This week we made a couple of excursions downtown to see art, had a great dinner with our friends, watched a French soccer match on TV, lounged around our studio, and did some of our own art work. If you haven’t seen it, check out Jean’s post earlier today about pastels. She has wonderful photos of some of the artworks we’ve seen.

We returned to Musee d’Orsay to see Van Gogh, only to learn that he and Gauguin are still missing in action. The curators are taking longer than announced to rehang these works. We will try again next week. If we don’t see them now we will have to squeeze in a quick visit in October.

As an alternative we visited a relatively new museum, Pinacotheque de Paris. Although a bit expensive, this is a museum worth visiting. One of its specialties is bringing foreign collections to Paris. We viewed a collection from The Hermitage in St. Petersburg that highlighted the tastes of the different Romanov Tsars. It included many works by old masters and some of contemporaries of the Tsars. The other special exhibit was the Esterhazy Collection from The State Museum in Budapest. This includes works from all periods and styles. It had some exquisite paintings. A Titian caught my fancy immediately and kept drawing me back for another look. It also included Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and many others too numerous to remember.

However, the most interesting thing about Pinacotheque de Paris is the Director’s philosophy regarding display of art. Collectors display their collections, which are a mix of different styles and periods reflecting the collector’s tastes. Mr. Restillini’s vision is to create this same experience with their permanent collection. As a result you see paintings from different centuries, and with varied subjects, and many styles. This French video guide shows many of the works in the collection. It is a refreshing way to view art that makes you really look at each piece. Here is a statement of Mr. Restillini’s philosophy.  

Only one more week in Paris before we begin our odyssey to paint in the footsteps of the impressionists from Normandy to Provence. We’re looking forward to getting our easels out in the open air. I’ve been able to do some painting in our apartment, but am anxious to paint with the subject in front of me. Before we leave The Pompidou Center is on our list. It will be a busy week.

Au revoir!

Paul