Thursday, November 20, 2008

Musee Nissim de Camondo

Camondo oiseau, 9" x 11"
First day out in Paris at Musee Nissim de Camondo I ran smack in to a flock of birds that followed my adventures all through Paris
 
No ornithologist I, so can you name the birds here at Camondo?
Another bird that looks so familiar...Hmmmm

More lovely birds whilst in the Versailles gift shop
At the tail end of my trip, a visit to the magnificent and often overlooked Musee de Sevres - just a short trip on ligne #9 to the end and then a quick walk over the bridge - et voila - a fantastic historic collection of china from everywhere and all time periods.
At Sevres this plate commemorating American bird species -the crow?
Birds as decorative elements stalked me. Here on a tapestry chair at...?
Ah at musee Nissim de Camondo and it was a folding screen not a chair!
These lovebirds were busy cooing at Versailles on another screen...
I went to Rick's place again and spotted this old alphabet bird postcard lying around...
Just a bit of old embroidered tapestry at the Bastille brocante. Note a bird is present amidst the flowers and bunnies...
Tons of birds symmetrically arranged on the fabrics at the Musee de la Toile de Jouy. I guess birds add a touch of life to these static repetitive designs..qui sait?
Here at Chateau Chantilly , a Roman mosaic of lowly pigeons!
Much more life like than just purely decorative, these unidentifiable everyday birds in the elegant chambers of La Grande Singerie at Chantilly..
Passing by on rue de St. Peres - a great street for window gazing into very fine antique shops - these amusing birds perched on top of a gazebo in a print by Antoine Watteau


Oddly you do not see many birds and pastry together. Except here at Gerard Mulot's grand piece montee... These birds look like they escaped from a hat to me...
BON JEUDI!

21 comments:

  1. Oh, you know I love this one, Carol, with all these fabulous birds! That yellow cup and saucer is wonderful! And I do love all those elegant birdie tapestries...sigh. "Oddly, no birds and pastries!!" how funny--not really so odd, but I'm smiling to hear you say that! I'm sure we'll start seeing some through YOU!! ;))) Beautiful watercolor!

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  2. Anonymous11:07 AM

    Hi Carol,

    Love your blog! This teapot is calling my name.
    I emailed you a few days ago regarding a painting for my mom. I don't know if you received it. Please let me know if not so I can resend. Thank you!

    Julie

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  3. Wow this Tea pot painting has to be your best yet. I absolutly LOVE it. It is perfect. I think you can't top the last one I loved along comes this one. Love the whole post too as I love birds big time. I must reread this a few more times. :))
    The yellow and black bird could be an oriole...maybe.

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  4. Anonymous11:58 AM

    Your posts are just beautiful.
    You have a great sense of connection/ connecting. And I agree with you with the Versailles cup (I didn't buy it either when there last year- I did pick up a couple of the Limoges M.A. pieces. I didn't even realize they were Limoges at the time of purchase.
    There was a great show in San Francisco in January '07 at the Legion of Honor displaying the inner contents of the Petit Trianon. Wonderful show!They were selling the MA Limoges' so I broke my bank & bought the cup & saucer & candle.
    The reason for writing though is that I just LOVED your bird post. And you showed those brilliant bird pieces from Musee Nissim de Camondo. No one will get the full scale of the room that they are in (one of my favorite places of all of Paris actually)- and from what I can remember each item of porcelain piece had a different bird on them- pretty fabulous!
    Thank you for making the world a brighter!!!!

    Au revior
    F.

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  5. Anonymous12:02 PM

    Interesting how some of the birds are very realistic while others are just a distillation of birdiness...more a symbol than that delightful breath of life.
    Just a thought.

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  6. Anonymous12:48 PM

    I have been reading your PB for a few months now (forwarded to me by a friend) and I just must tell you how I enjoy it. Your watercolors are beautiful. You are a great artist! And your visit(s) to Paris and all the museums you know of make me want to go right now. Thank you for this little piece of France.


    Kathy

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  7. Please send yellow tea cup immediately.....LOVE these birds and porcelains. And the tapestries. Ahhhh, so beautiful.

    Honestly, just fabulous.

    I love what you are doing.

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  8. Wow -- this an amazing set of photos. You have a great eye for these things.

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  9. This post reminds me of Cris in Oregon's artwork. She loves birds and draws them so well.
    Oh, I see she already commented. :)

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  10. The seventh one down (i.e. the ninth up) is a Kingfisher with a Goldfinch on either side. I'm not too confident about the American species though.

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  11. Anonymous4:20 PM

    hmmmmm...could be a robin?
    or maybe a female bluebird, without as much of the blue? charming, whatever it is!

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  12. Anonymous4:21 PM

    Delicious, what a subtle transition from cool to warm colours. Is is the "Teatee bird"?

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  13. Anonymous4:22 PM

    Looks like a mourning dove, except it's red . . . so I'm not too sure.
    Beautiful painting, Carol, I love the colors and the three-dimensionality. And, of course, the macaroons! :)

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  14. Carol,
    the second photo from the top,
    with an orange and black bird on a plate,
    could that be a Baltimore Oriole?

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  15. Love today's watercolor!!! Gorgeous!

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  16. Anonymous9:34 PM

    Carol,

    Simply beautiful!

    Joanny
    Oregon
    (Bird Hill Gardens, Inc. Herbs, & Florals & more...)

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  17. Gorgeous and fun!
    Is the red tapestry part of The Lady And The Unicorn? That little rabbit is mighty familiar :)

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  18. fantastic china! Birds are my most favorite ever! That top one reminds me of the Herend pattern I have...same colors too!

    I should have you paint it one time. It is very popular in a certain Paris hotel. When you are there again I will have to send you over to paint me a pic!

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  19. Anonymous2:44 AM

    I have a very similar picture of the love birds at Versailles. The tapestry on that draught screen is fabulous...
    I can imagine the draught screen was also used as a "love screen" in those days ...
    Nice post !
    MN

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  20. Anonymous3:05 AM

    PS- if still interested :
    On 2nd picture, the bird in the middle is a "cardinal huppé".
    All others are just "birds" to me !
    MN

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  21. I have a bit of an aversion to birds. They flutter too much. Around our cottage in the mornings they swoop down on you, I hate that and run inside screaming. Maybe we aren't so tough over here after all :(

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