ROAD OF THE IMPRESSIONISTS(4)-GIVERNY (2)
Jack
http://www.worldtable.com/Jack/IDF/idf.toc.html
Before continuing in Giverny,I have to tell you the story about the
restoration of the Monet house.
When the Academie des Beaux-Arts came in possession of the premises in
1966, the house was in a terrible state of decay: furnishing,
woodwork, inlaid floors and beams were so badly damaged that they were
on the brink of dislocation. One of the staircases was even partially
collapsed. 46 paintings of the master bequeathed to the musee
Marmottan by Monet's son were at once sent away and the Japanese
prints, mouldy and musty, put in a safe place. Only the chinaware,
ceramic vases, furnishing and kitchenware stayed in the house.
Restoration works began and the house regained slowly its colors and
original aspect. The facade is painted in pink, the benches and
iron-works in green, like the doors, the shutters and wood of the
terrace where the painter loved to sit.
THE MUSEE AMERICAIN: rue Claude Monet 99. Open from April 1 to October
31. Closed on Monday.
This excellent museum opened in 1992, founded by the creator of the
American Art museum of Chicago. One could fear now that the Americans
would land in Giverny with their heavy pointed boots, pulling the
sheet towards them. Surprise!!! Absolutely not! Now here is a modern
museum, with sober and discreet lines, in white stone, hidden in a
contemporary art designed garden, who managed to be harmoniously
engulfed in a fragile environment. The roofs trickle with verdure and
in it's only a matter of time and this refined structure will be
totally invisible. Hats off for the architects and designers!
The objective of the museum is to show the importance of the bonds of
the French and American painting of the 19th and beginning 20th
century. Giverny's nature attracted a lot of Americans, mainly
interested in this new manner of painting.
It is compounded in 3 large halls in slight declivity, with a modern
arrangement and lighted by perfectly diffused natural light. The
museum presents essentially works of American artists who worked in
Giverny and had contacts with Monet. Explaining panels put each artist
in its historical context and reminds the particular bond with Giverny
and France in general. Photographs show the painters "in situ".
After the visit, you can have a drink or have a bite on a delicious
terrace.
The ancient hotel where all these American painters resided has been
restored. It's the HOTEL BAUDY in the 81, rue Claude Monet, also only
opened from April 1 to October 31. Entrance fee: 25 FF. The garden
behind the hotel was entirely rearranged like it was before. Nice
rose-garden.
It was 1886 when the first American painter came and hired a room
here. His name was Metcalf. Others followed, numerous, coming back
every weekend by train. The hotel Baudy became a meeting point of
artists: Robinson, Butler, Mary Cassatt, Frieske, Sargent and a lot
others sojourned at the place. Like in Barbizon and Provence, an
artist colony settled down.
The ground floor was rearranged in the old style, but I find the
result not so successful. Much more interesting is the adorable little
atelier, in the garden itself, very cleverly reconstituted. You can
have a peek at the painters who stayed in the hotel by looking at
their black and white pictures. Well considered, I find the visit
quite expensive.
If you need lodging or restaurant recommendations, Email me at
x...@village.uunet.be
Jack
Loire,Provence, Cote d'azur,Languedoc-Roussillon,Belgium and Dublin
posts are now available on http://home.earthlink.net/~primos/
My Paris and Languedoc-Roussillon posts on
http://www.worldtable.com/Jack/Paris/Paris.toc.html
General URL address http://www.worldtable.com/Jack/guides.html