Title & Author:

Paris : life & luxury in the eighteenth century / edited by Charissa Bremer-David ; with essays by Charissa Bremer-David [and others].

Publication:

Los Angeles : J. Paul Getty Museum, ©2011.

Description:

xiii, 150 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm

Notes:
Published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Apr. 26-Aug. 7, 2011, and at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Sept. 18-Dec. 10, 2011.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction: in defense of luxury / Charissa Bremer-David -- About time: the hours of the day in eighteenth-century Paris / Charissa Bremer-David -- A new interiority: the architecture of privacy in eighteenth-century Paris / Joan DeJean -- Dressing to impress: the morning toilette and the fabrication of femininity / Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell -- Perfectibility and its foreign causes: reading for self-improvement in eighteenth-century Paris / Peter Björn Kerber -- Enchanted night: decoration, sociability, and visuality after dark / Mimi Hellman -- Critical bibliography and exhibition object list / compiled by Kira d'Alburquerque, Emily Beeny, and Grace Chuang.

Summary:

"Luxury items from centuries past are most often seen within museum settings, devoid of their connotations in time and space. This groundbreaking book seeks to reimagine objects from eighteenth-century Paris within their original context, showing how they were used in the daily routines of elite members of society. Against the background of the reign of Louis XV (r. 1723-1774), the chapters move chronologically from morning to night, covering such topics as temporal literacy and technological advances in timekeeping; innovations in domestic architecture and design for privacy; fashion and self-identity as expressed in the ritual of the morning toilette; reading and discussion of literary texts as influences on the collecting of art; and sociability and politesse during nocturnal entertainments. The book reflects current scholarship in social history and material culture, but rather than being an exploration of the vernacular, it investigates the emergence of the luxury trade in eighteenth-century Paris, whose products survive in great quantity due to their superior materials and craftsmanship. The essays reveal many of the considerations -- practical, social, and aesthetic -- that inspired their production. By connecting the purposes, function, and beauty of these works of art, the volume makes a fascinating and important contribution to the study and enjoyment of a great period in French culture."--Publisher's description.

ISBN:

9781606060520 (hardcover)
160606052X (hardcover)

Subject:

Luxury Exhibitions.
Art objects, Rococo France Paris Exhibitions.
Art objects, French France Paris Exhibitions.
Luxe Expositions.
Objets d'art français France Paris Expositions.
Art objects, French
Art objects, Rococo
Luxury
Manners and customs
Paris (France) Social life and customs 18th century Exhibitions.
Paris (France) Mœurs et coutumes 18e siècle Expositions.
France Paris

Form/genre:

Exhibition catalogues.
Exhibition catalogs.
exhibition catalogs.
Catalogues d'exposition.

Added entries:

Bremer-David, Charissa.
J. Paul Getty Museum.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Holdings:

Location: Library main 279962
Call No.: BIB 216278
Status: Available