The Grand Salon from the Hôtel de la Bouexière

We find it, how you say, ironique, that this stunning monument to upper-class French domesticity is being unveiled on a holiday that celebrates the overthrow of said class. Apparently, we good ol’ Americans will celebrate virtually anything French on Bastille Day. This particular grand salon rocked the Parisian social circuit when royal tax collector Jean Gaillard de la Bouexière first hosted his cohorts there in 1735. It’s a fantastically detailed three-dimensional picture of the high life from that era—that is, life as it definitely and quite miserably wasn’t for most in the days before that original Bastille Day. Complimentary small pox exposure, a soundtrack of angry street crowds, and a glimpse of period bathroom facilities are not included with the tour. 612-870-3131; www.artsmia.org

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