Dear PBers, the week-long heatwave finally broke yesterday. And I finally got the JULY LETTERin the post last night at 5 PM. To celebrate a return to sanity I went to the ORSAY to see the James Tissot exhibit.
The Orsay is open till 9:45 PM on Thursdays. Not so many people. Its reservations only but you can easily RSVP online outside.
I'm experiencing the museum differently now I'm aware of it's train station past. You can almost see, hear and smell the locomotives.
The first painting in the show is a stunning portrait of Tissot by his good friend Degas. They studied together at the Beaux Arts. Tissot is surrounded by his collection of Japanese screens, prints and fabrics, plus diagonal motifs. It demonstrates the Japonisme trend both artists were influenced by. Plus Mary Cassatt,Berthe Morisot, Manet, Monet and Whistler. All painting buddies.
For a quick dip into the art history of Japonisme, I like the Art d'Histoire videos.
Instructor Lise Martinot is speaking French only but the visuals are so strong, you'll get the picture.
Squint at the featured Tissot to notice the repeated diagonal framework for the figures. The background woman is silhouetted and flattened by the black shape behind her like in a Japanese woodblock print.
I was so taken sketching the buttons and satin bows, I didn't notice till I drew her how the foreground woman's profile is set off by a large Japanese fan. That's why doodling at exhibits even in the most casual way is useful. You'll see much more.
It was said Tissot that he kept Champagne in the waiting room off his studio. It's in his paintings too.
Many of Tissot's commissions are family group portraits and fashionable ladies. He's not one of the great painters of his time but that's just my opinion.
Clearly he was a big influence on the making of Merchant-Ivory Victorian films.
Snippets are played as you exit the show: Portrait of a Lady, A Room with a View, etc. The FIRST 5 PBers TO IDENTIFY THE SONG HIDDEN IN THE LINKS WILL GET A FREE PARIS LETTER 💌 PLS. LEAVE RESPONSE IN COMMENTS ONLY. Stay well please ❤️🐻
Glad your heat wave is over, Carol! Thanks for taking us along to the Orsay. I must admit I’ve never heard of Tissot...his paintings are lovely to look at. And, your sketches are lovely!
Heat waves are tiring..glad it's in the past..ours has been around tout l'été..but I can stay cool.. I see it as a train station now also.. Painters were good friends weren't they? Not always but still..Love the sketches.
Love that Lise Martinot. I don’t care that I can’t understand a word she’s saying...she fascinates me...so smart...so understatedly well dressed, so French!
After looking at Tissot’s paintings on Wikipedia, I understand why you don’t think he’s one of the best. His work, his technique, did not seem to evolve with time. His paintings are pretty but seem stiff and posed, more photograph, than painting. Pretty ladies in pretty dresses in pretty paintings. Do they read that way in person?
Yes Tissot is clearly a commercial illustrator for me. Many other artists as well like Hopper and Sergeant could be called that. Toulouse-Lautrec. But their sense of design, color, painterly qualities goes beyond merely story-telling.
Well, this just shows what a dumb egg I am... I thought Tissot was a watch designer. ���� LOL. Glad your heat wave is over. We now have it in Los Angeles! Way past 100F. Drinking ice water with a lemon off the tree.
Not at all Bonnyu He is a much lesser known artist. The Tissot watch is def better known! I thought I was going to see this fashion artist,Paul-César Helleu http://linesandcolors.com/2015/02/07/paul-cesar-helleu/ a much better artist than Tissot in my opinion
Congratulations on the current issue of Paris Breakfast--one of your best! I have to let you know that it was a tutorial for me, because I followed all of the links, and appreciate your instructive comments. Even though I don't speak French, I enjoyed ALL of Lise Martinot's video and learned a lot. Thank you so much for this truly GREAT PB edition. I'm going to save it and refer back to it--it's full of wonderful, instructive information. (I did hear the music, but couldn't identify it).
Isnt Lise Martinot fabulous?! You can get the gist of what she's saying by the pictures she shows and if you do know French you'll gain alot. A Brilliant Ii structor MHO
What a fabulous exhibit. I would have been over the moon. Love the Tissot paintings and how they capture life and people, although I think there are others I favor more. Nonetheless, he's no slouch, is he? Love his depiction of the fabrics!
Glad your heat wave is over, Carol! Thanks for taking us along to the Orsay. I must admit I’ve never heard of Tissot...his paintings are lovely to look at. And, your sketches are lovely!
ReplyDeleteHeat waves are tiring..glad it's in the past..ours has been around tout l'été..but I can stay cool..
ReplyDeleteI see it as a train station now also..
Painters were good friends weren't they? Not always but still..Love the sketches.
Interesting how our assumptions can change. And the experience of the space changes radically!
DeleteTissot was invited to join the Impressionists by Degas but chose not to...perhaps afraid of loosing his livelihood?
DeleteLast time I visited the Orsay
ReplyDeleteI saw the Berthe Morisot exhibition. Packed.
Funny...I thought it was packed when I saw 10 ppl in a passage way. I waited till they moved on :))
DeleteLove that Lise Martinot. I don’t care that I can’t understand a word she’s saying...she fascinates me...so smart...so understatedly well dressed, so French!
ReplyDeleteI know! That Lise is a Fr national treasure IMHO. You could learn perfect French from her simply by immersion. I'm going to start today.
DeleteThanks for intro to Tissot. You’re another art-smarty. Your sketches are wonderfully informative.
ReplyDeleteButtons and Bows. The song. :) I love the impressionist painters. Also love Merchant Ivory films.
ReplyDeleteTHe song in the Room With A View trailer is 'O Mio Babbio Caro' by Giacomo Puccini.
ReplyDeletePuccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro” plays in the background of the A Room With a View clip. So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSong is Buttons & Bows.
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at Tissot’s paintings on Wikipedia, I understand why you don’t think he’s one of the best. His work, his technique, did not seem to evolve with time. His paintings are pretty but seem stiff and posed, more photograph, than painting. Pretty ladies in pretty dresses in pretty paintings. Do they read that way in person?
ReplyDeleteYes Tissot is clearly a commercial illustrator for me. Many other artists as well like Hopper and Sergeant could be called that. Toulouse-Lautrec. But their sense of design, color, painterly qualities goes beyond merely story-telling.
DeleteWell, this just shows what a dumb egg I am...
ReplyDeleteI thought Tissot was a watch designer.
����
LOL.
Glad your heat wave is over.
We now have it in Los Angeles!
Way past 100F.
Drinking ice water with a lemon off the tree.
Not at all Bonnyu
DeleteHe is a much lesser known artist. The Tissot watch is def better known!
I thought I was going to see this fashion artist,Paul-César Helleu
http://linesandcolors.com/2015/02/07/paul-cesar-helleu/
a much better artist than Tissot in my opinion
Congratulations on the current issue of Paris Breakfast--one of your best! I have to let you know that it was a tutorial for me, because I followed all of the links, and appreciate your instructive comments. Even though I don't speak French, I enjoyed ALL of Lise Martinot's video and learned a lot. Thank you so much for this truly GREAT PB edition. I'm going to save it and refer back to it--it's full of wonderful, instructive information. (I did hear the music, but couldn't identify it).
ReplyDeleteIsnt Lise Martinot fabulous?! You can get the gist of what she's saying by the pictures she shows and if you do know French you'll gain alot. A Brilliant Ii structor MHO
DeleteYou are the closest to getting the name...I made a mistake. Its not a song but the group name..
DeleteThe Japanese House
Bonjour Carole, I’m not sure who you’ve sent this to, as all replies come to my(our?) emails as addressed to each of us. Who is closest? Merci!
DeleteWhat a fabulous exhibit. I would have been over the moon. Love the Tissot paintings and how they capture life and people, although I think there are others I favor more. Nonetheless, he's no slouch, is he? Love his depiction of the fabrics!
ReplyDelete