Basking In Beauty Of Impressionists At Musée d’Orsay

You can never get enough joy, nor love, nor beauty in life! Unfortunately, these exquisite moments that brings sweetness to living rarely just fly into your lap, so we have to seek them out.

Paris offers such an abundance of beautiful art that it can be hard to choose which place to go to next, especially on free museum Sunday, a once a month opportunity when the doors open for free for a selection of the major ones.

Now that the Louvre has switched to offering free admission on Saturday night, once a month instead of Sunday,  I felt drawn back to the Orsay and the sensuous beauty of the Impressionists.

Of all the eras of art, the Impressionist painters offer to my own personal taste the most beauty to my eyes. The Musée d’Orsay has the largest collection of Impressionistic and post-impressionistic paintings in the world.

It used to be a train station for trains serving the central and southwest regions of France until 1939.  The renovation is gorgeous and the museum opened in 1986.

If you love Impressionists too, then the best museums to see collections in Paris are the Musée d’Orsay, Louvre, and for Monet, the Orangerie for the water lilies and Musée  Marmottan Monet.

If you go on free museum Sunday, you can expect the lines to be much longer. ! For me, lines are not so problematic, except for some cultures who have so little personal space, that they constantly bump into you.   Otherwise, it is a good time to reflect, pray or meditate!

I often wonder what the pigeons think perched up high above the masses of human beings.  They seem constantly obsessed with surveying us, then suddenly fly off as in search of something, perhaps a dropped crepe or ice cream cone?

Besides the fabulous paintings, the Orsay has wonderful sculptures too.

 

As a therapist, I am always confronted with the emotional aspect that paintings or sculptures evoke in me.

 

Of course that can be my own projections that the painting evokes, but also the emotions that the artist has too, that spills over into his work.

These two impressive sculptures obviously display immense sadness and hopelessness that we all can identify.  This soul grabbing painting of Job is by Leon Bonnat.

The canvas can be the mirror of an artists’ psyche, where his dreams, his conflicts, and desires are brought out in colours and shapes.  Impossible to deny or avoid.

An artist’s work serves the needs of his soul to be heard, seen and expressed.  Unless specifically commissioned, he/she paints what they are drawn to paint that expresses a part of their psyche, both conscious and unconscious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For me, the observer, I marvel at the incredible talent it takes to recreate such beautiful images on canvas with such precision, such lighting and contours, such coulours and with such interpretation as their eyes see it.

I started with the lower level that houses lesser known Impressionists, at least they are to me.   Bonnard, Tissot, Vallotton, Vuillard, Maillol,  Picou, are not names that I am familiar with.

Bonnard, Vallotton, Vuillard, Serusier were described as rebellious young artists who formed a group called Les Nabis and were considered Post Impressionists.

The beauty to be seen is just as impressive, just as stupendous, just as captivating as the major world renown Impressionists.  No one gets to be in the Louvre or Orsay in the first place unless they have passed beyond being great.

There are several of Toulouse Lautrec’s well know works on display. I was touched by his life’s story enough to write about him in April of 2014.

His struggle with chronic depression and alcoholism can be felt,  still exuding from his paintings despite that he sketched and painted some of the city most charismatic, gaudy and full of life cabaret characters.

There is also a room full of Degas paintings, such as this self portrait of him with a friend.

The centre aisle is filled with wonderful sculptures that express varying degrees of emotions we all have felt.  A few artists were busy sketching them, in the hope of refining their skills.

They have moved the majority of the major Impressionist’s works to the fifth floor, which also offers wonderful views overlooking the whole museum and two really lovely cafés to get marvellous bird eyes views of the Seine and the Louvre.

There you will find a major concentration of the works of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, Pizzaro, Caillebotte, Bourguereau, Bazille, Cabanel, Degas, Morisot, Courbet, Corot, Signac and sadly only one Mary Cassatt.

I remember the first time I saw this collection, many years ago, I felt flooded with so much emotion, there were tears of joy in my eyes.

Room after room of the softest of pastels from the brush strokes of the great masters and the most exquisite skin tones of Renoir’s rosy-cheeked nudes.

These masterpieces allow you to peak into a time past.  Be it portraits, landscapes, or still life; the recreation of these images they capture with such detail allows you the observer to experience the moment, like a single frame in an animated film.

The portraits catch my eyes for the emotional charge they give off.  The luscious nudes for the exquisite contours and colours of human bodies.

 

I love the interpretations of the birth of Venus.  It apparently was a popular theme that inspired many an artist.

The one by Alexandre Cabanel on top of the wave surrounded by cherubs is just absolutely luscious and my favourite.

The other is by Willaim Bouguereau, who also painted a really beautiful Youth and Love.

The landscapes explode with a  kaleidoscope of colours that the impressionists bring out so gloriously that they seem dreamlike, like this Edward Vuillard.  With still life, the minute details of flowers, fruits, or foods look unchanged from today, except for their settings.

A third way into my visit, I wished that I had a guide to share the history and techniques of each impressionist.  Next time, hopefully, I will remember to at least get an audio guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The way I like to view art for the first time though is just the experience the emotions they evoke in me, like an intimate exchange with the artists.

Artists, before the invention of photography, painted individual and family portraits for commission and everyday scenes of life like these superb ones below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is best not to cram everything in, or you will find yourself having an art overkill, like stuffing yourself with so much food, that you are no longer are able to appreciate another morsel regardless of how delicious it may taste.

I realise of course that is difficult if visiting a city for only a few days and not having the ability to come back with ease, limited funds or time.

I felt that way at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Russia.  I would go back there just to see this magnificent museum!

Later with future visits, I generally am intrigued enough to know the history, and why that particular masterpiece is considered representative of the painter.

The Orsay does have concise explanations in English if a photo catches your eye long enough to want to know more.

 

This  Degas is a portrait of Claude Monet in bed with a hurt leg.

The woman seated on the divan is Mme. Monet.

Fortunately now with the net, you can always look up the painting and do some post study viewing about the artist and history of the work.

It is hard to believe that these bucolic nudes were one of Renoir’s last paintings when it was painful to just hold his brush due to severe arthritis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Signac’s painting of Women At The Well is Neo Impressionism, because the painting is composed of dots of pure pigment.

 

 

 

 

The top floor of the Orsay offers some wonderful views overlooking the Seine and the Louvre from most of their cafes, some of which are as striking as the art they house.

I love the view of the Louvre framed by the magnificent huge clock that is a centrepiece enjoyed on both the interior and exterior.

The outdoor terrace is closed for now, perhaps more out of security than anything else.

At the Western end of the Orsay, on the second floor, you will find a beautiful Belle Epoque restaurant and tea salon with splendid views as well.

By the time I left, my feet were tired, but I felt uplifted being engulfed by all the beauty.  I do not take these moments for granted being able to come when I yearn to see some of the most glorious paintings in the world.

Regardless of where you live, there is living beauty to be savoured in nature, and in the faces of the people who fill you with joy.

There are also many extremely talented unknown artists out there who create beauty in need of our support and recognition, waiting to be discovered!  

Seeking the beauty in your own life can be a way to nourish yourself daily with attainable gifts.   Look up to the twinkling celestial sky or the emerging yellow-orange full moon.

We are in some ways all artists, slowly filling up the canvas of our lives, one stroke at a time.  For me, I like to seek a Divine source and guidance to help me along the way.

All of those exquisitely talented impressionistic artists have left this earth for celestial scenes said to be more beautiful than their masterpieces left behind.