The Louvre, France’s landmark art museum has started a unique new project. The museum has commissioned perfumes based on some of the most influential works of art. This project is in conjunction with Ramdane Touhami and Victoire de Taillac, co-founders of Officine Universelle Buly, reports Lonely Planet.
How and why were the perfumes commissioned?
Eight French perfumers were recruited by Ramdane and Victoire. They were responsible for selecting a work from the Louvre’s collection and then creating its perfume. The aim here is to add an olfactory element to art, which is primarily a visual experience. Additionally, each of the eight perfumes have been distinctly interpreted by the creators to ensure they align with the essence of the artworks.
The scents and the artworks behind them at the Louvre
Of the selected masterpieces, The Valpinçon Bather by artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres was interpreted by Daniela Andrier in citronella and orange blossom. Further, the scent is embellished with patchouli and incense. Grande Odalisque by Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres has a scent that blends incense and pink pepper. Also, it is enhanced with musky notes. It was created by Domitille Michalon.
The scent based on the sculpture Nymph with a Scorpion by Lorenzo Bartolini was created by Annick Ménardo. It is a combination of heliotrope and jasmine along with traces of amber and musk. Sidonie Lancesseur has created the fragrance for Saint Joseph the Carpenter by Georges de La Tour. It has a deep note of cedar wood, imbued with verbena, pink berries and vetiver.
Delphine LeBeau interpreted The Lock by Jean-Honoré Fragonard using white lily flower and musk. The fragrance for Conversation in a Park by Thomas Gainsborough features touches of peppermint and bergamot in a bouquet of Ottoman roses.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, the famous sculpture that starred in Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Apesh*t video in 2018, has a scent that is infused with tuberose, magnolia and jasmine, enhanced by the warmth of myrrh. Venus de Milo was created by Jean-Christophe Hérault using mandarin, jasmine and amber.
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Alongside perfumes (75ml, €150/$169), the new range also features candles (€150/$169), scented soap sheets (€20/$22.60) and scented postcards (€7/$7.91). The products will be available in the new Officine Universelle Buly at the Louvre space in Paris from July 3 to January 6, 2020.
