Proust & the Belle Époque - art & literature in Paris
Event Details
For September 2025, the London Literary Salon invites you to join a five-day study visiting the Paris of Proust and some of the most extraordinary visual artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Beauty, visual art and sense of place are central to A la Recherche du Temps Perdu, and the novel truly comes alive in the author’s beloved Paris. This unique study will be most suitable for those who have read some or all of Proust, but if you are keen to join this trip and have not yet read any of the novel please contact us to discuss. Toby Brothers will lead our literary discussions and Sean Forester will guide the group as we look closely at painting and sculpture. From Classicism and Romanticism, to Realism, Impressionism and Art Nouveau, the art of 19th and early 20th century France has something for everyone!
Ahead of our visit to Paris (and great preparation for anyone considering joining us) Sean is leading two online studies on Art in France: Part 1 begins on 20 February, with Part 2 following in May (both can be booked separately). Toby will offer a special lecture and discussion Why Read Proust in 2025? and her next In Search of Lost Time study begins in September.
We will be based at the very lovely Proust-dedicated Hôtel Littéraire de Swann, where we have negotiated special rates for participants.
Please note that the hotel cost, travel and transport, food and drink are NOT included in the Salon price of £600 for the five-day visit.
In addition to discussions of the work of Marcel Proust in relation to Paris, we will have two sessions on French art as well as visits to the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée Rodin and Musée Carnavalet. We will keep you updated as we finalise our day-to-day programme, but we hope also to include either a visit to the Musée de l’Orangerie or a tour of the Opéra Garnier, and we will try to include a walk in the Jardin du Luxembourg and even a drawing lesson en plein air before we leave.
To get a flavour of previous Salon visits to Paris, read Sue Fox’s blog post about Proust in Paris with Toby in 2023!
JOINING DETAILS:
- Five-day study in Paris led by Toby Brothers and Sean Forester
- 10-14 September 2025, £600.00 for the study and background notes
- Additional costs: participants are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel and insurance, accommodation, food and drink. We have negotiated special rates at the hotel for Salon clients and we will arrange group bookings for entrance to museums and galleries which will be charged as extras before departure (at reduced rates wherever possible).
- Some knowledge of the work of Marcel Proust is required to enjoy the literary discussions, please email us if you are interested in joining but have not yet read In Search of Lost Time.
- Although not required, Sean Forester’s two-part Looking at Pictures: Art in France (Part 1 and Part 2) provides an invaluable introduction to this travel study.
- Payment: we understand that you may not want to pay the entire charge at once, so we ask for an initial (non-returnable) deposit of £50 on registration, followed by the balance of £550 by 31 May 2025.
- Refunds: please note that any refunds will be entirely at the discretion of the London Literary Salon, dependent on our ability to fill the place, and will be subject to a charge to cover our administration costs.
