Beaute Animale, Grand Palais

If, like me, you have always wanted to touch Pompon's Ours Blanc, then now's your chance. The real thing is, of course, in the Musee D'Orsay in almost a room of it's own; the full size plaster model is in the current exhibition at the Grand Palais celebrating Animal Beauty in art, along with the fondle-it-as-much-as-you-like marquette. Joy!

The rest of the show is equally joyful. For our second day of all things Gothic, we were taken with Picasso's Toad, Van Gogh's Bat, Baldaccini's Bat, cats by Manet, Giacometti and Bonard, Louis Bourgeois' Spider (pretty in pink) and Chapelain-Midy's Megacurus jason (that's a large menacing looking beetle to you). We totally hated Jeff Koon's kitsch resin poodle by the way.

It's on until 16 July. Details here: http://www.grandpalais.fr/en/News/Current-programme-in-full/p-468-lg1-Current-programme-in-full.htm