Impressionism, Engineering, Modern Art Oh My!

So much has happened since my last post I don't know where to begin! I was going to post yesterday but I was too exhausted. Tuesday morning I woke up and head to Musee d'Orsay which is located in a magnificent restored old train station. The Orsay houses French art from the 1800s and early 1900s and  is probably best known for its extensive collection of Impressionist works. Some of my favorites to see in person were  Degas's dancers and Toulouse Lautrec's work. Degas was such a master of material, he managed to create work in so many different mediums it was amazing to see in person. Did I mention it was crowded? Really, really crowded? After two hours of looking at work I headed to catch a glimpse of the Post Impressionist work of Van Gogh only to stumble upon a HUGE line. I decided to move on and come back to the Orsay another day (thats the beauty of the Museum Pass I can come back as many times as I want!). Unfortunately I could not take pictures of the art work but was able to snag this glorious photo of the interior of the museum.

Musee d'Orsay

I decided to wander a bit and recover from the museum crowds grabbing a sandwich along the way. As a strolled through the streets of St.-Germain-de-Pres I saw signs for the Musee Rodin and decided to head that way. What a breath taking space, the museum is housed on the site of mansion Rodin lived in alongside his contemporaries. Well demonstrated through his work is the process he would go through to in creating his work. I have noted this this in many of the museums I have seen and it is definitely an idea I hope to bring back to my students, the process is an enormous part of the final creation. Rodin is also interesting in that he did not much of the work is outside in his garden which was beautiful.

The Burghers of Calais, 1889

After the Rodin Museum I head towards the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.  I teach  about the history and art of the Arc in class and was excited to finally be able to see it in person. It was 284 steps to the top but definitely worth it, from the top you can see all of Paris. I wandered through Parc Monceau and got on the Metropolitan, tired from the day.

Right pillar of the Arc d Triomphe,  La Marseillaise

View... 284 stairs later:)

Wednesday I headed to the Musee de Arts et Metiers. While I was planning to see my American interpretation of Arts and Crafts I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a museum focused on craft and design of technology. The museum was organized chronologically and began with the development of clocks, compasses, measuring systems and ended with the creation of sound and film. One of the most interesting displays was the history of the loom, its growth from a small scale loom in the home to the large scale employed during the industrial revolution. This museum has so much to offer, I spent almost three hours there but I know I could have spent all day. My plan was then to head next to the Les Arts Decoratifs, however upon my arrival I was sad to see that it was closed (I have found that many things are closed in Paris during the month of August).  

Circular loom, who knew?!

Aeroplane de Clement Ader dir

I meandered through the Tulleries Garden headed for my next adventure... A night time bike ride through the City of Light. I had an amazing time with Fat Tire Bike tours and was able to gain a better sense of the geography of Paris.

View of the Louvre as the sun sets

I woke up this morning and headed to the Montmartre Cemetery which is where many of the famous artists who used to live in the area are now buried there. It was a very peaceful place to begin my morning. My next stop was the museum and former studio and apartment of symbolist artist Gustave Moreau. Moreau created works incorporating biblical and mythological ideas. The works are shown on a an enormous scale and with incredible detail, so much so that many of the works on display are unfinished.

Jupiter and Semele, 1894-1895

Gustave Moreau's studio

I then headed back to the Orsay and see the Van Gogh I had missed earlier, his technique is certainly worth waiting for. Van Gogh once said, "the only time I feel alive is when I am painting" this quote is very clear in his works especially up close when one can see the think layer of paint delicately placed to blend just so with one another to tell his story of what he saw.

My final stop today was the Centre Pompidou. By far my favorite museum so far. Starting with the outside "exoskeletal" design it had my mind reeling before I even entered. Inside the museum the exhibit being shown highlighted works from their permanent collection from the 1960s to today. Joan Miro to Picasso, Francis Bacon, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and many more recent artists the list could go on for pages, it was awesome and I plan to go back again if I have time ... still more to see even after almost 3 hours! I was not allowed to take picture inside but I did purchase a few books to bring back to the classroom.

Centre Pompidou