Over here in Paris, land of free museums for citizens and residents under the dreaded, fast-approaching age of 26, my museum challenge is going strong. Here's a brief recap of the past two weeks:
Week #9: Musée Carnavalet
After yoga, Peter and I went out to the Musée Carnavalet, the museum of the history of Paris. This choice may not have been the most strategic as it turns out it's free for everyone. (No need to dread the 26th year here!) Without the pressure of needing to cram everything into one visit, we enjoyed touring the halls of this old mansion in the heart of the Marais. There were some historical relics, like the right hand of a statue of Louis XV which was destroyed during the revolution, as well as old gadgets and vintage furniture. Peter and I were struck by an assortment of paintings, like the one in the lower right of the above montage, presenting stark contrasts of familiar neighborhoods surrounded by totally out of place scenery, from crowds of people dressed in garb several centuries out-of-date to farm animals strolling in front of the same buildings I might bike past today. From here we entered a section of the museum devoted to recreating rooms whose walls and furnishings were taken directly out of old mansions. Another corner of the museum was devoted to revolutionary memorabilia including remarkably pins, medallions, and even chinaware. Finally, in a city never short of art, a wing was randomly devoted to art work whose purpose I couldn't quite pin down, beyond to simply recognize that art has always played an important role in the history of this city. I found myself particularly fond of the delightfully expressive characters including the woman featured in this montage taken from Albert Guillaume's Les retardaires, featuring some late arrivals smugly making their way to their seats in the theater. And of course, what is France without a bit of romantic passion? Doing this part of Paris justice in the lower left hand corner of the montage is Denis Etchevery's Vertige, considered shockingly scandalous (yes, even in Paris) when it debuted in the salon in 1903.
Week #10: Musée Montmartre
Although once again, not a museum offering special discounts for those under 26 (this time there's just a flat fee, at least for over 18), we once again ventured to a museum which particularly struck our interest. This time, at Ignat's suggestion, Peter and I joined him up north for a special expo on the Chat Noir and the arts and pleasures of Montmartre at the turn of the previous century. The museum is in a private home on a particularly picturesque, hilly cobblestone street straight out of a cutesy Parisian film.
Inside, we learned lots about the (several incarnations of) the Chat Noir from 1881 through the 1910s as a cabaret and a cultural center for a generation of anti-establishment artists. Some anti-establishmentarians in this circle went so far as to seek, though to what degree of seriousness I can't be certain, the independence of Montmartre from the rest of Paris, as we quickly learned from an entertainingly worded poster placed right by the museum entrance. The cat, in general, was considered risqué as a symbol of feminine sexuality. The writers of this era who flocked to cabarets like the Chat Noir, called the Incoherents, even produced a publication by the name of the Chat Noir. One thing that I was particularly surprised to learn about was the cultural importance and popularity of shadow plays in that era, just prior to the invention of silent film. The Chat Noir was a hotspot for such plays, with some cut-out shadow figures and entire shadow scenes on display in the museum. Of course, I also couldn't help but notice the changing shape of beauty: women featured in the art work and even in the priceless old-time "sexy" black-and-white photos were decidedly of a different shape than today's symbols of beauty.
And with that, you can add two more checks to the Museum Countdown list.
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| Some highlights from the Musée Carnavalet, Museum Challenge Week #9 |
After yoga, Peter and I went out to the Musée Carnavalet, the museum of the history of Paris. This choice may not have been the most strategic as it turns out it's free for everyone. (No need to dread the 26th year here!) Without the pressure of needing to cram everything into one visit, we enjoyed touring the halls of this old mansion in the heart of the Marais. There were some historical relics, like the right hand of a statue of Louis XV which was destroyed during the revolution, as well as old gadgets and vintage furniture. Peter and I were struck by an assortment of paintings, like the one in the lower right of the above montage, presenting stark contrasts of familiar neighborhoods surrounded by totally out of place scenery, from crowds of people dressed in garb several centuries out-of-date to farm animals strolling in front of the same buildings I might bike past today. From here we entered a section of the museum devoted to recreating rooms whose walls and furnishings were taken directly out of old mansions. Another corner of the museum was devoted to revolutionary memorabilia including remarkably pins, medallions, and even chinaware. Finally, in a city never short of art, a wing was randomly devoted to art work whose purpose I couldn't quite pin down, beyond to simply recognize that art has always played an important role in the history of this city. I found myself particularly fond of the delightfully expressive characters including the woman featured in this montage taken from Albert Guillaume's Les retardaires, featuring some late arrivals smugly making their way to their seats in the theater. And of course, what is France without a bit of romantic passion? Doing this part of Paris justice in the lower left hand corner of the montage is Denis Etchevery's Vertige, considered shockingly scandalous (yes, even in Paris) when it debuted in the salon in 1903.
 |
| Highlights from the Musée Montmartre, Museum Challenge Week #10 |
Week #10: Musée Montmartre
Although once again, not a museum offering special discounts for those under 26 (this time there's just a flat fee, at least for over 18), we once again ventured to a museum which particularly struck our interest. This time, at Ignat's suggestion, Peter and I joined him up north for a special expo on the Chat Noir and the arts and pleasures of Montmartre at the turn of the previous century. The museum is in a private home on a particularly picturesque, hilly cobblestone street straight out of a cutesy Parisian film.
Inside, we learned lots about the (several incarnations of) the Chat Noir from 1881 through the 1910s as a cabaret and a cultural center for a generation of anti-establishment artists. Some anti-establishmentarians in this circle went so far as to seek, though to what degree of seriousness I can't be certain, the independence of Montmartre from the rest of Paris, as we quickly learned from an entertainingly worded poster placed right by the museum entrance. The cat, in general, was considered risqué as a symbol of feminine sexuality. The writers of this era who flocked to cabarets like the Chat Noir, called the Incoherents, even produced a publication by the name of the Chat Noir. One thing that I was particularly surprised to learn about was the cultural importance and popularity of shadow plays in that era, just prior to the invention of silent film. The Chat Noir was a hotspot for such plays, with some cut-out shadow figures and entire shadow scenes on display in the museum. Of course, I also couldn't help but notice the changing shape of beauty: women featured in the art work and even in the priceless old-time "sexy" black-and-white photos were decidedly of a different shape than today's symbols of beauty.
And with that, you can add two more checks to the Museum Countdown list.
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