Getting to know Vincent

During my time in Paris, I have been exposed to the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh more than ever before in my life. Our group visited Auvers-sur-Oise, the town where Van Gogh lived for a time and where he died. We also saw the Van Gogh exhibit at the Musee D’Orsay and viewed the Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh at the Reflects Medici.

Our visit to Auvers-sur-Oise was definitely one my favorites. We toured the L’Auberge Ravoux, the small inn where Van Gogh rented a tiny room, the room where he would spend his final days. Going inside the room was chilling to say the least. Afterwards, we walked over to the cemetery where Van Gogh and his brother Theo are buried. Surrounding the cemetery are the wheat fields that Van Gogh is famous for painting. One of these paintings is entitled “Wheat Field with Crows.” The image is dark and ominous, as swarms of black crows engulf a brooding sky. The yellow of the wheat clashes against the dark blue of the sky. Van Gogh’s depressive side truly comes out in this painting. Being able to stand in the very place where it was painted gives me a sense of connection with the artist.

Van Gogh initially planned to become a minister, however, he was not accepted and turned to art as a source of religious devotion. He came to Auvers-sur-Oise to be treated under the care of Dr. Paul Gachet. Van Gogh painted several portraits of Gachet, one of which we saw at the Van Gogh exhibition at the Musee D’Orsay. Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo about Dr. Gachet, stating “I have found a true friend in Dr. Gachet, something like another brother, so much so we resemble each other physically and also mentally.” This is clearly apparent in the portrait that he painted of the doctor. An obvious resemblance can be seen between the two men, with red hair and piercing blue eyes. The doctor is pictured with a sad look on his face, slumped over a table. One can feel the sense of sadness that both men shared.

 

From all the artists I learned about in Paris, I would have to say that Van Gogh had the biggest impact on me. Our in depth study of him has led me to have a greater understanding of him as a person. Stereotypically labeled as a “crazy artist,” I think that Van Gogh is easily misunderstood by the general public. With further investigation, it can be seen that he was a troubled person struggling to find a sense of purpose and connection to the world around him through his painting.

La Roche-Guyon + Giverny

As our last group trip we visited La Roche-Guyon and Giverny. I highly enjoyed these visits and think that they were my favorite of the three. Our first stop was the chateau called La Roche-Guyon, a 12th century commune with a towering dungeon situated on the very top of a chalk rock cliff. We immediately entered the chateau and started making our way up the cliff. I definitely underestimated the climb I was about to embark on! We winded our way up several extremely steep and narrow staircases and after huffing and puffing made it to the incredible dungeon. From the top we had an incredible view of the valley and river seine below us. There was even a medieval toilet which was actually hole on a ledge that opened straight to the ground below us. After viewing the dungeon, we toured a few rooms inside the chateau which featured a room called the room of curiosities filled with animal skeletons.

 Panoramic view at La Roche Guyon on top of the dungeon

After eating some lunch at a nearby creperie, we headed out to Giverny, home of Claude Monet. After arriving we began our tour of Monet’s famous gardens. I had not expected the gardens to be as crowded as they were, however, there was only a narrow pathway around the perimeter which was overly congested with tourists. Regardless, the gardens were still breathtakingly beautiful. A vast array of flowers bloomed in every nook and cranny creating a rainbow floral haven. The small ponds dotted with water lilies were also a pretty amazing sight to see. We crossed a underpass that lead to Monet’s house and a continuation of the gardens. After waiting in a short line, we entered the pink house with green shutters that Monet once resided in. The walls were covered with Japanese wood block prints that Monet himself collected. I enjoyed seeing actual photographs of Monet in certain rooms, I think it made standing in them feel so much more surreal.

We finished our visit at Monet’s gardens and were allotted several hours to visit the town of Giverny. I explored the Impressionist museum  which I reviewed in my last blog post. After viewing the museum, we walked down the road to find the spot where Monet was buried along with the rest of his family. We paid our respects to the Monet family and celebrated our time with a glass of red wine.

Giverny Museum of Impressionisms

On the floral covered streets of Giverny, home to Claude Monet’s famous gardens, sits the Museum of Impressionism. Currently on view is the special exhibition called “American Impressionists: A New Vision.” Featured are works of American artists who travelled and resided temporarily in Giverny. This exhibit testifies to the fact that the Impressionist movement had impact not only in France, but worldwide.

 

The exhibition begins with two leading figures of American Impressionism: Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent. Under the influence of Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt began to paint in the Impressionist style, and exhibited four times with the group. John Singer Sargent developed a close association with Claude Monet, whom he painted several times. The first striking image in this section of the exhibit was Sargent’s Parisian Beggar Girl, 1880. The young girl appears almost angelic in white against a muddled background of cream and purplish pink hues. Unlike most of Sargent’s works in which forms are more realized, this painting is more gestural, and in my opinion, more representative of the Impressionist style.

 

The next section of the exhibit “Impressionism inspired by Europe” discusses more artists who followed in Cassatt and Sargent’s paths by sojourning to Europe and bringing Impressionism back to America. John Leslie Breck lived for a time in Giverny and became part of Monet’s inner circle. Breck is credited as one of the first artists to bring Impressionism back to America when he exhibited in Boston in 1890. Featured is his series “Studies of an autumn day,” in which he painted a haystack reminiscent of the work of Monet at progressing hours of the day.

 

Following this section, the exhibition progresses into a series about the American Impressionist’s search for new modern subjects in their home country. A popular theme that arose were images of women and children outdoors. One particular painting, Eleanor by Frank Benson, captures the ideal female youth in turn of the century America. He paints his daughter shielding her eyes from the bright summer day, her hair blowing in the wind. The fractals of light can be seen reflecting off her skin with just the slightest brushstrokes. This painting encapsulates the style of Impressionism that Americans created, keeping figures in detail while allowing more fluidity for the background.

 

Breck along with nine other painters soon created the group called the Ten American Painters. This group of Impressionist painters were fed up with the Society of American Artists, who they believed devalued Impressionism. One of the group’s most inventive artists was Childe Hassam. Hassam mostly painted images of American city scenes, separating himself from his contemporaries who spent most of their time in the countryside. The painting that was on display entitled Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, reflects Hassam’s similarity between the French Impressionists.

 

 

Chartres

Our second visit as a part of the Art and Culture of the Ile-de-France class was to the town of Chartres. This quaint area is located 96 kilometers southwest of Paris and is home to the famous Chartres cathedral. Upon arriving in Chartres, we explored the shops and cafes surrounding the cathedral. We sat down at Cafe Serpente where I had an enjoyable breakfast consisting of a salmon panini and a cafe vennoise (coffee with whipped cream). Our group recollected afterwards at the cathedral where we were given a tour of the gothic church by Malcolm Miller.                                                     

                                         

 

 

Chartres was constructed in the 12th-13th centuries and remains amazingly well preserved today. Mr. Miller explained to us that Chartres was one of several churches in the area, but was the only one to remain standing after the others were burned down. The stained glass windows are the original ones from when the church was first built. This made looking upon them all the more awe inspiring! Each window told biblical stories or depicted important biblical figures. During the time, education was found only in the church, so the windows had educational functions as well as decorative. I realized that without the narration, I would have never known what the windows were actually depicting. Once pointed out, I could see the details much more clearly. For example, the north rose window at first looked to me as if it was just a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors. However, Mr. Miller explained the reasoning for even the small details of the fleur de lis patterns.

                                                      

After leading us through the interior of the church, Mr. Miller took us outside to the south porch where he described to us the different figural sculptures decorating the doorway. This porch has relief sculptures of the death of the Virgin Mary, her ascent into heaven and finally Jesus crowning her as queen of the heavens. On either side of the two doors leading into the church are 5 figural sculptures that represent several saints such as St. Peter and St. John the Baptist holding various symbolic items. I found the tour to be extremely informal and our tour guide had a good sense of humor as well, which always makes for a more entertaining time. 

                                                                      

After our tour of the church, we returned back to the shops and restaurants where we continued to explore. Although much of the area felt touristy, which I normally do not like, I did not mind it while in Chartres. The small winding cobblestone streets and numerous sweet shops captured my interests and made for a great day. 

Musee Marmottan Monet

As a continuation of our Impressionist lesson today we visited the Musee Marmottan Monet in the 16th arrondissement. The museum is in the previous home of Paul Marmottan and is filled with beautiful moldings, chandeliers and furniture. The museum features a permanent collection with works by Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot. Currently on view is a special exhibition entitled “Impressionist Works from Private Collections: an Anniversary Exhibition,” celebrating the museum’s 80th anniversary.

I began my visit through the Marmottan by viewing the permanent collections on the first and second levels. Immediately upon entering, I saw Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte (the study). This was especially satisfying after having visited the exact spot where the image was painted and staging a recreation with my classmates. I continued on to view more 19th works, winding my way up a large staircase and entering a section dedicated to Berthe Morisot. Having not studied Morisot much in my classes, I was encapsulated by her brushwork and color choices. One painting in particular, Children at the bath (1886), caught my eye. Depicted are two girls playing in a basin, but what interested me most were the squiggly, zig-zaging lines making up the background and girl’s dresses. It appeared to me almost sketch like and abstract. Also included in this area are some of Morisot’s own sketchbooks, personal letters and photographs. It truly gave me an intimate look into her life which sadly ended due to a case of influenza in 1895.

           

After some difficulty navigating my way, I found the special exhibition located on the first floor ” Impressionist Works from Private Collections: 100 Masterpieces.” This exhibit featured an impressive selection of Impressionist works by Corot, Sisley, Pissarro, Monet, Manet and others. The space is organized into a sort of chronological timeline, beginning with the origins of Impressionism. In the first hallway works by Manet were exhibiting included “A Bar at the Folies-Bergerie,” a study for his later more famous painting in the same location. I believe this painting testifies to Manet’s title of a “modern painter” due to his formal techniques and his subject matter. During this time, Paris was becoming a new modern city with a booming nightlife scene which this image captures.

Hidden at the end of the special exhibition was the entrance to the Monet section of the museum. This was by far my most favorite part of the entire museum and I was blown away by the collection. Impression Sunrise, the painting that gave the movement its name, hung on its own wall, small and mighty. Moving further along, I gawked over larger than life canvases of blues, purples and greens forming water lilies and ponds. As I passed through the collection, I came across three sister paintings that at first appeared to be a muddle mess of browns, reds and oranges. I was completely unsure at what I was looking at so I glazed by without much thought. Once I was standing across the room from the paintings, I noticed that they were indeed images of a road enclosed in a tunnel of trees. I have never had a feeling of such amazement when looking at a painting before. It was these images that solidified for me the breathtaking quality of Monet’s work.

                                         

Paris 1900, la ville spectacle @ the Petit Palais

Today, June 11th, our class went to the Petit Palais museum to see the special exhibition called Paris 1900-la ville spectacle (the city of entertainment). This exhibition introduces viewers to the grandeur of Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. Parisians during this time were extremely optimistic due to the Universalle Exhibition which brought millions of visitors to the city. From posters to paintings, sculpture and fashion, this exhibition successfully gives viewers a full picture of life in Paris 1900. 

                                                                    

 

                                                                         Entrance to the exhibit

The exhibit is separated into six sections, the first an introduction of Paris as the “showcase of the world.” This room specifically focuses on the importance of the world fair of 1900, entitled “The 1900 Universal Exhibition.” Plans for the monumental gateway to the Exposition Universelle of 1900 by Rene Binet, is an architectural drawing created by the architect of the fair. Binet’s design is lavish and over the top, reflecting the atmosphere in the city at the time. The gate was decorated with colorful glass, arches, and friezes.

                                                  

The second section of the exhibition, Paris, Art nouveau, was of particular interest to me. Although not a very long lasting movement, the nature inspired art nouveau style surely caught attention and criticism. This room featured sculptures, stained glass windows, pottery and painting to give a sense of the variety of media that adopted the style. I was excited to see works by Alphonse Mucha, a favorite artist of mine whose works were seen throughout the exhibition. One particular work that caught my eye in this section was The Lily Dance by sculptor Theodore Riviere. Riviere modeled the sculpture after the dancer Loie Fuller (a projected video of whom was playing in a mirrored hallway doing the lily dance). The beautiful flowing veil that the dancer uses is captured perfectly, as if the figure turned to stone before Riviere’s own eyes. 

                                                                        

The next section of the exhibit that I found interesting was section five- Paris by night. This room discusses the new nightlife that emerged in Paris during this time which was full of erotic fervor. In this section I saw two famous images that I highly enjoy, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec’s Marcelle Lender Dancing the Bolero in Chilpéric and Theophile Steinlen’s poster for the cabaret Le Chat Noir. Toulouse-Lautrec’s painting captures the Parisian opera through Lender’s dress and motion. I specifically like the lighting on Lender’s face that creates a greenish shadow as if she is in a dimly lit room. There were also some more “shocking” images in this section which included pornographic photographs of women, paintings of morphine addicts and a curious pleasure chair. 

               

 

The final room was called Paris on the stage, a tribute to Parisian theater. Numerous Alphonse Mucha posters featuring actress Sarah Bernhardt were on display. Mucha captures Bernhardt in the art nouveau style, surrounding her with flowing floral motifs and patterns. Also on display in this room is a small screen showing the Georges Melies film “A Trip to the Moon.” Having never seen this film, I found the special effects and set designs to be impressive for the time it was created. 

                                                                  

 

I highly enjoyed getting to see this special exhibition. I thought it provided great information to viewers and was organized well. The only disappointment I encountered was not being able to go back into the exhibit after walking through once. Had I known I would have spent more time appreciating all the works!

Vaux-Le-Vicomte

This past Friday, our group went on the first excursion to the chateau Vaux-Le-Vicomte. Prior to our departure, we read “The Fatal Housewarming” by Robert Wernick. In his essay, Wernick describes the night of the housewarming party at the chateau. Host Nicolas Fouquet presented a symbol of wealth and power to his guests, especially King Louis XIV. Unfortunately, fireworks caused two horses to fall into the moat and drown at the party and several weeks later, Fouquet was arrested by Louis XIV. 

 

Here is the front view of the chateau. As this was the first chateau I had ever been to, it seemed huge. However, it was the model that Versailles was based on, which is apparently much bigger. 

 

For the next two hours, we explored the gardens behind the chateau. The gardens were designed as a sort of optical illusion, making further sections appear closer than they really are. Sculptures were scattered throughout the gardens as well as fountains and bushes trimmed into pyramidal and spherical shapes. My favorite spot in the gardens was a small stream/waterfall on a downhill slant. The area was nice and shaded compared to the hot shadeless central areas. I spent a solid amount of time by this stream taking photos and relaxing. 

 

Around 8:30, we were able to go inside the chateau and tour the interior rooms. The entire castle was lit by candles, giving it an authentic 17th century feel. Rooms were decorated to simulate what they would have looked like when the castle was functioning. My favorite room was the dining room, which had a table complete with fake macaroon towers and a video screening of castle-goers dancing at a party. Overall, I highly enjoyed the visit to Vaux-le-Vicomte! Having never heard of the chateau before, I didn’t have such grand expectations and can only image what Versailles will be like!

 

texture exercise

Letterform Exercise