Portrait of Pauline Garcia Viardot

The European Music Centre (CEM) in Bougival embodies an ambitious cultural vision: to revive a historical musical heritage into a vibrant space for creation, teaching, and interdisciplinary exchange. At the heart of this project is an emblematic figure of 19th-century European music: Pauline García Viardot —a singer, composer, and champion of the arts whose legacy continues to inspire artists and music lovers today. (Wikipedia)

In this exceptional setting, Djiango has created a unique artistic collaboration: a captivating portrait of Pauline García Viardot , embodying both the soul of Romantic music and the dialogue between visual arts and music. YouTube

A place of history, a project for the future

The CEM, founded by baritone Jorge Chaminé , aims to connect and revitalize historic sites such as the Villa Viardot —a former artistic salon where music, literature, and European ideas coexisted in the 19th century. Today, the European Music Centre is part of a dynamic of international musical transmission, creation, and training .

This project includes a rich program: concerts, masterclasses, artist residencies, lecture series , and of course a media library dedicated to European music , making the CEM an essential cultural hub in the Île-de-France region. (Wikipedia)

Pauline García Viardot — European music icon

Pauline García Viardot (1821-1910) was a legendary singer, pianist and influential composer , admired by Chopin, Liszt, Berlioz and Saint-Saëns, and a friend of George Sand and Ivan Turgenev. Her villa in Bougival was a center of major artistic exchange in the 19th century.

She is not just a historical figure: she embodies an open, interdisciplinary and vibrant European cultural vision , exactly the spirit that the European Music Centre aims for today.

The portrait of Djiango — a meeting of the arts

In this context, Djiango was invited to create a unique portrait of Pauline García Viardot , a work that becomes a point of convergence between music, history, and visual arts . This portrait is not merely figurative: it captures the artist's sensitivity, energy, and timelessness, offering visitors a contemporary interpretation of a romantic icon .


"Painting in the same places as all the great artists such as Monet and Chopin deeply inspired me... I felt transported back in time."

Displayed within the CEM, this portrait engages in a dialogue with the architecture, archives and sounds, creating an immersive experience for all those who visit this space steeped in history.

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EUROPEAN VIDEO CENTER x DJIANGO

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