Weekend this & that, BiblioMania

 

On Saturday I went to Bibliomania near Odeon again. It’s on today till 6 pm.

Always a good place for visual inspiration

Seeing Yellow/Jaune

Ever since I got my new yellow scarf and turtleneck 

I’ve been seeing yellow everywhere

Van Gogh at Sotheby’s

 

I was lucky to go on Tuesday to a Sotheby’s preview of the the recently discovered Van Gogh landscape painted while he was briefly living in Paris for 2 years with his brother Theo in 1887.

From this distance you can see bumps in the canvas surface of a previous painting (in my opinion) though nothing was mentioned. Still artist materials have always been expensive and old canvases were reused for painting new pictures. *I stand corrected. There is no underpainting beneath this one.

A much closer detailed shot (we were happily not restrained by a velvet rope). See how deftly the figures are sketched in and left without too much detail adds a  vibrance to a rather somber scene. And notice the emerald green gateway and hints of pink in the wooden fencing. 

The first signs of bright color in Van Gogh’s paintings up till this point. He was deeply influenced by the brilliant color palettes of his new friends, Impressionists Lautrec, Emile Bernard, Paul Signac, Gauguin, Seurat, Monet, Pissarro.

Its easy to imagine how Van Gogh, like other Dutch artists in the 1880’s, was thrilled to visit Paris (like you will be when you return) here gazing at the wide boulevards from top l’Arc de Triomphe.

Back to Van Gogh’s Pepper mill/Moulin à Poivre, which he painted several times. Sadly, it no long exists.

How rough and stark Montmartre was back in the day. This hilly stretch of land called Le Maquis - a checkerboard of sheds, wooden fences and tiny garden plots. Not exactly a stunning  landscape to paint maybe in our eyes. 

Another view of the same pepper mill, again enlivened with his little figures. Put your fingers over them and you’ll miss the spot of complimentary red essential to all that blue-green and yellow ochre.

A whimsical doodle of an artist painting in a rooftop garret with Sacre Coeur on one side and the windmill on the other. Of course Van Gogh was paintings in the street. There was no room amongst brother Theo’s young family to paint inside on rue Lepic.

More background on ‘ Scène de rue à  Montmartre’. Sotheby’s painting has never been exhibited since it was in Vincent van Gogh’s Paris studio. The landscape has been in the same French family since at least 1920. Although a black-and-white photograph was published in 1972, it has only once been reproduced in colour as a very small image. I did hear something to the effect that it had lain the bureau of grand Pere for 100 years, therefore its pristine condition. Originally sold for 1,000€ its expected to bring 10,000,000+ euros.

When Van Gogh moved 2 years later to Arles his colors transformed radically. From the Art Institute of Chicago an excellent timeline of his life and ventures: Van Gogh’s life was short and nomadic. By the time he died, at the age of 37, he had lived in 37 separate residences across 24 cities, mostly as a boarder or a guest dependent on the hospitality of family or friends. In 1888, he finally moved into the only home he truly considered his own: his beloved “Yellow House” in Arles. Don’t miss this 4-minute short film background on the Sotheby's painting. 

Outside the line was forming in the rain. Scène de rue à Montmartre is due be exhibited briefly (subject to Covid-19 restrictions) in Amsterdam (1-3 March), Hong Kong (9-12 March) and Paris (16-23 March, Drouot with Sotheby’s). The final auction is March 25.

Later waiting for the bus in the rain, I watched the ballet perform at Opera Bastille...That’s Paris. Meanwhile on the home front I’m still obsessed with painting yellow/jaune jonquils/daffs, fewer citron tarte, moving on to yellow tulips. Get Parisbreakfast letters, maps and watercolors in your mailbox. Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast! Cheers 🐻❤️🌷

Arles Marché, an apricot print, Foundation Vincent Van Gogh

This week I'm immersed painting apricots for another Provençal print .

Arles huge Saturday marché is considered one of the best in Europe

Aix and Arles

A mini taste of Provence. Doodling in my room at 5am. I can't believe how much like Tuscany Provence is!

Arriving Friday in Aix. Blue skies for a change.

Water at Cote Sude Vivre event...the big pool in the evening.

One of my fav purveyors at Cote Sud - Les Toiles du Soleil. They have a shop on west 17th street in new york. Go visit for a taste of Provence.

Yesterday I took the bus to Arles (22€ RT an hour and half trip with AC). At fondation Vincent van Gogh, a special exhibit of 31(!) paintings mostly from Netherlands. Fabulous. 

There was a sign:PLEASE TAKE PICTURES AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

The Saturday Arles marché is supposed to be the best in Europe. It is. More to come.

A wall in Aix. Apricot, apricot, apricot!

Last nite in Aix just wandering.

Santon figurines in Arles. Adorable.
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Vincent at Auvers-sur-Oise

A new watercolor print in my etsy shop from my visit to Auvers-sur-Oise last Saturday. Friends have been urging me to go for ages. Metro posters beckoned. It's a 38-minute direct train ride (on the weekends upstairs at Gare du Nord from platform 36 with the Transilien line). What a perfect town to paint. No wonder Pissarro, Corot, Cezanne, Daumier, Daubigny and Van Gogh immersed themselves here.

The Iris fete, 'L'amour au Jardin' was taking place at Chateau d'Avers.

While others headed off to the local tourist office I took the higher road

Up to the church famously painted by Van Gogh (pronounced Van Gog in France by the way). There are no original paintings in Auvers, but 19 posters will help you recognize the sites he painted.

No crows flying on Saturday either as in Van gogh's last painting, but the open, waving wheat fields easily makes you feel you've stepped into his painting. There was a touching (bi-lingual) letter at the cemetary written by an attendee at Van Gogh's funeral recounting his last days.

I can't say I was the biggest fan of Van Gogh though I've always loved his ink drawings in his letters to his brother, Theo, but visiting Auvers changed my mind.

The undulating rooftops, green hilly lawns, bushy plane trees make it easy to see what Van Gogh saw and felt.

The town wasn't crowded with too many tourists on such a beautiful day.

'Watch out for the cat'.

Wonderfully colored iris line Avers' curving lanes.

Van Gogh painted bunches of iris in gardens and in a white pitcher. He stayed in Auvers the last 70 days of his life and made a painting every single day.

Auberge Ravoux was his residence at 3,50 fr a day.

It's been carefully preserved.

Absolutely nothing remains of any of Van Gogh's possessions in his room yet it's a poignant experience to visit. You can watch a short video of his life before entering his room.

Why did I resist the stunning auberge napkins and tablecloth.

Van Gogh egg cup? I would have killed for this combo egg cup/coffee cup, but not for sale.

Off to the chateau for the garden soiree.

Why didn't I buy this little Van Gogh figurine? And I missed visiting Dr Gachet's house and the Absinth museum.

The next day I went to visit the two Van Gogh rooms at musee d'Orsay(Rm.70,71).

And you should too. Visiting the town of Avuers-sue-Oise

Is the perfect introduction to learning to love van Gogh if you not a fan. I have maps of Auvers to send out with the watercolor print if you're so inclined. Do not miss this town either way if you're coming to Paris. Heavenly.