PARIS-1ST ARR-TUILERIES GARDENS AND MUSEE ORANGERIE
Jack
PARIS-1ST ARR-TUILERIES GARDENS AND MUSEE ORANGERIE
But let's get on. Rue de Rivoli first, until the MUSEE DES ARTS
DECORATIFS. Superb objects, furniture, plates and dishes from the
Middle Ages until 1980. Not a highlight of the Paris museums but
amateurs of nice ancient objects can find some nice objects to look
at. At the same address the MUSEE DE LA PUBLICITE
Turn left to the terrace des Tuileries and have a look on your left at
the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. In Roman and pretentious style,
build in 1808 to honor the victories of the not less pretentious
Napoleon. Nice rose marble columns. But turn right and walk down the
stairs to the jardin des TUILERIES.
When Catherine de Medicis decided in 1563 to build a castle next to
the Louvre, she bought this his old dump and decided to make a park
out of it. The best of the best garden architect was hired of course,
Lenotre, who designed the gardens. It became soon very popular and a
meeting point for the "haute-societe". Just before the Revolution hit
Paris so badly, families liked to come , greet each other and walk for
the gallery it was the trendy promenade!
28 hectares of surface, it houses numerous sculptures.. They even
added during the year 1999 a few contemporary ones like Henry Moore,
Gleizes, Jacques Lipschitz, Miro, Dubuffet and others. But you can
also loiter between the works of Maillol or admire the (fake )
equestrian statues of Coysevoix.
When you arrive at the terrace "Bord de l'Eau" look around,. In the
octagonal basin kids ( and dads) maneuver their remote controlled
ships. You will also meet joggers, intellectuals seeking inspiration
and when the "Foire des Tuileries" has its maneges and barracks all
over the entrance of the gardens on the Concorde side , it turns into
a homos pickup place! ( as soon as night falls).
Ok, we are now at the exit/entrance and face the famous place de la
Concorde. Let's admire it in silence, although the constant traffic
noise will make that difficult ;-). Attention, we are in the 8th
arrondissement and this walk is supposed to continue the 1st
arrondissement!. So we will describe the Concorde more extensively in
another article.
On each side of the west exit of the jardin, the pavilions of the
"Musee de l'Orangerie" and the "Musee du Jeu de Paume"
MUSEE DE L'ORANGERIE closed for renovations at the moment I write
these lines, is an underestimated museum by the French, I don't
understand why since this museum possesses an astonishing collection
of beautiful paintings, mostly impressionist, some expressionist or
tortured like the ones of Soutine. At least here you can walk
quietly, without queuing, and admire the works of Renoir, Cezanne, a
few marvelous Picasso's, Matisse, Derain, Utrillo , etc.... Far from
the crowds and the jostling of the Grand Palais or the musee d'Orsay.
The rooms are of a humane size, no big and high ceiling galleries
where you feel like an ant, perfect lighting, all this contributes to
make it a museum to be visited by humans like we are all.
And what to say about the unique display of 22 paintings of Soutine,
Jewish painter of Lithuanian origin. A virulent expressionism hits you
right in the face and certain works reflects the depressive moods of
the artist.
The lower level is entirely devoted to Monet's "Nympheas". Eight large
paintings where the artist tried to seize the special lights in his
garden of Giverny and the way it changes all along the day. Did you
never notice that Monet (see his Cathedrale de Rouen and haymill
paintings, not in this museum!) painted several times with different
degrees of shade and tonality? Anyway, he halls were you can admire
the Nympheas were build especially to house these works.
Next the musee du Jeu de Paume and the Palais Royal.
Jack
My Paris and Provence posts are open again at
http://home.earthlink.net/~primos
My unwonted Paris and unexpected Paris posts are also visitable
on http://www.worldtable.com/Jack/guides.html