Things are invading the Louvre!

A fascinating exhibition revisiting the Still Life genre from a rather different angle, designed by the Louvre’s exhibition curator Françoise Bertrand Dorléac. She has put 170 works together exploring the relationship that connects us to non-sentient objects through various artists’ works. She has sorted them into categories covering the entire history of Art, from 3,500 year-old prehistoric axes carved into the stone at Gavrinis (Brittany) to Marcel Duchamp’s ready-mades, ending with the final scene from Zabriskie Point when all of capitalist 1970-America’s consumer objects are joyfully blown up.

Depicting objects started in ancient times, for example, Roman author Pliny the Elder wrote about how a painter named Piracius became famous for his illusionistic depictions of everyday objects. However, for many centuries, only objects of symbolic and religious value were depicted and sparsely at that, until the 16th century. Society was changing with possessing and accumulating “things” generating social status and power. Collecting objects and filling cabinets with curiosities became quite normal and the artists of the day began using more light to magnify the beauty and mystery of objects.

Illusionist perfection also fuelled the ancient Vanitas genre (highly fashionable from early 17^th century on) symbolising the ephemerality of our existence and the possessions we amass. Still Life-2001 by Sam Taylor-Johnson updates this theme via a short-film made from sped-up images of fruit. In parallel, artists’ interest in ordinary everyday objects continued growing and even became the subject of their work, such as Manet’s asparagus and Morandi’s pots and flacons. More modern artists have completely removed objects from usual surroundings and depict them in an isolated fashion recalling our existential solitude in societies which are less.

A genuinely thought-provoking exhibition thanks to the connections created between the various ancient and modern works due to the way they are expertly exposed. We suggest going to see the illuminations at the Parc Floral afterwards: Les Sentiers Lumineux offers visitors an immersive 2km outdoor twilight stroll with 22 sound and light installations to enjoy. A fairy-tale universe besides the lake and through glittering gardens with trees draped in light including a magic forest, a dazzling cathedral, a laser garden and much more – pure enchantment for the whole family!