Posts Tagged 'France'

Culinary Canvas: Lavender Cookies

Lavender is a plant prized for its healing properties, pleasant fragrance, and–particularly in France–its unique flavor. Fragrant purple fields of these flowers can be found across the south of France, especially in the Provence region. Van Gogh moved from Paris to this area in 1888, to the ancient city of Arles. One September evening, he set up his easel on the square and painted the cafe, which he later translated into this reed pen drawing from the Museum’s Reves Collection. I think these delicate lavender cookies would be the perfect treat to enjoy while sipping a café au lait at this charming spot.

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Vincent Van Gogh, Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, 1888, Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection.

Lavender Cookies

Yields about 60 cookies
Level: Easy

2 teaspoons dried lavender, chopped or ground
1 cup sugar
2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together lavender and sugar. Set aside for a few minutes, allowing lavender to infuse. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.

Add shortening and butter to lavender sugar and beat at medium speed until light. Add almond extract, then slowly incorporate eggs, mixing well until combined. Slowly add dry ingredients to mixer, stirring on low speed and scraping down sides of bowl until fully incorporated.

Using a tablespoon scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes until tops begin to crinkle.

When removed from oven, cookies will look soft and should remain so at room temperature. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet then transfer to metal rack to cool completely.

Note: Dried lavender can usually be found in the bulk area of specialty grocery stores.

 
Lavender Cookies

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Sarah Coffey
Education Coordinator

Bastille Day at the DMA

Today is France’s national holiday, what we Americans like to refer to as Bastille Day. The date marks the storming of the Bastille in 1789, an event which ignited the French Revolution. Much like our July 4th, the holiday is a day to celebrate national pride in France with food, music, and fireworks. Here in Dallas, you can join in the celebration and commemorate our city’s own French connection at Bastille on Bishop.

But before you head to Oak Cliff this evening, stop by the DMA–we’ve got a few revolutionary works of our own on view in our European galleries on Level 2.

Jean Antoine Theodore Giroust, The Harp Lesson, 1791,Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O'Hara Fund

Jean Antoine Theodore Giroust, The Harp Lesson, 1791, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O’Hara Fund

This grand new acquisition is a portrait of Louise Marie Adelaïde Eugénie d’Orléans, daughter of Louis Philippe Joseph d’Orléans. Although the Duke of Orléans was one of the wealthiest French aristocrats and cousin to King Louis XVI, he desired a more democratic government and supported the ideals of the French Revolution. Unfortunately, however, the Duke was not able to escape the Terror, the most violent period of the French Revolution, and met his fate at the guillotine in 1793.

Jean-baptiste Greuze, Portrait of Jean-Nicolas Billaud-Varenne, early 1790s, Dallas Museum of Art, anonymous gift

Jean-baptiste Greuze, Portrait of Jean-Nicolas Billaud-Varenne, early 1790s, Dallas Museum of Art, anonymous gift

Jean-Nicolas Billaud-Varenne rose to power during the French Revolution, becoming a member of the governing body that oversaw the new republic. He was an active participant in the Terror, the violent time when thousands who were considered enemies of the new state–including the Duke of Orléans–were executed by guillotine.

Pierre Nicolas Legrand,  A Good Deed is Never Forgotten, 1794-1795, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O'Hara Fund

Pierre Nicolas Legrand, A Good Deed is Never Forgotten, 1794-1795, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O’Hara Fund

This painting shows Monsieur George, an aristocrat imprisoned during the Terror and subsequently released, gratefully greeting his former prison guard. Monsieur George has returned to the prison with his wife and servant to thank the guard, who had generously provided financial support to the family during his imprisonment. Liberté, égalité, fraternité, indeed!

Joyeux Le Quatorze Juillet!

Sarah Coffey
Education Coordinator

The Welcoming Party: A Van Gogh Returns

Today we at the DMA are excited to welcome home after a “sabbatical” in Paris one of our masterpieces, van Gogh’s work on paper Café Terrace on the Place du Forum. On tour at the Musée d’Orsay, this magnificent work of art was one of only seven drawings featured in Van Gogh/Artaud: The Man Suicided by Society. This exhibition was seen by nearly 655,000 visitors over the course of four months, making it the highest-attended exhibition in Musée d’Orsay history. Now prominently and proudly on view in our special exhibition Mind’s Eye: Masterworks on Paper from David to Cézanne, Café Terrace on the Place du Forum joins other masterworks by van Gogh’s peer artists including Manet, Degas, Cézanne, and Renoir. Say “bonjour” and see it now through October 26 on a visit to Mind’s Eye.

Cities, Culture, and 170 Museum Directors in the House

The DMA was excited to host yesterday’s public program “Cities & Cultural Investment: A Snapshot.” Joining us for it were our special guests—170 museum directors from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

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Installing the Boulevards of 19th-Century Paris

Paris arrives this Sunday at the DMA with the opening of Posters of Paris: Toulouse-Lautrec and His Contemporaries. We are excited to be one of only two venues presenting the exhibition and wanted to share with you some of the installation process. Join Dr. Heather MacDonald, The Lillian and James H. Clark Associate Curator of European Art and curator of the DMA presentation, at 2:00 p.m. this Sunday for an Opening Day Exhibition Tour. Check out all of our upcoming related programming here.

French Twist: An Intern Abroad

The Dallas Museum of Art offers a variety of internships throughout the year in various departments. This past July, Amandine Marchal joined the Development Department. Marchal hails from Montbéliard, in Franche-Comté (eastern France) and is currently studying business at the French School, HEC Paris. We tracked her down to discuss her experience at the DMA.

Describe your internship in fifty words or less?
I am a Development intern at the DMA and occasionally I assist other departments (such as Marketing and Education). I am mainly working on the Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition. I keep some of the special events’ invitation lists and help organize those events.

What might an average day entail?
Every day is really different. Some days I add people to the invitation lists, other days I add information about the DMA’s works of art online, order linens and flowers for lunches, and make reservations for group tours of our collection. It is very varied!

How would you describe the best part of your job and its biggest challenges?
The best part of this internship is that I work with so many people and do so many different things. It’s also quite a challenge because it requires a good deal of organization! But I really wanted to have a good overview of how a museum works, and I feel like I have a better understanding after interning at the DMA.

Growing up, what type of career did you envision yourself in? Has interning at the DMA changed your career path in any way?
I started with business studies in France and saw myself working in publishing houses. Last year, I began taking art history courses (or lessons in history of art, as we say in France). My internship at the DMA has really made me reconsider my career path. I will certainly keep learning about art and consider any museum job opportunities when I finish my studies.

What is your favorite work in the Museum’s collection?
It’s hard to choose. I would say it is Edward Hopper’s Lighthouse Hill. He is one of the first American painters that I discovered, and I love his paintings’ atmosphere. But I love to hang around the European floor and see the incredible Monet, Vernet, and Courbet paintings; they remind me of France.

How did you find out about an internship at the Dallas Museum of Art?

I wanted to find an internship in the United States, and in a cultural field. I learned that one of my fellow students at HEC (Adrien Lenoir) was doing an internship at the DMA, and I applied too. I really wanted to go to Dallas because it seemed so unusual for a French student to have an internship here! And Adrien was so enthusiastic about his own internship and the kindness of the people at the DMA that I didn’t hesitate.

What advice would you give to other students looking for an international internship?
I would tell them not to fear the “language barrier”; they will get used to talking in English. People are very patient and nice about our mistakes. An international internship is actually an incredible experience, and a way to meet extraordinary people. So don’t hesitate!

What has been your favorite Dallas experience thus far?
I was amazed by the 4th of July parades! In France people don’t celebrate Bastille Day this way. It was a very fun and unusual thing to see for me. Now I am looking forward to seeing some Halloween parties!

Let’s Celebrate the Arts

On Saturday we were excited to launch Art in October in the Dallas Arts District with a free admission day of activities and even an exhibition sneak peek.

 

Art in October

 

There are so many wonderful cultural events happening every day in Dallas, and especially in the Arts District, that we need a month to celebrate them all!  Here at the DMA we hosted a delegation from Dallas’s “Sister City,” Dijon, France–five Michelin-starred chefs and one sommelier–outside our Flora Street Entrance.

 

Chefs from Dijon shared some amazing dishes with visitors.

 

 

Some delicious French food prepared by our visiting chefs from Dijon.

 

For four hours they prepared and offered samples of food and wine  from Burgundy, the land of The Mourners.

 

Visitors enjoying a free sneak peak at "The Mourners"

 

Inside, we had performances throughout the day, including spoken word pieces by Booker T. Washington students, flash mob dances, and an appearance by the Plano Senior High Chamber Singers in full medieval dress (see them again on the October 15 Late Night).

 

The Plano Senior High Chamber Singers

 

 

Masterpieces in the works at the Space Bar in C3

 

Your Museum staff happily joined in on the fun, even grabbing a few bites of escargot panini along with our more than 4,500 weekend visitors. We can’t wait for the rest of the Art in October celebration!

Coming Soon: The 2010-2011 School Year

It’s hard to believe that the summer is almost over.  It seems like just yesterday that Amy and I were blogging about the end of the 2009-2010 school year and now we’re both preparing to schedule Go van Gogh programs and Museum visits for the 2010-2011 school year.

The Museum has an exciting exhibition schedule for the fall, and we will offer a variety of programs, including Teacher Workshops, Go van Gogh programs, and docent-guided visits, inspired by these exhibitions.  You can find more information on our Web site.

I am especially excited to offer the following special exhibition visits for the coming year.  These are topics that will appeal not only to art teachers, but to English and social studies teachers as well:

A complete listing of Teacher Workshops will be available in August, and we will begin taking reservations for Museum visits and Go van Gogh on August 1st (request forms will be available online).  Our calendars fill quickly, so schedule your programs early. We look forward to seeing you and your students at the DMA during the coming year!

Shannon Karol
Coordinator of Museum Visits


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