Visiting Musee d'Orsay

 

Outside of Musee d'Orsay - photo from Wikipedia

We visited several art museums while in Paris, including the Musee d'Orsay. This was one of our favorite art museums, though we didn't have much time here. We saw only a fraction of it - and we'll just have to go back some day!

 

 

We started out with lunch at the restaurant. It was gorgeous!

 

 

You aren't allowed to take photos in the exhibits, but many people take a photo like this from one of the upper floors. We saw works by Cezanne, Degas, Gaugin, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, and Van Gogh.

 

 

Alex and I spent quite a bit of time looking at these 'puppets' from a display about the Chat noir Shadow Theatre. As the name implies, these figures would make shadow figures and stories were told in that way.

 

 

And, isn't this a great one?

 

 

The museum is built in an old railway station and has several gorgeous clocks including this one.

Palette Knife Painting

I took a three hour workshop yesterday called "Rooster Pallette Knife Painting Workshop." We used acrylics and painted, not with a brush, but with a metal pallette knife! This is a techinque that was often used by Vincent Van Gogh.

Starry Night by Van Gogh - from Wikipedia

 

I'm not sure if "Starry Night" was done with a palette knife, but it certainly looks as if it could have been. Using a palette knife to paint is kind of like decorating a cake: you smear the paint onto the canvas with the underside of the knife.

So, here's my palette knife-painted rooster! It was a NEAT experience and I already bought supplies to do it again. By the way, there are parts of my rooster I love (like the colors in the main body - the green and yellow parts) and parts I didn't quite get right (like the tail is too large, the feet are too small, and the wattle should be curved - not pointed). But, overall, I'm happy with this project and can't wait to do another one!

L'Orangerie in Paris

The l'Orangerie was one of several art museums we visited while in Paris. A museum of Impressionist art, it is best known for its two oval rooms that each house 4 large murals of Monet's water lilies or nympheas.

Image of Monet's water lilies at l'Oragerie from Wikipedia

As much as I enjoy Monet, I didn't enjoy these rooms that much. Maybe I was just tired of water lilies! We'd seen them at several museums already... and seen the 'real thing' at Giverny!

After you left the two oval rooms, one of the first displays was this series of two dioramas. This diorama shows a model of the study of Paul & Domenica Guillaume and the museum houses their collection. You can see, on the wall, miniature recreations of some of the paintings in the museum!

I recognize at least one Picasso.

I like this one even better. On the wall you can see a couple of Degas' works and several by Cezanne. And, if you look in the mirrored doorway to the left, you see the hands of the photographer... me!

My three favorite works of art at this museum were all by Renoir. This one is titled "Gabrielle et Jean." Gabrielle was the "beloved nanny" of the Renoir children and she was often painted by him. Jean is one of his sons. I just loved the image of them happily playing together.

What I loved most about this image of another of Renoir's sons, Claude, was the story behind it. Evidentally, Claude did not want to wear the tights. His father ended up bribing him to wear them!

And, I love this painting of two young girls at the piano. I have played the piano for over 30 years and used to play and sing with my sister and with my best friend, Jill. It also reminds me of the best piano teacher I ever had - she had a cross-stitch of this painting (actually, there are multiple versions of this subject) hanging over her grand piano. These are fond memories brought back by a painting!

Veronica's Veil

Today I was at MFAH (the Museum of Fine Arts Houston) and saw two works of a subject I've not seen before now. The subject is the veil of Saint Veronica. Like many works of art, this religious subject comes from the Catholic faith. And, as I'm not Catholic, I usually end up doing some research to learn the story behind the art. I was viewing the special exhibt MFAH is currently hosting from the Prado, and I was able to find out the story of Veronica's veil from the audioguide.

The Veil of Veronica by Domenico Fetti posted at Wikipedia

Although this is not recorded in Biblical accounts, Catholic tradition shares that, while Jesus was on his way to the cross, a lady gave Him her veil to wipe the sweat from His brow. When He returned it, the image of His face was miraculously on it. Some accounts say it was folded in thirds and so there were three images of His face. Those images became Holy relics for the Catholic church.

Veronica Holding Her Veil by Hans Memling at Wikipeda

As I left the Prado special exhibit, the first painting I saw was another work of the Veil of Veronica! I love learning something new... and then recognizing it in a new format! I don't remember who either piece was by, but I found a couple of images online of other works on this subject.

More photos from "Monet's gardens"

I was asked for more photos from Monet's gardens at Giverny, and I'm happy to share them with you all! Here goes...

Les Nympheas is the restaurant we ate at located at the gardens. Did you know that Monet called waterlillies by their scientific name, les nympheas?

A beautiful snail... we saw quite a few snails!

This was our first view of the famous bridge. We are actually standing on a bridge at the opposite side of the pond. You can barely see 'the bridge' above Alex's head.

From the bridge (above where Alex is standing), if you look the opposite way you will see this boat that was also in Monet's paintings... or perhaps a boat LIKE the one he painted.

Doesn't this just look Impressionistic? (if that is a word...)

A rare shot of the bridge without any people on it. I wish there were fewer waterlillies so you could see the reflection of the bridge more clearly.

I was standing beside 'the bridge' to take this shot. You can see the lesser known bridge (the one Alex was standing on earlier) at the back of the pond to the right.

This is a second story window of Monet's house which looks over the gardens, not the pond. We were able to tour it, but not to take photos inside of it. His studio has recreations of about 30-40 pieces of his artwork. Work by other artists, including some Japanese artists who inspired Monet, are scattered throughout the house.

I hope you enjoyed these (additional) photos! We also visited the cathedral that Monet painted so many times AND the cliffs that he painted! I wasn't familiar with them, but the evening we spent on the beach by the cliffs was incredible. I'll share those next, I think.

Do you recognize this? It's "Monet's Garden!"

Yes, it's Monet's Garden! We had an incredible time visiting Giverny, the place of Monet's gardens, in Normandy, France. The weather this day was perfect and the gardens were more beautiful than I had imagined.

When you enter the gardens, you are first in a real garden area. It is HUGE! There are probably 8-12 rows that you can wander down. Unfortunately, I only took closeups so I can't really give you a good idea of what it looked like. We also saw quite a few gardeners busy pruning and doing other garden jobs.



Alex took lots of photos with my 'big' camera!

After leaving the regular gardens, you go through an underground tunnel. I believe the tunnel went under a road. Then, you go on a fairly long path that winds around different water features... until you arrive at the famous waterlily pond (1st photo). Wow! It's gorgeous!

It's very hard to get a photo of yourself alone on the famous bridge, though we did manage to get one of my mother. It was really crowded around the main pond, but there were other, quieter areas. Alex & I posed on this bridge that was behind the waterlily pond and were able to get a shot of just the two of us.

Visiting the Louvre

Last week we returned from our big European trip! I have over 2,500 photos. Gulp! But, I'm ready to make my first post... our trip to the world famous art museum, the Louvre.

Alex & me in front of the Louvre & I.M. Pei's pyramid

After traveling "all day and all night", we arrived at our hotel by the Louvre about 10:30 a.m. Paris time. Even though we'd only slept about 3-4 hours, we decided to skip a nap and try to stay up until 7 p.m. We walked the few blocks to the Louvre and got lunch at a food court. I had a pizza and Alex had McDonald's - which was very easy as they had a computer you could order from in English!

My brother, who has visited Paris several times before, was able to help us find the 'other' entrance into the Louvre and skip the long lines. Our entry led us through the base of the old medieval fortress. The Louvre was started in 1190 when King Phillipe Auguste built this massive fortress as protection against invaders. Since that time, it has been added to many times, in many styles, to become the Louvre that is known around the world today.

During our visit, we mapped out a few of our "must sees"... those works of art the Louvre is particularly famous for, including Venus de Milo, an ancient Greek statue.

Besides some incredibly famous works of art, I think what sets the Louvre apart is the architecture. Built over centuries, different wings and rooms have different styles. The ceilings, walls, and floors are often as exciting to look at as the art.

Saint Peter Martry - I unfortunately didn't get the name of this work of art & artist

I have enjoyed learning about Saints in art this year, including Saint Denis, who survived decapitation, and Saint Sebastian, who survived being shot by multiple arrors. At the Louvre, I encountered Saint Peter Martyr who had converted from the beliefs of the Cathers to become a Catholic under Pope Innocent III. The Pope appointed him, under an Inquisition, to uncover those who were Cathers, not Catholics. The Cathers were punished with jail or even by being burned at the stake. Two of the men that Peter Martyr hired assassins who attacked him with an axe, wounding him in the head and chest. In the artwork, as above, you can recognize Saint Peter Martyr by an ever-present knife or axe in his head.

Mona Lisa, from behind the crowd

And, of course, we had to see the Mona Lisa! (Even though it isn't one of my favorite works of art.) The crowd around it was amazing! Even when you wait and push your way to the front, there is still a barrier around her and thick glass protecting her. We spent just a few seconds at the front before pushing our way back to the open space. It was pretty funny! But, I suppose everyone who goes to the Louvre has to see Mona Lisa!

We got back to the hotel later than expected, took showers, and went to bed. Alex and I both woke up about 2 a.m..... wide awake and hungry! We took a snack into the bathroom and set on the side of the tub and looked out the window. Even in the middle of the night, it wasn't really dark out! We watched the street below us, and listened as a few noisy groups went by. We had a wonderful time! After about 2 hours, we went back to bed. I think I got up at about 9, but Alex slept until noon! Thankfully, my mom & brother had already been in Europe for about 10 days and were adjusted to the time. They went out and brought us back breakfast.

Capitol Building

Looking back at our fall of 2010 trip to DC with the Carolina Homeschoolers group...

Our group got to tour the capitol building!

Each state of the Union has contributed two statues to the Capitol building. I believe there are 50 of these in the National Statuary Hall - one for each state. The other 50 statues are spread around the building. The statues are chosen by the states to "honor persons notable in their (state) history." Above is Helen Keller, who I find personally very motivating, which was donated by Alabama.

Texas, where we live, has Stephen Austin and Sam Houston on display.

Before becoming the Supreme Court Chamber (1810-18600, this room was the Senate Chamber (1801-1808). Thomas Jefferson took his oath of office in this room in 1801. The infamous Dred Scott decision was delivered here on March 6, 1857. (We've also visited the court house in St Louis where this case started.)

This is the fresco that is painted in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi 180 feet above the rotunda floor. It is entitled "The Apotheosis of Washington." "Apotheosis" means to raise someone to the rank of a god.

Here's a close-up of Washington (center - I flipped the photo) who is indeed god-like. He is flanked by female figures representing Liberty and Victory/Fame. Completing the circle are 13 females representing the original 13 colonies. There is a lot of symbolism in the fresco and you can read more at the Architect of the Capitol website.

This is a portion of a frieze that is underneath the painting "The Apotheosis of Washington" shown above. It is called The Frieze of American History and was originally intended to be done in low relief. It is done, instead, in frecso by three different artists. The paintings resemble sculpture in a monochromatic pallate of whites and browns which is called grisaille. The 19 scenes measure 8 feet 4 inches tall and have various snippets of American history. The four I happened to photograph are the 3rd through 6th scenes: Cortez and Montezuma at Mexican Temple, Pizarro Going to Peru, Burial of DeSoto, and Captain Smith and Pocohontas. You can see all of the images and read more about this frieze at the Architect of the Capitol website.



(image from Wikipedia)

There are many other elements of art within the Capitol Building and even in the rotunda, but I'll leave you with John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence. It is one of 8 large paintings in the Rotunda, and 4 of them were painted by Trumbull.

After our Capitol tour...

Rembrandt

A new Rembrandt exhibit opens at our museum tomorrow that showcases ten of his drawings and the drawings of some of his students. I think I'll go see it this week while Alex is away at camp - her school's class trip for 6th grade. (Then, I'll take her to see it later!) While looking into Rembrandt, I found a nice 30 minute video on UNC-TV:

This isn't the same exhibit I'll be seeing, but it gave me a good background on Rembrandt.

A self-portrait from Wikipedia

There is also a site called The Rembrandt Teaching Project that includes a biography, lesson plans, activities, and more! I especially like the "During His Life" page that highlights some of the other people and events that were taking place during the time of Rembrandt.

Crystal Bridges Art Museum

This weekend, Alex & I went with my husband's aunt to see a new art museum: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum, which opened in November, was founded by Alice Walton of the Walmart family. The museum is a nonprofit organization and admission is FREE because of a grant from Walmart.

The museum buildings are amazing and it sits on a gorgeous 120 acre site with over 3 miles of walking and biking trails. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we didn't go out on the trails.

From the site: "the Museum complex encompasses a library, the hands-on Experience Art Studio and Drop-in Studio, a glass-enclosed gathering hall for lectures, films, and other events, a Museum Store, a restaurant, and areas for outdoor concerts and public events. (Above: part of a trail and sculpture taken through large glass window.)

The collection of American art is divided into 4 sections: Colonial, 19th Century, Modern, and Contemporary. The Colonial collection included art by Gilbert Stuart (the Constable-Hamilton portrait of George Washington shown above), John Trumbull, John Singleton Copley, and Samuel Finley Breese Morse (of morse code fame and whose art I discussed here).

Trompe L'oeil by Haberle from Wikipedia

The 19th Century area includes some trompe l'oeil which is art that tricks the eye into thinking it's 3 dimensional. One piece was by Haberle, though it isn't the one I posted above. There was also work by Mary Cassatt, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and John Singer Sargent (whose art I copied for my charcoal portraits).

Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter which was on Saturday Evening Post (from Wikipedia)

The Modern and Contemporary sections included art by Norman Rockwell (one of my favorite artists!), Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns (who we studied here), Louise Nevelson (who we studied here), and Jacob Lawrence.

I loved the layout of the museum. There were two places where you could stop and rest and look at art books or get on iPads to learn more about the art. And, there were two hands-on activity centers. Unfortunately, one closed just as we found it. But, we spent some time in the other. It had quite a few activities (including a dressing up area and places to build and to learn about art). Alex and Aunt C had fun making butterfly art!