gems that come from deep down in the earth. The exhibits are both on the north end of the building, at the entrance at 3, avenue du Général Eisenhower, so it’s easy to see them both.

The exhibits’ structures are beautifully matched to their subject matter.

“Jardins” takes you on a meander through several small galleries, so it’s almost as if the visitors are walking single-file down a garden path! You see 15th century botanical studies, collages of dried grasses & flowers, paintings, films, sculptures, botanical-themed settings of diamonds, rubies, sapphires & emeralds by Cartier, 19th century photographs (actually cyanotype impressions) of algae (background on the artist and history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Atkins ), collages, formal garden plans, garden tools, color charts that include the names of plants of that color, patches of earth, a huge collaged/painted work by Matisse, you name it! It’s on through July 24.

loved these 19th cent algae photos!

papier-mâché sculpture

Cartier garden-inspired jewels

sea daffodil collage from 1778

Matisse

Then on the other end of the same floor you find a whole different kind of an exhibit for “Joyaux.” A huge open space is very dark (watch your step!) and is interspersed with circular raised platforms that contain individual glass-enclosed and brightly-lit exhibits of the largest and most beautifully wrought diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls, gold and platinum that I’ve ever seen.  Many of them are from India's 16th century Moguls through its current Maharajas - necklaces, turban ornaments, rings, earrings, brooches, sword decorations, etc. I am at a loss for words.

A little further in, some exhibit areas are works of art themselves, for example this one enclosed by black cords hanging from the ceiling with teardrop-shaped pieces of aluminum, sparkly on one side, tied on every 8 inches or so - when grouped together and lit “just so” they formed a gorgeous penetrable wall around the exhibit area.  (Grown-up “love beads,” perhaps?!?)

Or this exhibit, enclosed by gold wires arranged in a pinched-oval shape, giving off an ethereal luminous affect.

Sorry, but photography wasn’t allowed in many of the exhibit areas, so along with a couple of my photos I'll include some (better!) images I found online. You can also see some in this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U2H3OlcmXc  But you’ll just have to go and see it for yourself to get the full experience! It’s on through June 5.

So whether you’re curious about how we shape and organize what comes up on the surface of Mother Earth or what is created in her depths, there’s something for you at the Grand Palais right now!