An original subject for this new exhibition at the museum of Parisian history: photos of what life was really like in the city’s prisons, with shots mostly from the 19th and 20th centuries that will put shivers down your spine…
Continuing with art excursions sure to attract the savvy collector in France this summer, ARTKABINETT social network takes a look at some of the more obscure exhibitions taking place.
What do we know about the realities of prison life? Can photography properly depict it?
The exhibition at the musée Carnavalet brings together 350 photos taken in Paris’ prison between 1851 and the present day. The collection is the result of a global inventory of 3,800 images, taken by the organisers of the exhibition who looked through the collections of museums, libraries, archives, press agencies and private collectors.
If you would like to see a different side to the history of our city, this exhibition should be of interest to you. The exhibition l’Impossible Photographie, prisons parisiennes (1851-2010) is at the Musée Carnavalet going on until 4th July 2010. Open every days except Mondays and public holidays from 10am – 6pm. Last entry at 5.30pm. Admission free.
The Carnavalet Museum in Paris is dedicated to the history of the city. The museum occupies two neighboring mansions: the Hôtel Carnavalet and the former Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau.
On the advice of Baron Haussmann, the civil servant who transformed Paris in the latter half of the 19th century, the Hôtel Carnavalet was purchased by the Municipal Council of Paris in 1866; it was opened to the public in 1880. By the latter part of the 20th century, the museum was bursting at the seams. The Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau was annexed to the Carnavalet and opened to the public in 1989.
In 1548, Jacques des Ligneris, President of the Parliament of Paris, ordered the construction of the mansion that came to be known as the Hôtel Carnavalet; construction was completed about 1560.
In 1578, the widow of Francois de Kernevenoy, later known as Carnavalet, purchased the building. In 1654, the mansion was bought by Claude Boislève, who commissioned the well-known architect, François Mansart, to make extensive renovations.
Madame de Sévigné, famous for her letter-writing and court influence, lived in the Hôtel Carnavalet from 1677 until her death in 1696.
History of the Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau
The Hôtel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau was also built in the middle of the 16th century. It was originally known as the Hôtel d’Orgeval. It was purchased by Michel Le Peletier and passed on eventually to his grandson, Michel-Étienne. Michel-Étienne Peletier was a representative of the nobility in the Estates General (which was convoked by King Louis XVI in 1789 in response to public outcries about issues such as the failing economy). In 1793, Peletier voted for the execution of the king. He was murdered, in revenge for his vote, on January 20, 1793.
The collection:
In the courtyard, a magnificent sculpture of Louis XIV, the Sun King, greets the visitor. Inside the museum, the exhibits show the transformation of the village of Lutèce, which was inhabited by the Parisii tribes, to the grand city of today with a population of 2,201,578.[6]
The Carnavalet houses about 2,600 paintings, 20,000 drawings, 300,000 engravings and 150,000 photographs, 2,000 modern sculptures and 800 pieces of furniture, thousands of ceramics, many decorations, models and reliefs, signs, thousands of coins, countless items, many of them souvenirs of famous characters, and thousands of archeological fragments. . . .
The period called Modern Time, which spans from the Renaissance until today, is known essentially by the vast amount of images of the city . . .
There are many views of the streets and monuments of Paris from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, but there are also many portraits of characters who played a role in the history of the capital and works showing events which took place in Paris, especially the many revolutions which stirred the capital, as well as many scenes of the daily life in all the social classes.
The Carnavalet Museum is located in the Marais neighborhood. The visitor's entrance is at 23, rue de Sévigné.
Official site of the Musée Carnavalet (in French only): www.carnavalet.paris.fr
En français
Que sait-on de l'univers carcéral ? La photographie peut-elle rendre compte des réalités pénitentiaires ?
Le musée Carnavalet présente une exposition de 350 photographies réalisées dans les prisons de la capitale, de 1851 à nos jours. Cette sélection est l'aboutissement d'un inventaire général de 3800 images, effectué par les commissaires de l'exposition auprès d'institutions et de collectionneurs privés.
L'exposition dévoile au public la multiplicité et la diversité des images réalisées dans l'univers carcéral de la capitale, corpus à ce jour inédit, regroupé ici pour la première fois, éclairé par des textes littéraires ainsi que par des films d'archives. Il est complété par des créations contemporaines réalisées à l'initiative du musée.
