Paris: Art and Artists (and a Really Tasty Mousse)
Paris is the start of the second half of our trip with some big differences. We will no longer be seeing friends; we're now in places where neither of us have a firm grasp of the language; and we're in major metropolitan areas. So now for something completely different.
We spent the morning in the Museum D'Orsay with its Impressionist artists, often controversial because they depicted the lower classes in new and realistic ways. Being real about the lowest social classes can make people a bit defensive.
Only two pics from Musee d'Orsay: one of my favorite paintings is Claude Monet's "The Magpie." The other is the crowd around Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night Over the Rhône." It was amusing and annoying to not be able to stand still and contemplate it. The crowd was packed around it -- but they only wanted to quickly snap photos and move on.
The Magpie, by Claude Monet.
Starry Night on the Rhône, by Vincent Van Gogh._____________________
This afternoon we took the Metro to Montmartre, a section of Paris known for its historical connection to the artist world and for the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus It's on a steep hill with LOTS of steps and climbing. It wore us out. Then we realized we could have taken the funicular.
In Montmartre, we enjoyed the street art as much as anything. The Basilica is impressive, but it was wall-to-wall tourists. 😒 An interesting thing about the Basilica is it's association with the martyrdom of Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris, who was beheaded on this site, after which he walked around Paris carrying his head in his hands.
Other Montmartre sights:
Le Passe-Muraille (The Man Who Walks Through Walls) is based on a short story with the same title by Marcel Aymé in 1941.
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Place du Tertre -- artist's square. Historically, it was the center of the arts scene for many years. Picasso and Renoir (and many others) lived here. Now it's mostly filled with artists wanting to draw tourists' portraits.
Random Montmartre street art and graffiti:
