PARIS.- The 5th edition of Paris Tableau, the International fair for old master paintings, will open its doors from Wednesday 11 November to Sunday 15 November 2015 at Palais Brongniart, Place de la Bourse, in the 2nd arrondissement in Paris.

25 international galleries specialising in European old master paintings since the Middle Ages are showing exceptional works, which, for the first time, extend up to 1900, from the Fondo Oros from Moretti Fine Art to the Pont-Aven School from Stoppenbach & Delestre.

The themes and subjects covered and the variety of the techniques and media used show just how richly impressive old master paintings are. Among the works on show, religious themes and mythology are certainly present, but so, too, are portraits and self-portraits such as Margherita Gonzaga, Duchess of Lorraine by Frans Pourbus the Younger at The Weiss Gallery and the Self portrait of Émile Friant at Agnews.

Representations of nature are also present, such as Gustave Courbet’s The Wave at Art Cuéllar-Nathan, still lifes such as Flowers in a glass bowl on a stone ledge by David Cornelisz de Heem at Kunsthandel P. de Boer. Also worth discovering are the scenes from daily life such as this astonishing Butcher by Louis-Jacques Durameau at the Michel Descours gallery and more playful moments captured by Hubert Robert such as Le Montreur d’ours or Le Jeu de la Bascule at Talabardon & Gautier.

A sign that the old masters are alive and well to anyone who knows how to appreciate and collect them, through the various events of this edition labelled the Art of Living and Living with Art, Paris Tableau demonstrates that classical painting is a perpetual source of inspiration, education and enthusiasm.

Art de Vivre, when AXA Art takes us on an “Art and Wine” tasting tour through paintings that illustrate a topic so dear to the history of art.

Living for Art, when Bruno Frisoni, the famous artistic director of Maison Roger Vivier, gives us a glimpse of his studio, reveals the mysteries of his creativity and inspired imagination while browsing an exhibition at the Grand Palais, a visit to the Louvre or a promenade through the galleries.

Living with Art, when Paris Tableau invites us to the “Creation of a taste: Baroque Painting in the United States” through a symposium led by the leading international experts.

On the poster for this 5th edition of PARIS TABLEAU, Bacchus and Ariadne invite experts, collectors and amateurs to follow the call of their Muse.

This fifth edition of Paris Tableau on the theme of art de vivre is right at the heart of the skill & know-how of AXA Art, the specialist insurance company whose two favourite domains are precisely art and art de vivre.

Whether collectors of paintings or great vintages, which often go together, moreover, the customers of AXA Art are passionate and much concerned to take the best care of their most valuable items. For more than fifty years, AXA Art has been providing them with a range of products dedicated to protecting their precious assets, from art collections to wine, via their real estate and valuable property assets.

For the second edition of its partnership with Paris Tableau, AXA Art has chosen to guide the visitor through a unique “Art and Wine” exhibition trail.

From Bacchus to Dionysos, the iconography of the nectar of the gods has been celebrated by the greats of every era. Juts follow the guide through the different stands of the exhibitors where bacchanalia, allegories, still lifes or genre scenes, and works related to the theme of the vine are highlighted by means of specific signs.

A booklet will be made available to accompany the visitor along this artistic promenade. Philippe Bouchet, Artistic Director, AXA Art, in the company of an œnologist, shall reveal the secrets of these works, while revealing those of wine and its history down through the ages.

On Thursday 12 November, on the occasion of the late opening of the Fair, AXA Art’s customers shall also have the opportunity to explore this trail in the course of a private visit. An additional opportunity for the insurer to demonstrate their know-how as a major player in the art market, and in the insurance of collections of exceptional wines.