Friday, February 24, 2017

Paris small museums, Musee Marmottan Monet, Pissarro

There are around 70 museums in Paris! Why not do a map of some smaller museums to remind you there is life outside the Louvre.
On Tuesday the first comprehensive exhibit in 35 years opened of Pissarro (1830-1903)at the musée Marmottan Monet in the 16 eme.
Camille Pissarro, though Danish and brought up on the island of Saint Thomas (now the US Virgin Islands), came to France, studied with Courbet and Corot and then became deeply immersed with his contemporaries: Monet, Cezanne, Seurat, Signac, Caillebotte.
Known as the first imprssionist, Pissarro started the first independent Impressionist salon with these artists in 1874.
Initially he lived in Pontoise, a short ride on RER A from Paris. It no longer looks quite like this.
These serene, classic bucolic scenes are typical of his early painting years.

Monet was a frequent painting companion. no wonder the hay stack.
Pissarro was passionate about painting market scenes. He liked to get up cllose to the worker.
He painted side by side with Paul Seurat.
His pointelist period.
Artist friends suggested he paint in Normandie, Rouen, Dieppe
And these harbor scenes in Le Havre...wonderfully foggy and atmospheric.
Pissarro immersed himself in Paris urban scenes, particularly the boulevard de l'Opera.
He declared that he was "delighted that I can try to do these Parisian streets that people always say are ugly but that are really so silvery, so luminous and so alive, so different from the boulevards. This truly is modern life!" He painted this motif 15 times, in all kinds of weather.
Place de l'Opera always fascinates.
Coming home I passed by Mamy Therese madeleinerie...
I met the owner, Jacques Mercier, grand-son of Mamy Therese and owner of her secret recipe. Evidently I am not yet through with madeleine immersion. More watercolors along with the new museum map and Paris letters on ETSY. Munch...munch

28 comments:

  1. That photo along with Pissarro's painting is just superb. I love all of them. And small museums? Yes! I spent a day at Musée Cernuschi, which has a collection of Asian art and is tiny, as museums go. Next to Parc Monceau. Not crowded, lots to see and linger over, if you allow the time.

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    1. Ah ha! I must get to the Cernuschi before the Walasse Ting show closes Monday. Thanks for the reminder!

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  2. I find his early villégiatures scenes so much like my mom's art!♥Monet and he bear a resemblance to me.
    Beautiful watercolors..found a recent madeleine recipe w/ a salted caramel surprise:)
    Nancy's been to the Van Gogh exposition at least twice in Mtl so far..adores him.

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  3. Thank you, Carol! I love the Marmottan. What a great exhibit! Maybe I will get there in a couple of weeks! I will be in Paris with my students. I think that Mamy Thérèse should hire me!! I am now Mamie Teresa!! And I love Madeleines!! Beautiful post, as always!!

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  4. mary stewart10:04 AM

    i love all of your scenes from paris, the buildings, the museums, the art, the landscapes, the food, the epiceries...love, love, love...i subscribed to your letters through etsy...i am very pleased...thanks so much for what you do...sharing beauty and culture in an enjoyable way! keep doing what you're doing! bravo!!

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    1. Ahh...thank you Mary!!!
      You're keeping Bear in baguettes.

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  5. so good 2 see m de la vie rom included in your map. trick is in finding it. i've sent people there over the years & they couldn't figure out where it was. maybe now with gps it's different. don't know.

    another small museum winner--in a modest way--is musée des années 30 in boulogne-billancourt. also impossible 2 find tucked inside a relatively new centre de culture 'espace landowski'--no sign on outside announces museum. typically french.

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  6. Jane Gaban11:37 AM

    This is brilliant! I want to see many small museums la prochaine fois!

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  7. I've always been a fan of Pissaro. We have some in our Detroit museum and Chicago as well and they are always among my favorites, so I would have been in seventh heaven.

    I MUST buy a Madeleine pan. Looks yum. And I do love the map!

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    1. I am deeply afraid to buy a madeleine pan!!!
      Maybe a single only...

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  8. What a delightful post! Thank you.

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  9. Gwendoline in Australia6:45 PM

    Your watercolour maps are really fantastic. You should publish them in a book.

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  10. Great map, look forward to mine arriving in my post box. What a great painter, thanks as always for sharing and educating. I don't think you can ever be finished with madeleines!! I agree having a whole pan of them st home may be too dangerous.

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    1. Thank goodness I am not alone on the Madeleine syndrome Kirra!! :))

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  11. Cyndy S11:34 PM

    ️Havé u been to thé Paris perfume muséum?

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  12. I LOVE this museum. Hard to find but SO worth it! How long will it be up? I NEED a Paris trip!

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    1. Easy to get to in fact.
      Take either the 63 bus or line 9 metro to La Muette
      Then walk straight through the park.
      Try hard not to stop in Yamazaki for a cream puff etc.
      Pissarro is up until 2 July.
      Start planning!!

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  13. This post on the musee marmottan monet was just what I have been wanting to see. I have not researched it myself. Never seem to have the time to go there. Next time I am in Paris I will make time.

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  14. What a beautiful collection of paintings, Carol. I loved them all.

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  15. I went to your website to see why I haven't been getting your posts....and you're still here! This has happened to me a few other times, so I added you to my Feedly instead of subscribing to posts in my email. Hope that works better....on the plus side, I have lots of catching up to do!

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    1. Jeanette; I just realise we had the same problem.... and you also did get that one now? It's a funny world...
      And also, you're on flickr.... same as me - like minded souls!

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  16. PS. Have you tried the PhotoScan app (for iPhone only- not ipads)? It's a magical free app that lets you photo paintings so they come out perfectly squared or rectangles and have no glare spots.

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    1. Oh man the reflections were terible there. I'm noticing museum lightig more and more. Fine for the human eye and lousy for the camera unless you stand at an angle. Very disconcerting.
      I'll look into app. Thanks, but I only have an ipad..
      I've missed you J!! Glad yr back :))

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  17. Carol; I don't know what happened lately - until now I've never gotten your posts for the longest time. And I see you haven't been 'simply away' but diligently working in your Paris corner :) I'm so glad!!!!

    Even better, the Marmottant Museum visit is on our girlfriends' to do list - hope we'll make it as many duties wait for all of us...

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  18. Merci merci merci !!!! Your Work is so beautiful! Thank you... see you soon....

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