Buly 1803 enters the Louvre museum Paris

A major first ! The Louvre museum opens its doors to the Officine Universelle Buly 1803. At the invitation of the perfume brand, 8 well-known French perfumers were asked to imagine and interprete the painting or the sculpture of their choice. That is to say 8 fragrances that you will be able to find at the pop-up store located at the Louvre, until January 6th 2020, and at the Buly 1803 boutique on the Bonaparte street, in Paris  So, follow the guide, in order to discover the process of their creation.

 

Besides the specialized French perfume museums, the perfume has been  present in exhibitions of museums of Art, since many years, now. More, lecturers, such as Constance Deroubaix ( In the Ere) or Catherine Werber (Essence et Art) have a kynesthetic reading of the perfume, about the paintings or the sculptures, they show to their audience.

For this matter, it was a real first to give carte blanche to 8 perfumers creators. So, they were able to choose freely a work of art, and imagine the perfume of their painting or sculpture.  As a matter of fact, Ramdame Touhami and  Victoire de Taillac, the founders of the Officine Universelle Buly 1803 never stop to dare and rewrite the codes of the perfumery, by creating numerous artistic, innovating projects. Here is the story of the four fragrances among the eight works of Art, that were chosen.

 

The Nymphe au scorpion from Lorenzo Bartolini by Annick Ménardo

 

Annik Ménardo chose «  the Nymphe au scorpion », one the major work of art  of the 1845 exhibition. Lorenzo Bartolini is the sculptor who is the perfect representative of the purist movement, at the very heart of the neo-classicism and romantism. One can see that from this work of art, emerges a form of sensuality, where the young lady is about to loose her  virtue, altough procted by the sorpio. In fact, the marble of the statue reveals a nearly true effect of the skin, underlined by the curves and the counter curves of the model.

 

 

Regarding, the olfactive interpretation, Annick straight away thought of a white,smooth and polish tree. »I used the aldehydic notes, also metallic notes such as coriander and musk in oder to suggest  the young age of the nymph. But on the other hand,the poison of the scorpio is implied by the regressive sour almond » says Annick Menardo. So, in one word it is an contemporary aldehydic fragrance.

Other perfumes created by Annick Ménardo

Bois dArgent from Dior, Hypnôse by Lancôme, Jaïpur for Men by Boucheron.

 

Saint Joseph Charpentier from Georges de la Tour by Sidonie Lancesseur

 

It’s one of the most representative work of the Lorrain artist, wel-known for his skille of the chiaroscuro and his Caravaggio’s style .In fact, the scenery which shows Saint Joseph and the infant Jesus, is lit up by the candle, so to evoke the intimacy and softness of the picture.

Out of this work of art, which is conceived around the duality, Sidonie wanted to transcribe the power of the contrasts :between day and night, between heat and freshness, between youth and old age. So, she introduced rich amber notes, pointed out by spicy and floral notes, then associated with woody notes of cedar so to echothe heat of the chimney fire.

 

 

« I knew, straight away, that I wanted to replicate  this picture with odours. I wanted to create not only an intense woody perfume but also to reproduce the dark side, with at the same time this innocence,like a vibration,so to reproduce this incredible light. I reckon, it was important for me, that this perfume shoule be in contrast like the painting, with a warm, amber effect, and a more fusing note of pink berries » was telling me Sidonie.

Perfumes by Sidonie Lancesseur

Chloé, Parco Palladiano, IX from Bottega Veneta, Rose Royale from Lalique.

 

La Grande Odalisque from Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres by Domitille Michalon-Bartier

 

The Grande Odalisque is an order from Caroline Murat, Napoleon Ier ‘sister, which was created at the same time as the Radeau de la Méduse. This painting is a tribute to the nude woman, the same subject that  haunted all along, Ingres’s career. At first sight, this picture recalls Venus from Turbino, mingled with an Oriental perfume. It is a dreamed and fantasy Orient, in the end, the symbol of the beauty with delicate  arabesques of the nude woman.

 

 

It’s a painting that became an evidence for Domitille Michalon-Bertier. So, she created a a perfume that suggested a talcum-powdery skin, around the Heliotrope, the sour almond and the tonka bean so to evoke an oriental atmosphere. More, she added lots of spicies, such as the pink pepper, the cardamome,.and a trace of caraway to enhance sensuality. Then, cahmeran wood, which is a vibrant wood, associated to a cedar wood which structures the fragrance. Finally, incense to represent this boudoir, where an incense-burner is placed at the young woman’s feet

Domitlle Michardon- Bertier’s creations

Eau Tropicale from Sisley Couture from Lanvin, Sacred Osmanthus from Alexander Mc Queen.

 

The Venus de Milo by Jean-Christophe Hérault

 

This white marble statue is supposed to represent Aphrodite, the goddess of love, for the Romans , but also Amphitrite, the goddess of the sea, that was wokshipped at Milo, where she was discovered.

Jean-Chritophe’s choice was obvious for this sculpture. « As a young boy, we had a reproduction of it, at home. I used to touch it ,as I had a close relationship with it.But after the euphoria, came the fear ! What would I create worthy of this masterpiece ? He told us.

 

 

It was a true challenge to imagine the feminity of the goddess of love into a perfume. That is why Jean-Christophe chose floral notes, such as jasmin and gardenia, associated to woody and amber notes, in order to express all the sensuality, that the sculpture releases. » But, also mandarine ,as the nudity of the marble conveys a sort of freshness. I imagined her moving, dreaming… She really haunted me »declared Jean-Christophe.

Jean-Christophe Herault’s creations 

Amazing green from Comme des Garçons, Alien from Thierry Mugler, Ambre d’Alexandrie from Boucheron.

 

Buly  1803 offers the 8 fragrances into an exclusive collection, available at the pop-up store, under the Pyramid of the Louvre and at the Officine Universelle Buly 1803 boutique :

 

Eau Triple

The invention of the first water skin perfume. The alcohol-free formulation reveals all the intensity of the odour(75 ml, 150 euros.)

The terrazzo alla Veneziana candle

Amagnificent object made of perfumed vegetable wax (150 euros)

Alabaster

In a porcelain case, a volcanic stone which diffuses intensely the odours( 75 euros)

Leafs of fragrant soap

The thin, saponified leaf disssolves itself with water.

Perfumed postcards

The masterpieces of the Louvre are revisited and delicately perfumed (7 euros)