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