The Pompidou Center devoted to Francis Bacon

Although Abstract Art was huge and considered as the ultimate conquest of modernity in the 20th century, major figurative painters were also booming at the time. England was one of the few bastions of this figurative art and so much so that we can speak of a London School as of the 70s-80s. Francis Bacon was one of them with his large triptychs and portraits combining delicate chromatics and distorted bodies. The current exhibition at the Pompidou Center explores his works from 1971 to his death in 1992, from an unusual angle, via the litterature which inspired them. 1971 was a turning point for him, marked by an exhibition at the Grand Palais and the suicide of his partner Charles Dyer. c Francis Bacon is an autodidact who came to painting through literature and more specifically after the discovery of The Oresteia by Aeschylus, this ancient tragedy depicting the fatal and almost animal-like impulses of man. He then developed a conception of the world torn between vital forces and destructive ones, between poetry and violence. You may fail to understand all the mainsprings of his creation, but you will certainly be taken in by the sumptuousness of the color and the cruelty of the images.

At the end of the exhibition, no doubt you will seek to ease your senses! Not far from the Pompidou Center and our Esprit de France Hotels, in the heart of the first district, talented young chef Kei Kobayashi offers a gastronomical experience in-line with his two Michelin stars. Kei was born in Japan (his father was a traditional Kaiseki cook), and first studied French cuisine in his country before coming to Paris and joining Alain Ducasse’s famous brigade. He mastered the cooking techniques, plating and all the gestures so perfectly that high-end cuisine became second nature in no time... His own restaurant has been designed in his image and the silver grey and white minimalist settings are a tribute to the creativity of French gastronomy with a delicate sprinkling of Japanese influence!