The Petit Palais Takes Visitors Back to the Belle Epoque

The Belle Epoque was a time when Paris was considered to be the cultural capital of the world. At the turn of the 20th century, the city buzzed with artists, writers, poets and intellectuals who made some of the most profund breakthroughs in this hub of creativity. At the Petit Palais, 600 paintings, costumes, art objects, films, furniture, photographs, jewellry and other pieces will take spectators back to this golden age in the history of the City of Light.

The exhibition 'Paris 1900, the City of Entertainment," runs from April 2 until August 17, 2014. Roughly 51 million tourists visited Paris in the year 1900, many of whom came to witness the Universal Exhibition. The first part of the exhibition at the Petit Palais begins with a reference to that event, showing how Paris was a window to the world those many years ago.

The exhibition is divided into six parts, each with its own pavillion. The second pavillion is dedicated to the works of the Art Nouveau movement. Artists within this movement sought to rebel against the technological tendencies of the new era by emphasizing pure aesthetics and the beauty of nature. As such, the Petit Palais showcases pieces from Alphonse Mucha - and Guimard, Majorelle and Lalique will also be represented in the second pavillion.

Fine art from the likes of Monet and Renoir, Parisian fashion, and the performing arts provide the material for the four remaining pavillons. The fine art shown ranges from impressionism to symbolism, giving visitors a sense of the artistic evolution taking place in the early 1900s. At that time, the fashion houses on the Rue de la Paix began attracting the cosmopolitan elite from around the world. As such, iconic fashion pieces will also of course be on display. Depictions of performance venues like the Moulin Rouge and Le Chat Noir finish up the comprehensive tour of old Paris.

At the Petit Palais, visitors of the 'Paris 1900' exhibition will feel like they have stepped into a time machine, experiencing the city in a completely different way. Guests staying at one of the Sister Hotels Champs-Elysées should not miss this exciting exhibit.