Gisèle and Paul Tissier's Fêtes d’Art.

Les Fêtes d’Art, Hôtel Ruhl
Promenade des Anglais, 1924-1926
Exhibition from 12 June to 2 November 2015
Palais Lascaris

Based on a collection of musical instruments
Gisèle Tissier Grandpierre Foundation – Institut de France
Gisèle and Paul Tissier's Fêtes d’Art.

In 1923, high society 'artistic' parties were in fashion and Alfred Donadéi, director of the Société des Grands Hôtels de Nice [Association of Luxury Hotels of Nice], wanted to establish an appealing line-up of shows as spectacular as those put on in Cannes, Biarritz or Paris. He decided to entrust the project to a renowned artist: Paul Tissier. Having chaired the Quat’Z’Arts Ball Committee from 1909 to 1913, a series of unofficial, famous parties at the Fine Art school, the artist poured his vision and architectural expertise into designing the Fêtes d’Art. Passionate about innovative concepts in the field, and a pioneer of the neo-Provençal and Art Déco styles, he was also responsible for designing a dozen houses on the Côte d’Azur.

The Ruhl, the epitome of a fashionable luxury hotel located on the Promenade des Anglais, was the obvious choice for the Fêtes d’Art. An architectural gem by Charles Dalmas, built in 1913 on the site of the former Hôtel des Anglais and almost directly across from the Palais de la Jetée-Promenade, the hotel is nestled between the city's Casino and the sea front venues, in luxurious grounds frequented by socialites. Run by Emmanuel Martinez, the hotel was a firm favourite among wealthy tourists who appreciate its style, lounges, sweeping dining room, bars and terraces.

The Fêtes d’Art were conceived as an artistic whole encompassing a theme, architecture, decoration, dancing, music, costumes and staging, and left their mark on the history of the Promenade thanks to their unique flavour and the talents of the Tissier couple. Gisèle and Paul Tissier came together through a shared passion for art and music and formed a lifelong partnership. Gisèle, née Grandpierre, won the Conservatoire National de Paris's harp prize at the age of fourteen and studied under Gabriel Fauré, Marcel Tournier and Alphonse Hasselmans. Her father financed a small orchestra for her and her equally musical sisters, and it was in the Grandpierre music room that she met her future husband in 1912, a graduate architect fresh out of university and a promising watercolourist.
In 1913, Paul Tissier included Gisèle in his third concert at the Salle Gaveau in the Violon d’Ingres, a musical society he founded in 1909 at the School of Fine Art. The duo's reputation was quick to develop.
From the very first Fête d‘Art on 30 January 1924, the Tissiers met with extraordinary success, acclaimed by both critics and high society. They dined with Henri Matisse and party after party ensued. The press - Comoedia, L’Illustration, Fémina, L’Eclaireur de Nice - covered these hotly anticipated events and bookings were sometimes so plentiful that despite the 800 available seats, the soirées had to quickly be rescheduled.

Every year, over the course of a single night, the Ruhl's main room was completely transformed by fabulous decorations themed around concepts often used in decorative arts, such as the Orient (Fête russe; Oasis), Asia (Fête des lanternes), Antiquity (Le banquet du proconsul) or tinged with a touch of fantasy (Les Joujoux, Le couronnement de l’élégance). These parties spread to the Hôtel Impérial. Nothing was left to chance, with programmes distributed and posters, invitations and menus illustrated by Paul Tissier himself or by the famous poster designers Charles Cox and Jean Carlu. Light illusion installations by Loïe Fuller, dancers and opera singers from Tokyo or St. Petersburg, bear tamers, snake charmers, gymnasts and wild beasts were all incorporated into the shows. The Tissier couple were always disguised and slipped their way among the actors and musicians to encourage clients to take part in the show. Costumes made by Gisèle were rented out on-site.

Orders rushed in from glamorous locations, including Chamonix, Biarritz, San Sebastián, Paris, London, Ostend and Evian. Paul provided something different with each and every soirée, his larger-than-life modular set designs were adapted and used in the 110 parties held until his sudden death in July 1926.
Gisèle continued to hold the Fêtes for some time after, building a personal reputation for herself with her luxury dolls. In the late 1920s, she opened a fashion house called Gisèle Paul-Tissier, while continuing to put on a few concerts. In 1948, Gisèle decided to move to Nice permanently, packing Paul's party decorations, shiny costumes, blueprints, designs and models in her suitcase. She lived among her dresses and precious old musical instruments, witnesses of a life steeped in dazzling memories.

On 14 July 1988, Gisèle Tissier Grandpierre, known by her stage name Gisèle Harpa, passed away in Nice. Her favourite instrument, her Erard harp, would forever remain silent... She bequeathed the remarkable collection of old musical instruments that she and Paul had accumulated to the Institut de France and the collection was listed as a historic monument. The collection has just been deposited at the Palais Lascaris and it is in this context that the museum has decided to shine a spotlight on these two fascinating individuals, while sharing the story of one of the Promenade des Anglais' most colourful chapters of the Golden Twenties: Gisèle and Paul Tissier's Fêtes d’Art.