MONTREAL, May 15, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - As a rare occasion in its 185-year history, the Crypt of the Notre‑Dame Basilica will open its doors to the public as the venue for the Treasures of Napoléon, an unsurpassed exhibition showcasing the life of Napoléon I. Designed to allow visitors a remarkably intimate look at a truly legendary figure, the exhibit will be open in this fabulous setting until September 1.
The exhibition, which includes more than 350 priceless objects that once belonged to Napoléon, will interest not only art lovers but aficionados of architecture, the decorative arts and fashion as well. Visitors of all ages will be captivated by this unique excursion through time, back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Visitors will be able to admire paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, decorative art objects, furniture, porcelain and tapestries characterizing the "Empire" style. A number of objects on display have never before been shown in public.
While most of the items come from the privately owned Chalençon Collection in Paris, the exhibition also includes items from the Serge Joyal Collection, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Power Corporation Collection.
"It's an honour to house these works which, like the Notre-Dame Basilica itself, have survived the course of history and come to us now as witnesses to the past," said Yoland Tremblay, executive director of the Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal. "We want to provide an extraordinary exhibition in an atmosphere filled with myth, and I hope visitors will truly enjoy this time capsule of Napoléon's world."
"Visitors to Treasures of Napoléon will have an opportunity to discover a major historical panorama of Napoléon and his times," said the Chalençon Collection's owner, Pierre-Jean Chalençon, who is in Montreal for the official opening. "Napoleon had a wide-ranging influence on our society in a great many areas, and even today this legacy can be appreciated in numerous forms. This is what I want visitors to the exhibition to see."
"Napoléon is no stranger to the imaginative life of French Canadians," said the Hon. Serge Joyal. "Very early on, people adopted him as a model of bravery, resistance and courage in the face of all his adversaries. Presenting him in an exhibit here in Montreal will recall, for many, memories that are still intimately bound up with our cultural identity."
This exploration of Napoléon and his world includes five sections: Josephine and the Coronation, Marie-Louise and the King of Rome, Napoléon and His Family, The Arts at the Napoléonic Court, and Napoléon on Saint-Hélène.
The exhibition, which opens today, will continue until September 1.
DETAILS OF EXHIBIT
| Exhibition Period |
May 16 to September 1, 2014 |
| Address: |
Crypt of the Notre-Dame Basilica (Espace B) |
| Hours: |
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (admissions close at 5:00 pm) |
| Tickets |
www.admission.com - 1-855-790-1245 |
Admission (tax and service charges included)
| Adults |
$20.00 |
Students (17 to 22 years) |
$15.00 |
| Seniors (60 years and older) |
$18.00 |
Students (6 to 16 years) |
$12.00 |
| Groups (15 persons or more) |
$18.00 |
Children 5 years or younger |
Free |
Details on special prices 514 842-2925 - 1 866 842-2925
The Treasures of Napoleon, a presentation of Exhibits Development Group.
Image with caption: "From left to right : two actors, Gilles Proulx, the Hon. Serge Joyal, Senator and author of ?Le mythe de Napoléon au Canada français?, Pierre-Jean Chalençon, owner of the Chalençon Collection in Paris, Yoland Tremblay, executive director of the Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal and an actor (CNW Group/Treasures of Napoléon - The exhibition)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140515_C3079_PHOTO_EN_2175.jpg
SOURCE: Treasures of Napoléon - The exhibition
For questions or if you wish to access our image bank, please contact: Marie-Hélène d'Entremont, Zone Franche, 514-317-5715, extension 204, or 514-792-2334, [email protected]
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