Paris: Around the City!

Saturday morning was bright and beautiful and a terrific way to start the day was with a visit to the Orangerie, the lovely art museum adjacent to the more contemporary Jeu de Paume. where one can step into Monet's canvases.

Well, not literally. But you can step awfully close!

If Jeu de Palme (which we didn't have time to visit) sounds familiar it may be because during World War II, the Nazi's used it to store paintings looted from wealthy Jewish families and dealers, a story told most recently in the film "The Monuments Men."

After the war it housed many paintings which later went to Musee d'Orsay and today it is the home of paintings by Renoir, Matisse, Cezanne, Utrillo, Picasso and Modigliani.

I wanted to see the Monets. He had donated them to the government as a monument to the concluson of World War I and they were installed at the Orangerie at the suggestion of Georges Clemenceau. The canvas panels are enormous and take up two rooms in the museum with its curved walls and natural light giving a depth and dimension to his work that a flatter surface might lose.

Favorites of the painter, he kept them until his death in 1926, after which they were installed in the museum. One of the panels was damaged during World War II but immediately restored.

For Rick it was all about the Modiglianis, an artist we both enjoyed ever since seeing the film about his life with Andy Garcia one day when we were searching free movies on demand!

I love Modigliani, too. There is something about the flat simplicity that I really appreciate. As I look at some of the paintings, especially the long-necked women, I am often reminded of the work of contemporary artist Kelly Rae Roberts and wonder if she pulled a bit of inspiration from Modigliani's work.

I was especially thrilled to see many pieces by Maurice Utrillo, whose cold Montmartre landscapes speak to me.

Utrillo had a pretty bumpy life. He was the son of artist Suzanne Valadon, who also modeled and was a contemporary of Toulouse Lautrec, Degas and others of the period. Valadon encouraged her son to paint, partly to remedy his alcoholism, which appeared fairly early in his life.

He was periodically in mental institutions and experienced numerous detox periods during his life but painting did indeed help him to overcome the struggles of daily life.

Most of the paintings in the Orangerie were from his White Period.

Utrillo signed his name in different ways -- Maurice Utrillo...

Or on occasion, adding a "V" after his signature, for Valadon.

and sometimes just M. Utrillo, other times including a date. This variation can make it tricky for authentication!

As you might expect, Rick  liked this one...

...and this.

I loved the Rousseau.

And of course, the Renoirs...

...Matisse...

...and more Monet!

But there was more art in store that day! Because after a luncheon reunion it was time for Sennelier. More on that next time!

Paris: Passion and Money -- What a Combo!

When you have a grand passion -- and enough money -- you can do some pretty remarkable things. Edouard Andre and his artist wife, Nelie Jacquemart, had both and they built their home to display their extensive art collection.

The result was a gift to the country of Musee Jacquemart-Andre, located on Boulevard Haussman. Edouard had married the artist who a decade before painted his portrait and together they traveled in search of masterpieces to fill their Parisian home.

The couple's home was given to the Institut de France as a museum following Nelie's death, filled with their personal collection of remarkable paintings and antiques. The ceilings were works of art in themselves.

And the murals decorating the walls were by noted artists. I'm thinking Titian or Tinteretto or some "T" guy, but I may be wrong on that (to be honest, we saw so much art that after awhile it became blurry!

Just entering the main room is a bit awe-inspiring with its gold leaf.

This is part of the State Apartments, designed to host their formal receptions. Pretty fancy! And quite the selection of tapestries!

Rick was fond of the music room. There is a balcony for the musicians all around the top of it. And silk wallpaper and paintings.

Same room, looking down from the musician's gallery.

My favorite area was the Winter Garden, which is quite like a conservatory with a spiral staircase leading to a gallery above.

I couldn't help but notice this woman.

She was sketching one of the sculptures in the Winter Garden, seemingly oblivious to the crowds around her.

 Here we are overlooking the Winter Garden.

There is quite a sculpture gallery -- I particularly liked the Della Robbia piece, but it also included works by Donatello and others.

Works on religious these were featured in the Florentine Gallery, along with works by Botticelli, among others. The couple also loved Venetian artists and many of their works are featured here as well.

Finally, we got to see the couple's private apartments, which while somewhat more intimate were still a little over the top! At least for me!

Also featured during our visit was an exhibition of work by Caravagio.

I can't say it wowed me, because for the most part, much it was rather gruesome and I didn't take pix of those. I rather liked this one, though.

But you have to admire his remarkable technique.

I certainly admire the elegance of the Jacquemart-Andre family ...

...and beautiful art collected lovingly and displayed well is indeed well worth seeing.

This was the only room (apart from the Winter Garden) that resonated with me personally. Could I live in this space?

Not on a bet.

Fortunately, not a choice I'll have to make! But it's lovely to visit!

After all that, it was time for crepes!

After all, this sightseeing stuff gets tiring!

Postcards from the Lake: A Little Museum

When my mom and her sister were younger and spending their summers as teenaged girls and young women at the lake, they often would go to the Chatterbox Cafe. I remember mom telling me of how they'd go into town and just talk, chatting about who knows what. One summer, before it closed, my cousin Mutty and I went there too, talking about our moms, remembering.

So imagine my delight when I discovered a booth from the now long-gone Chatterbox at the Otsego County Historical Museum!

The menus, the jukebox, the neon, the booth itself with its log cabin wall -- all there!

Oh, that's just the best thing to see the first step into a little museum! Not quite as good as seeing the real Chatterbox and savoring a grilled cheese sandwich -- but pretty darned good!

The historical museum is quite small -- basically a storefront with a back room on Main Street, but it has a good deal to offer, covering the various small towns within the county.

Some of it was quite personal to me. For example, I remember hearing stories of how my grandfather would take the train up to the lake each weekend while my grandmother and their kids were summering at the lake. It was fun for me to discover a postcard of the train station where he would get off and walk to the cottage.

Then there were the seats from the movie theatre. We spent a lot of time there as kids!

I love displays that look like rooms with all the bits and pieces of daily life. So I was particularly fond of the kitchen scene.

I loved the stove.

                   

And all the details!

And I can't resist a vintage sewing machine!

The school room was fun, too.

I wonder how many countries on that globe no longer exist or have new names?

Time to move on, but to those finding themselves with a rainy afternoon and wanting to get away from the lake, this one is definitely a good choice.

And then -- beach time!