Paris small museums, Musee Marmottan Monet, Pissarro

There are around 70 museums in Paris! Why not do a map of 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

Musée Marmottan Monet

My Paris plan was to go places I hadn't visited before.
 Getting into the Monet retrospective at the Grand Palais was next to impossible until mid-December.
 So off I went to the Musée Marmottan Monet In the 16th (pronounced says-e-M [not seizes-e-M 6th arr.] my second cousin reminded me over and over.
2, rue Louis Bouilly
Metro:La Muette
I rarely go to the 16th so it was an adventure.

The musee Marmottan is a rather grand setting and perfect for Monet's paintings.

How au courant to have 'catty patterned' upholstery.

Not nearly as crowded as the Grand Palais exhibit either.

And one can soak up the 19th century atmosphere in these exquisite salons.

I loved this soft portrait by Monet's friend, Berthe Morisot of Julie Manet and her greyhound.

Monet's portrait of his long suffering wife Camille.

She endured years of penury and endless posing for Monet.

I was surprised how loose Monet's drawings were and like his painted brush marks.

Monet adored London smog and painted out the window of his room at the Savoy. Wonderfully casual sketches of London's houses of Parliment.

Foggy London was made for Monet.

Loose sketch of the interior of Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris.

Who knew Claude Monet, at age 15 earned his keep drawing charicatures of his teachers at school? There's a room full of them at the Marmottan.

The big surprise is in the basement at the Marmottan 

Several rooms of waterlily paintings 

You never heard about.

The gift shop is not to be missed, along with the serious tomes are many artsy tchochtkas as only the French can do them.

The grounds are quite serene but I don't think you can 'dejeuner sur l'herbe' here.

Do not miss this small select Monet exhibit if you're going to be in Paris...

And if you're going to be in Philadelphia tomorrow evening, PLEASE drop by my opening at the Alliance Francaise

6:30 - 8:30 PM

1420 Walnut Street - suite 700

Mad MacNYC macarons will be served up +
Paris Facade watercolors by yours truly.

BONJOUR EXPOS!