The Louvre ended up being a bit of a disappointment. Mum, dad and I went one morning, me with too large expectations, I think.
Massive, and full of riches, treasures galore, it should have been amazing. Instead, we found that so many things were shoved into these rooms that we didn't appreciate the individual pieces. I actually enjoyed the building (interior and exterior) of the Louvre, and the cultural experience of people-watching (the tourists there terrified me) more than most of the artworks.
I couldn't bring myself to go into the room with the Mona Lisa, although, that wasn't much of a sacrifice, as it's not really my cup of tea anyway. Despite all this, it was lovely wandering around with my mum talking and commenting about this or that artwork. What a treat to be with my family in Paris.
Compared to the Louvre, I loved L'Orangerie, and Le Musée d'Orsay. Both more my era--I do love the impressionists and post-impressionists--and small enough that the individual works were given the treatment they deserved. Someday maybe I'll learn to paint like an impressionist. One can only hope and try.
L'Orangerie had two rooms that were designed by Monet to be a "decompression space" between the craziness of Paris and his work. They are edged entirely by paintings of his Water Lillies, and are meant to relax people entering into the museum. However, these seemed slightly gimicky to me (it really is nothing compared to actually spending time in Monet's Garden), but Paul Guillaume's collection below (the bulk of the rest of the museum) was fabulous. Interesting hearing some of the stories behind the pieces. (Caryl Sue and Alison's voices are in my head telling me to write captions beneath these pictures, and yet I think my stubbornness/laziness is winning out). Send me an email if you really want to know the names/artists :)
Le Musée d'Orsay is a converted train station. It took me awhile to get my bearings/figure out a strategy for wandering the rooms of artworks--but that may have been because I didn't find a map to get a general layout of the place. Tut tut. The center is beautiful and airy, and the rooms are organized by artist. The names roll off the tongue . . . van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Seurat, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Degas, Rodin, all represented. Compared to usual (I tend to breeze past the famous pieces and become enthralled by something entirely different in a corner) I really was wowed by some of these great works. This museum doesn't allow pictures, so you'll have to visit yourself, or see what you can see online.
Massive, and full of riches, treasures galore, it should have been amazing. Instead, we found that so many things were shoved into these rooms that we didn't appreciate the individual pieces. I actually enjoyed the building (interior and exterior) of the Louvre, and the cultural experience of people-watching (the tourists there terrified me) more than most of the artworks.
I couldn't bring myself to go into the room with the Mona Lisa, although, that wasn't much of a sacrifice, as it's not really my cup of tea anyway. Despite all this, it was lovely wandering around with my mum talking and commenting about this or that artwork. What a treat to be with my family in Paris.
Compared to the Louvre, I loved L'Orangerie, and Le Musée d'Orsay. Both more my era--I do love the impressionists and post-impressionists--and small enough that the individual works were given the treatment they deserved. Someday maybe I'll learn to paint like an impressionist. One can only hope and try.
L'Orangerie had two rooms that were designed by Monet to be a "decompression space" between the craziness of Paris and his work. They are edged entirely by paintings of his Water Lillies, and are meant to relax people entering into the museum. However, these seemed slightly gimicky to me (it really is nothing compared to actually spending time in Monet's Garden), but Paul Guillaume's collection below (the bulk of the rest of the museum) was fabulous. Interesting hearing some of the stories behind the pieces. (Caryl Sue and Alison's voices are in my head telling me to write captions beneath these pictures, and yet I think my stubbornness/laziness is winning out). Send me an email if you really want to know the names/artists :)
Le Musée d'Orsay is a converted train station. It took me awhile to get my bearings/figure out a strategy for wandering the rooms of artworks--but that may have been because I didn't find a map to get a general layout of the place. Tut tut. The center is beautiful and airy, and the rooms are organized by artist. The names roll off the tongue . . . van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Seurat, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Degas, Rodin, all represented. Compared to usual (I tend to breeze past the famous pieces and become enthralled by something entirely different in a corner) I really was wowed by some of these great works. This museum doesn't allow pictures, so you'll have to visit yourself, or see what you can see online.
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