A Decorative Peek into Notre Dame

Old meets new at the Mobilier National exhibition

One of the perks of my work as a journalist (and there need to be perks because compensation is in free fall!) is getting to see wonders of the world, often before the general public. Sometimes, it’s gaining access to spaces and experiences that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Mostly, though, it’s moments to preview innovations or remarkable transformations and speak to the people behind them. It may seem silly, but walking through an empty Hall of Mirrors at Versailles or getting an early look at Eva Jospin’s enchanting cardboard landscapes in progress at her Parisian atelier hits much differently than when viewed among crowds.

My morning on Tuesday was one such thrilling opportunity: for my latest Condé Nast Traveler piece, I attended the preview of a new exhibition at the Mobilier National, France’s repository for historic furnishings and decorative arts. It features masterworks that were saved from Notre Dame in the days following the fire and restored over two years. This includes a collection of religious paintings I didn’t even know existed and haven’t been displayed publicly in nearly 2,000 years. The Mays, as the works are called, were produced by the country’s best artists between 1630 and 1707 and donated to the cathedral by the goldsmiths guild of Paris every year on May 1, in honor of the Virgin Mary.

There’s more to the Mays and to the exhibit itself. But the tl;dr is that Restoring the Grand Decors of Notre Dame not only presents an epic set of work that most of the world has never seen before but also the tremendous restoration process. One way to spin the tragedy of Notre Dame’s blaze is to consider the gift of what emerged from it: access to this piece of Parisian history.

Below are a few fascinating anecdotes shared by the curators during my visit that didn’t make my final story.