Travels with Dick and Karen
Paris
Part 9: Inside Musée d’ Orsay
The Orsay takes over where the Louvre leaves off: 1848 and goes through 1914.
It’s housed in an abandoned railway station.
The monumental space easily handles strong art.
This particular piece, Gérôme Executing The Gladiators, Monument to Gérôme, started as a painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Then the painter decided to extract the central gladiators as a statue. Finally, his son Aimé Morot added the sculpture of Jean-Léon at work on the piece.
At least four of Jean-Léon’s works hang elsewhere in the Orsay.
The model of the building
doesn’t show the real grandeur of this converted train station
It seems anywhere America is shown in statue form during this period it includes an alligator: The French experience of America included Louisiana.
Fawning over snakes?
Karen thinks he deserves laurels.
Ignore the commotion behind you…
Colosseum, Christians, dim future… an oft-repeated motif
Henri Regnault’s “Execution without judgement under the Moorish Kings of Grenada”.
Painted (from a legend) in 1870, critical acclaim, artist killed in Franco-Prussian war in 1871, painting bought by France in 1872 to honor the artist’s memory.
Honoré Daumier was a lithographic caricaturist .. who first made whimsical unbaked clay studies of his intended targets. “The Celebrities of the Juste Mileua”
(This was in 1850, so the blurry leftmost only looks like a past US President)
Monet’s 1868 “The Magpie”
Constant Troyon’s “Le pâturage à la gardeuse d’oies [Grazing with the Goose Girl]”
In the 1850s a simple scene like this was usually considered “not worthy a subject” for being painted.
But such scenes were “politically correct” in the post-revolution days. Rosa Bonheur’s “Labourage Nivernais, (Le Sombrage)” [Ploughing in Nevers, also called The First Dressing] was commissioned by the State in 1848.
An example of extreme Realism…
… as shown by the very fine detail extending to the weeds growing on the edge of the field. Karen appreciated that.
Sprinkled about the museum were injections of quite modern work.
Sometimes in surprising locations.
Since it’s glass, Karen had to take note.
There was a special exhibit on the works of Pierre Bonnard
Toulouse-Lautrec had an entire room…
… including a Tiffany glass rendition of a Toulouse-Lautrec design.
Monet, Monet, Monet… we could spend all day with Monet
(and we later visited the Monet Museum near Bois Boulogne)
Paul Signac’s 1921 “Entrée du port de la Rochelle“
Georges Lemmen’s 1891 “Beach at Heist”
A transition from pointillism to “Art Nouveau” into Symbolism
Back to the mundane, by quarter past two we came up for air and realized we were hungry
The friendliest lunch room was up behind one of the Seine-facing clock faces in the Café Campana.
We later came across the second Seine-facing clock, and there was a line to look through it.
Sacré-Coeur in the distance
While we were up on the top floor, we paused to look out over the damp balcony towards the west…
…and east
Paris’ landmark Opera Garnier was built during the Museum’s period of interest.
There is an under-floor model of several blocks of Paris showing how Garnier managed to wedge his exhuberant pistaché into Haussman’s linear environment.
(our North Loop has a panoramic shot of that area)
Rooms of period furnishings. This is one of Karen’s favorite periods.
Much of what is going to be following is from the Orsay’s “Arts Décoratifs” collection
Rogero Freeing Angelica (the queen of Cathay), fleeing on the Hippogriff
(vanquished dragon coiled beneath)
An exquisite gold, silver and enamel piece intended as a mantle decoration
Glass…
(I could swear we had a 1950’s television cabinet that looked like this)
A peacock feather design
The Orsay has over 140 pieces by François Pompon, some smoothly stylistic like this 18 inch high bronze “Grand Duc”, others ranging from very realistic to very rough in metal, stone and plaster.
The Duchess of Parma Table and Toilette Ensemble, an over-the-top wedding present for the daughter of Charles X. It took 3 major artists and 6 years to make (1845-51)
The exotic “Japonese” style was very popular, as these French-designed and executed pieces attest. The cabinet was by Edouard Lièvre in 1877, with sprightly dragons spiraling up the side posts.
These are quite different from the later Japanese-inspired pieces from slightly later
Simple dishes…
… to simply extravagant skylights
Stunning inlays
Various room sets
Screens of various materials (this one is glass)
“Grand plat ornemental à décor de combat de coqs [Large ornamental platter decorated with fighting cocks]” … Faience (tin-glazed on earthenware) gave a metallic luster
Delightful colors
..and the perfect Bench for your Smoking Parlour
(really… that’s its title and purpose)
Hector Guimard, Art Nouveau, 1897
René Lalique’s “Berce” … Hogweed.
We’re back to the Japanese motif with these carved horn, gold and diamond-studded hairpins.
The photo does no justice to the exceedingly delicate carving of the individual florets
Glass…
Galle. Of course.
“La main aux algues et aux coquillages [Hand with Seaweed and Shells]”, 1904. His last piece of work.
The museum had a number of fully restored rooms (including original paneling)
And an empty ballroom to explore at the end of a long day.
During its glory days as a railroad station, the Orsay included a grand hotel. This was its Salle des Fêtes.
(available for functions, 150 people for dinner, 350 people for cocktails)
(Footnote: you can explore the Orsay’s collection in English at http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/)
Next Stop: Inside the Guimet Museum