The line to get in was long and the 5th floor Impressionst gallery was packed but we still had a good time. The museum dedicated to 19th century artists is located in a grand historic train station. Walking in the impressive curved ceiling located 5 stories above is a site to behold.
We decided to head to the 5th floor first which even at 10am was already quite crowded. The temporary exhibit on this floor showed a private collection of French art owned by American millionaire Spencer Hayes. We tried to figure out how he acquired his welts but the man has no Wikipedia page. His company which dates back to the early 1900s seems to train college students to sell encyclopedias door to door. His art collection is impressive although photographs of his Nashville home and New York City apartment do not show the same taste.
While the 5th floor contains many famous pieces including some Monets, the first floor had some of my favorite pieces. A small gallery by the cafe was dedicated to Courbet. Each of the walls displayed a massive work something like 12 feet high and 15 feet across. These monumental oil paintings contain enough figures and images that there is plenty to decipher. One piece in particular sparked my interest "The Painter's Studio" depicts Courbet himself at work at his easel surrounded by subjects from past paintings.
In the center of this gallery is an unusual marble statue that plays a bit of an optical illusion on the viewer. The statue is of a beautiful greek style woman and she is holding a mask under her arm to her face. As you move around the statue your view changes from the woman is holding the mask in her hand to the woman is wearing the mask. (While trying to hunt down an image I realized its a famous piece by French sculptor Ernest
Christophe)
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Another interesting place in the D'Orsay is the photography gallery. The back room of which contains possibly the best people watching of all time. The first gallery narrows to a wide doorway and from the doorway, the most prominent focal point on the room is another Courbet. This one is entitled "Origin of the World" and is a very realistic oil painting life size of a woman's nude pelvis with her legs spread. That's rights an 1800s beaver shot.
There is no way to avoid looking at it and I could stand in the corner all day watching people's reaction to it. Just in the few minutes I was in the gallery I enjoyed watching a keenly interested Italian tourist who made a bee line for the painting and stood before it for several moments as his wife red faced almost kept watch to ensure no one caught her husband's interest. I watched people walk in their eyebrows raise and then careful control their displeasure because after all it was art. Whether keenly interested, embarrassed or restrained emotion whoever designed the layout of that gallery did so to evoke the most reaction and I applaud them.
After 4 hours of art at the D'Orsay we headed North and walked through the 1st Arrondissement. We were famished and found a small albeit overpriced Spanish. The highlight was Jambon Iberian, Iberian ham that was served cured on a wooden plank. Iberian pig are fed only acorns for the last year of their lives. The meat is rich, supple and flavorful. So delicious.
Eager to cook in Paris, we planned to buy fish at a market in Paris touted to be the best only opened on Tuesdays and Saturdays. When we arrived at the location there was no fish, no food of any kind just stands selling knock off jeans. Disappointed we headed towards are apartment when we stumbled upon Rue Montorgueil. This street runs North and South in the 2nd arrd. and is lined with shops. In one block there is a fromagerie, boulangarie, wine, fruit and fish shop all open! We were thrilled.
We purchased a nice sea bass that the fish monger filleted for us. The man was very excited to have us purchasing from
him and insisted we buy some snails as an appetizer. He would not take no for an answer so we came home with one filleted sea bass and 5 snails. Sean prepared a fish stew that was to die for. The fish was so flakey and moist. The tomato broth soaked our freshly baked baguette nicely and the vegetables made the dish a hearty meal. The snail did not come out so well. Likely we overcooked them as they came out rubbery and flavorless. But we tried!
Tomorrow is another full day for us as we are planning to take the train out of Paris to visit Versailles.
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