On Saturday, I went to the Fragonard Museum, which had been recommended by a student on a previous trip (Shoutout to Ilana). The museum has a free guided tour where visitors learn about the various methods of perfume making from the past and present.
Here are some cool things that I learned:
There are flowers, such as lily of the valley, that smell super great, but there is not any scent in the oils of the flower. The scent is obtained through the air, and a machine has to read off the chemical makeup of the molecules to create the correct scent.
Perfumes in the middle ages were solid rather than liquid, and they were used to keep ailments away. These solid perfumes were worn on the body in locket type necklaces. The painting “Infante Felipe Prospero” by Velazquez shows their use.
During the Roman Empire, they used a lot of perfume. They created a tool to make the glass bottle to hold the perfume because ceramic vessels that the Greeks used were porous and absorbed the contents.
There is a hierarchy of scents when it comes to perfume making. There are about 15 people known as “noses” in the perfume world that make up different scents with this hierarchy. There are scents at the top such as citrus that will be the first impression of someone when they smell the perfume. These top notes often wear off quickly. The middle notes highlight floral scents, and the base notes have the scents that are the bases for creating perfumes such as musk.
Finally, Marie Antionette’s use of perfume in the French court changed how French society used it. She had a personal perfume maker and took several baths a day. So I guess we have her to thank for changing the smells and cleanliness of the French people.
This museum was a great experience because I had absolutely no prior knowledge before of what it takes to make perfumes. The free tour had a lot of great information, and the gift shop at the end of the tour was really good.
I was wondering if this museum was worthwhile to go, but you’ve just convinced me. It sounds like it was really interesting, thanks.
I remember having a brief lesson in perfume making in French 202. It’s nice that you’ve now given me a light history lesson to go along with the mixing knowledge my professor gave us!
I would argue the french still stink. Have you been in the armpit of a man with serious BO on the metro, because I have. Don’t forget the stench of the stations themselves that often reek of human defecation. This museum is a cool find though, thanks for the review.
Perfume is definitely important in French culture, historically and today. If you’d like to read interesting stuff, check out Patrick Suskind’s “Perfume”. It’s a really fun novel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375725849/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dKBnDbNPH3VM8