Travel and art. Urban sketching
My family loves Paris, it was our tenth vacation in Paris for last decade, and my suggested itinerary is for advanced travelers and art lovers. In my post I will share information about 5 museums: Maillol, Orangerie, Modern Art and Palais de Tokyo and D’Orsay museums. All five museums are in the centre of Paris, from one to another will take approximately half of hour of walking or using public transportation.
Later, I will go back to previous trips with other museums in Paris, there are plenty of options with everybody’s interests.
The first museum in the itinerary is the Maillol museum, with permanent and temporary expositions.
Small house-museum of sculptor Maillol; he met the famous sculptor Rodin when he was already 40 years old. Rodin recognized the talent of the man and provided some support to Maillol. Address of the museum is 61, rue de Grenelle, it is just a couple of blocks from d’Orsay museum.
Three beauties that actually represent the same woman, the model was the artist’s muse Dina Vierny. She was depicted in different poses, running, standing, sitting and relaxing. Especially interesting is a small hall on the second floor. You should stand in the middle of the room and you get into a round dance of feminine sculptures made from black granite.
Museum’s one of relaxing sitting statue… Grace itself lives here!
In the museums you might see people copying paintings. It is artists who learn to work in the manner of great masters. This is my view of this piece of art.
A small cafe of Museum Maillol with some green cozy armchairs; I did the sketch while we had lunch. This time we started our visit to museum from attending the museum’s cafe. There are couple funny sayings such as “Theatre starting from a hanger” and “hungry belly is deaf for learning”:) I do recommend this cafe’s local food meals, salads and quiches, quietly enjoying not just the process of eating but also looking at the celebrities’ photos on its walls. The site of cafe will be provided at the end of this post.
Visitors in museum, mostly Parisians, not tourists, at least I think so…This hot July’s evening, on Friday, after long work week, these people went to the small museum, standing in quite long line to enjoy ART!
Some tips for artist. Try to do quick sketches on location, people and exponents are showing how close interests are matching and represent the museum itself, plenty of ideas… museum sketching is like taking a photo, only instead of a phone or camera might be a notebook and pencils or markers, and your own interpretation.
The museum’s temporary collection of Emil Buhre in 2019 represented non-typical paintings by famous artists such as Cezanne and Van Gogh. Some temporary exhibitions might surprise even sophisticated art lovers.
Next is Musée de l’Orangerie. The museum is famous with two Claude Monet Water Lilies galleries.
On the ground floor there is a permanent collection of Impressionist artists. One of my favourite artists is Marie Laurencin who painted Coco Chanel in a relaxed pose in blue and black with one shoulder bare, the flowing lines, delicately changing colours and Chanel’s dreamy expression are distinctive of Laurencin’s style. The legend says that Coco Chanel, already rich and famous, turned the painting down, saying it did not look like her. The museum bought the painting. I bought a silk scarf with this panting, but the version without the famous figure on it:)
I made a few sketches of visitors. One interesting couple of an elegant lady explained about the piece of art to her granddaughter about famous painting, and a tourist from Japan who is standing very close to painting and trying to understand how Monet was using the indefinite strokes of a brush, on the painting it makes such an organic picture from some distance.
Next museums are Museum Modern Art and Museum Palais de Tokyo.
Well, it is a special museum for people who like modern art. One of this museum’s painting I really liked was a picture of some human hands. They were painted from darkness and reflecting its true mood, temper and feeling. At this moment of this person’s character. I love Stefan Zweig novella “24 Hours of a Woman’s Life” that tells about one memorable day in the woman’s life. On this day she was watching only hands of the players in the casino. People might make a blank face, “mask” behind, however their hands will show people real emotions … if you are watching the hands, you might find some discoveries.
The Museum of Art’s only temporary exhibitions and their visitors are extravagant, similar to the paintings in this museum.
Museum Modern Art and Museum Palais de Tokyo are next to each other. They both have a stunning view to the Eiffel towel. Also, I might recommend having some rest in the museum’s very comfortable chairs, it’s one of the benefits of the museum after long day:)
And the last museum in this post is my favourite museum, D’Orsay. Every vacation we are visiting this museum. This year it was the exhibition of Berthe Morrisot.
Building of Museum D’Orsay is ex-train station, it looks like a boat from another side of the Seine river.
Temporary exhibition in summer 2019 had paintings of Berthe Morisot, one of seven main first impressionists. It was a vast selection of paintings; some were from art museums, some were from private collections. Berthe Morisot was born in rich family and produced art works the way she felt and enjoyed the process itself. One of Mme Morisot’s discoveries was painting of ladies’ private from high society, showing for example a morning of a lady with very delicate colours of paint. Some art works show ladies and children with a view from balconies; a space is neither at home nor outside.
Famous clock in the museum’s building, elegant and beautiful, it gives grace and style and matching with impressionism art in D’Orsay museum.
The sketch was done in D’Orsay museum’s restaurant. This museum has three options if you are hungry. The restaurant on the 2nd floor is the most elegant one. When you are sitting in museum’s restaurant and around you classic paintings and statues…you are enjoying life NOW:)
After long days, it is so nice to return to the original Parisian hotel de Varenne. Sometimes you might open for yourself an interesting art in relaxing atmosphere of a local garden, just in between two buildings in the centre of Paris.
Hotel garden’s sculptures of some little Cupidons:)
Sometimes we cannot explain what exactly is happening to us, but the soul seems to sing, and in the stomach “butterflies fly”. This feeling is usually called falling in love, or they say: Cupid’s arrows hit me, maybe this magic place might help you:)
Sketch of hunting dogs’ emblem on walls and cozy street lamps are in the hotel’s garden.
Lion statue in Paris. It seems like the Lion is floating above the city of Paris, sees everything and enjoys city’s sunrises and sunsets along with its residents and visitors.
And at the end of the post about my favourite city, Paris, I would like to confirm that life is what you make it!
Bon voyage! Until the next travel:)
All paintings belong to the author. No image is to be copied without permission.
You might visit my personal website pages and find out more about the artwork I am offering in oil and watercolor paintings; purchase canvas prints, framed prints, and more artwork.
My favourite art store in Paris Un Jour Un Artisan. address 31, La Motte Picquet Grenelle, Paris http://www.unjourunartisan.fr/
Tools used for my painting Watercolour used Charvin and Van Gogh brands, Pastel GrayPas Expressionist, Derwent watercolour pencils and Faber Castell artist pens. Paper Strathmore Watercolour and Mixed Media albums, 15×20 cm (6×8 in.)
Museum Maillol https://www.museemaillol.com/en. address 61 rue de Grenelle.museum Maillol’s cafe https://www.museemaillol.com/en/prepare-your-visit/cafe-freres-prevert
Museum d’Orangerie. address 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, Paris
Modern Museum. address 11 Avenue du Président Wilson, Paris
Museum de Tokyo. address 13 Avenue du Président Wilson, Paris
Museum d’Orsay. address 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, Paris
Hôtel de Varenne. address 44, rue de Bourgogne, Paris
Art and travel club 