Contemporary French Perfumery: A Study in Six Works of Scent

About the Lecture:
By the beginning of the 1900s, French perfumers at the great Paris houses of Guerlain, Coty, and Worth had definitively established the most sophisticated forms of perfumery in Europe. It was French tastes and technical skills that developed the aesthetic schools that continue today, from the reference florals – “Fracas,” which legendary perfumer Germaine Cellier created in 1948 for designer Robert Piguet – to the gourmands – the first being “Shalimar,” created in 1921 by Jacques Guerlain. Now it is 2026, French perfumery has evolved in fascinating ways. We will be experiencing six contemporary works from the fascinating Marais-headquartered Parisian house Etat Libre d’Orange. From the reinvention of the floral with an industrialist component, to works of postmodern scent, here are six extraordinary creations, quintessentially French and entirely of today.

About Chandler Burr:
Chandler Burr is the former New York Times scent critic, writing the Times’ Scent Notes column. He is the author of three non-fiction books, including The Emperor of Scent and The Perfect Scent. The latter began as an article Burr wrote for The New Yorker called “The Scent of the Nile.” Burr founded the Department of Olfactory Art at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. His first exhibition as Department Curator was The Art of Scent 1889-2012. He is the author of the novel You or Someone Like You. Burr lives in Los Angeles with his husband and their three sons.

About the Symposium:
The Symposium on the Arts of France, a cultural program of the Alliance Française de Chicago, is a fundraising event providing support for our cultural, educational and outreach programming each year. The Alliance Française is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

-

Each in-person program will begin with coffee at 11:00 a.m., lecture at 11:30 a.m., followed by a seated luncheon for Grand Patrons, Patrons and their guests. 

Each online lecture will begin at 11:30 a.m. After registering, you will be provided with a link for access to the lecture via Zoom. 

Individual In-Person Lecture Tickets – $50 Individual Online Lecture Tickets – $30