Helena Rubinstein : Madam's Collection

Exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, Paris, 19 November 2019 - 28 June 2020

Businesswoman and founder of a cosmetics empire, Helena Rubinstein (1872-1965) assembled an eclectic collection of art throughout her life, making her one of the most important collectors and patrons of the first half of the 20th century. Of this dizzying accumulation, African art and, to a lesser extent, Oceanic, Amerindian and Indonesian art constitute the most remarkable ensemble - an ensemble that "Madame" displayed and presented in her homes, and which was dispersed after her death in historic auctions.

This book, which testifies to the centrality of these objects in the life of Helena Rubinstein and traces their journey, tells the untold story of this collection.