Alliance Français de Saint Joseph presents lectures by Frederick Pichon April 5 and 6 at Missouri Western State University. “Haussmann and Paris: The Creation of the Modern City” will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5 in the Kemper Recital Hall, inside Leah Spratt Hall. “Matisse, Picasso, Chagall: Call of the Sun on the Côte d’Azur” will be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, also in the Kemper Recital Hall. Both presentations will be in English and are free and open to the public.
Pichon was born and educated in France and became a United States citizen in 2011. He worked as an architect in Paris for about 15 years, including renovation of the Grand Palais and Musee des Invalides. He worked as an architect in New York City, and was designer of exhibitions for the American Museum of Natural History for two years. He has also pursued an interest in painting, and has exhibited his work in France and the United States. He now lives in Denver, Colorado.
“Haussmann and Paris: The Creation of the Modern City”
Napoleon III had a vision that would make Paris a modern city and would discourage revolutions. He instructed his prefect Haussmann to bring air and light to the center of the city, to unify the different neighborhoods with boulevards, and to make the city more beautiful. Between 1853 and 1870, Haussmann demolished crowded and unhealthy neighborhoods, built wide avenues, parks and squares and added new sewers, fountains and aqueducts. The street plan and distinctive appearance of the center of Paris today is largely the result of Haussmann’s work.
“Matisse, Picasso, Chagall: Call of the Sun on the Côte d’Azur”
Before and after World War II, the Côte d’Azur or French Riviera became the home of famous artists. Matisse, Picasso and Chagall among others were attracted to its mellow climate and the vivid colors of the Mediterranean coast. They created joyful works while influencing forever a cultural life that speaks to our hearts yet today.
Pichon’s appearance is sponsored by the Missouri Western State University Foundation and the Alliance Française de Saint Joseph. For more information, contact Corinne Russell at 816-752-7065.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.