PARIS-16TH ARR.-LE QUARTIER CHIC-TROCADERO (5)
Jack
Entering through the gardens of the Trocadero, the musee du Cinema
Henri Langlois. After a disastrous fire in the Palais Chaillot on July
22 1997, the museum is unfortunately closed for an undetermined
period. Contact the museum if you want to know a date for an eventual
reopening. Hence the motion pictures 100 year anniversary took place
in 1995, this museum unveiled a bit the treasures of the 7th art, from
the prehistory of the cinema to the contemporary motion picture.
Displayed chronologically, staring with the magical lanterns and
shadow theaters. Melies studio reconstitution , an America,n movie
setting, costumes of famous actors, posters....
Musee des Monuments Francais, Palais de Chaillot. Closed for the same
reasons as the musee du Cinema. The name says it all.
Musee Clemenceau, 8, rue Franklin. For the fans of this great man of
French politics beginning 20th, nicknamed " Le Tigre". Underestimated
site, rich witness of the past.
Musee Guimet, 6, Place d'Iena. Great museum dedicated to Asiatic art,
closed for renovation. Opening planned in 1999. Patience....
Musee du Pantheon Bouddhique, 19, avenue d'Iena. Showing the religious
history of China and japan from the 15th to the 19th. Magical site in
the middle of a Japanese garden.
Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris , 11, av.du President
Roosevelt. Situated in one of the aisles of the Palais de Tokyo, build
for the 1937 world exhibition. Magnificent collection of modern art.
Painting, drawings, sculptures, from begin 20th until today. Many
temporary exhibitions especially about contemporary art. For the
moment a Gilbert and George retrospective.
You can see also inside, one of the biggest paintings in the world:
the extraordinary "La Fee Electricite" by Dufy on 600 square meters.
In the permanent collection: the " fauves" Vlaminck and Derain.The
"cubists" Braque, Juan Gris, Picasso. Sculptures of Lipchitz and
Zadkine. "Flowers" by Max Ernst; Brauner, De Chirico, Picabia. Big
paintings of Delaunay and to finish Leger, Kupka, Hans Arp, Helion. In
the last gallery, Matisse, Bonnard, Vuillard, Pascin. At the ground
level, 2 versions of the "Danse" by Matisse.
And now for the ones who didn't see enough Monet at the Musee d'Orsay,
let's go to the Musee Marmottan, 2, rue Louis-Boilly.
This ravishing hotel particulier from the historian Paul Marmottan
contains very diverse collections of medieval periods., 19th century
and beginning 20th century. But her greatest interest comes from an
exceptional ensemble of impressionist works, more particularly the
famous "Impression, soleil levant" by Monet. This painting gave a
contemptuous critic the idea to call the new painting tendency " les
impressionistes". Amateurs of nice painting, didn't hesitate in
November 1985 to subtilize about ten master pieces of the museum, of
which the famous "Impressions, soleil levant": all well what ends
well, the paintings were recovered. For me, the most fascinating
works of this serie of 70 Monet are the ones painted in his garden in
Giverny, with an incredible color luxuriance.. And think that he was
almost blind at this time ! Impossible to cite all the works but
you'll discover in the galleries on the ground floor Empire
furnishing, tapestries, stained-glass windows and religious
primitives.
An exceptional collection of " enluminures" ( colourings).
In the basement, the impressionists: Monet ( Bras de Seine,
Impressions), Gauguin, Caillebotte, Pissarro, "Claude Monat lisant" by
Renoir, Sisley, Berthe Morisot. And that Monet, a festival of iris,
roses, agapanthus and magnificent white water-lilies, with the famous
"Pont de l'Europe", "gare St.Lazare" and so many others.
Oh yes, no lines to get into Marmottan! Exception when there is a
special exhibition. Anyway, not to compare with the lines at Orsay.
For the amateurs of fashion history there is also the musee de la Mode
et du Costume, Palais Galliera, 10, av.Pierre 1er de Serbie.
For a fashion museum it's a dream place.A small palace in Renaissance
style build end 19th. Very elegant peristyle and inside high painted
ceilings. More than 100.000 pieces are assembled in this museum, which
places it as one of the most important in Europe. Leaving the place
you'll know everything, or almost, on the history of fashion since
1735.
Also for the amateurs, le musee de la Contrefacon ( museum of
counterfeiting). A small museum showing all the famous imitations from
Negrita rhum, passing Chanel and Gucci, and explaining the legal risks
of counterfeiting international industrial products.
A private museum specialized in African art is the musee Dapper,
av.Victor Hugo, 50, Always temporary superb exhibitions by themes.
Next and last about the 16th will be the Bois de Boulogne and a little
walk inside the park, parc de la Bagatelle, Pre-Catalan.
mark webber
On Mon, 23 Feb 1998, Jack wrote:
> Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris , 11, av.du President
> Roosevelt. Situated in one of the aisles of the Palais de Tokyo, build
> for the 1937 world exhibition. Magnificent collection of modern art.
> Painting, drawings, sculptures, from begin 20th until today. Many
> temporary exhibitions especially about contemporary art. For the
> moment a Gilbert and George retrospective.
> You can see also inside, one of the biggest paintings in the world:
> the extraordinary "La Fee Electricite" by Dufy on 600 square meters.
> In the permanent collection: the " fauves" Vlaminck and Derain.The
> "cubists" Braque, Juan Gris, Picasso. Sculptures of Lipchitz and
> Zadkine. "Flowers" by Max Ernst; Brauner, De Chirico, Picabia. Big
> paintings of Delaunay and to finish Leger, Kupka, Hans Arp, Helion. In
> the last gallery, Matisse, Bonnard, Vuillard, Pascin. At the ground
> level, 2 versions of the "Danse" by Matisse.
Also in this collection are at least two good sized canvases by Balthus,
one of the greatest painters alive.
However, I'll add that, unlike other museums in Paris, the proportion of
really fine work to mediocre and little known minor artists is not
favorable, and unlike most other Paris museums, the museum passes are not
valid.
Mark Webber
Linda Atkins
Thank you, Jack for your i informative coverage of places in Paris to visit for the uninformed tourist! You
are terrific!.
Boulderstu
Jack,
We are off for Paris a week from Thursday. Thanks so much for the great info. I
have printed it out, given it to my wife to read and I will for ward it to my
mother-in- law when we return.