Introduced in September of 2013, ArTea Time served as the perfect companion to the magnificent exhibition dedicated to the French painter and sculptor Georges Braque at the Grand Palais. On this occasion, the Shangri-La collaborates with the Museum of Luxembourg and its display Joséphine, which is available to the public until June 29, 2014.
It is not surprising that Shangri-La has decided it to devote its second round of ArTea Time to this exhibition commemorating the bicentennial of the death of Empress Josephine Bonaparte, as the hotel is housed in the building that was once home to Prince Roland Bonaparte, nephew of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, husband of the French Empress.
The subtle and delicious proposals that La Bauhinia has prepared for this edition of ArTea Time are inspired by Josephine´s great love of roses. Thus, the cake that bears the name of the Empress translates into a delicate and unique creation adorned with flowers and fruits and topped with delicate crystallized petals, an exotic invention of Chef François Perret.
At the end of each session, guests will have access to the Museum of Luxembourg’s exhibition. The display is a beautiful biographical recount that starts in Martinique with the birth of the Empress. The journey continues through the stormy years of the French Revolution until it reaches the crowning moment when Josephine marries Napoleon and is catapulted to the top of the Napoleonic Empire.
The Empress had a passion for art and botany that often manifested itself in an unbridled love for luxury and refinement. She was an avid collector of antiques and a smart art patron.
To round off the event commemorating the Empress´s death, her fervor for flowers will be celebrated with the presentation of a new species of roses without fragrance that will be named “Josephine Remembrance“. The debut of this peculiar flower will take place in the Malmaison Castle, the Empress’ last residence.
The elegant La Bauhinia— famous for its glass dome and its legendary Murano chandelier— is the ideal setting for this edition of the ArTea Time, which began on March 19 and will be held each Wednesday until June 25, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm. ■
