POETRY: Hart Crane

DESIGN: Ballet Russe

DESIGN: Soho, London

POETRY: Ezra Pound

ART: Piero di Cosimo

At the exalting National Gallery, Washington D.C, a show (February 1-May 3 2015) of the Renaissance artist 

Piero di Cosimo - it does not include my favourite of his secular paintings Simonetta Vespucci, to be found at the Museé Conde at Chantilly, outside Paris. 

(Chantilly has the grandest of stables, early 18^th Century and still in use)

Piero is not without 

humour, is the snake around Simonetta’s throat real?

FABRICS: JS Iznik Collection

ART/CULTURE: Alexander McQueen - Savage Beauty - Victoria & Albert Museum, London

 HOT -- No wonder this was a blockbuster exhibition at the Metropolitan in New York - it is STUNNING!

COMMENT: Swaziland Charitable Trust

THIS CHARITY IS WORTH SUPPORTING.

Very well run... providing education to Orphans. 

COMMENT/ARCHITECTURE: Ham House

COMMENT: A Fisherman in Patmos

Cheering in mid-Winter

ART: Rubens

The new exhibition at the Royal Academy or Art, RUBENS AND HIS LEGACY has had poor reviews, deservedly as the links between Rubens and so many of the works shown is tenuous – ‘influences in art’ is a fashionable theme too often 
s…t…r…e…t…c…h…e…d.

Nevertheless, it was a glorious treat to see Tiger, Lion and Leopard Hunt. On a frivolous note: make a room, I say to designers, and use all the colours in this painting!

Rubens' heart warming Venus Frigida, sensual, despite its title, and his portrait of Maria Grimaldi and Dwarf. 

I have often gazed up at it hung high at Kingston Lacy in its magnificent setting, but it was a joy to see this great portrait hung lower so that you clearly see Maria’s smile, the picture is enhanced by the stodgy Van Dyck of a Genoese Gentleman hung to the left.

As an adjunct to the exhibition, but not in the catalogue  (why?) Jenny Saville has curated a room full of paintings – all worthwhile, but with the exception of Freud & Bacon & the lovely Jenny herself, tenuous. As an introduction on a huge partition, the smallest Picasso I have ever seen – Woman with Beret – painted over 78 years ago – exquisite and desirable.

FOOD: Restaurant Hints

SHOPPING: PARIS

Paris on the left bank..

My favourite shop in Paris continues to be at Rue Saint Sulpice no. 8, Liwan, (see entry 9 November, 2011). All items from the beleaguered Middle East. 

Wonderful towels, slippers, dressing gowns - perfect for presents.

And for connoisseurs - the best, most refined, tactile, eclectic, unusual and authentic objéts d'art and antiques - Galerie J. Kugel in the Hôtel Collot - 25 Quai Anatole France. 
Nicholas and Alexis - 
charming and good looking, 
well-mannered sons of a bad tempered father with an extraordinary 'eye'. 
The brothers are fifth generation dealers when Eric Kugel founded the business in the Belarusian City of Minsk.

Caron on the corner of Rue François Premier and Avenue Montaigne my favourite fragrance Caron Pour un Homme. Both shops glitter and smell delicious.

Bags next door at Dior.
BCBG stands for 
Bon Chic Bon Genre - which epitomizes the boutique for gifts and house accessories whose doyenne is Doris Brynner - filled with the most desirable things.

More BCBG at Hermès - the temple of impeccable - leather suitcases & bags, as we know, and the smartest saddles and boots for equestrians - owned by a large percentage of my friends, hey! 

Right bank 24 Rue Faubourg  Saint-Honoré. 

Left bank Hermès Sévres - 12 Rue de Sévres.