Entrance of the Musee D’Orsay. I had arrived to the museum a few minutes after the group, managed to finagle my way through security with the help of Professor Caderro-Gillette, and was immediately overwhelned by the size and scale of the space. Learning that the museum is actually a restored train station made the visit in person extra special.
A close-up of The Family Reunion by Frederic Bazille (1867-1868). I found this painting particularly interesting, as it seems to be a portrait already experimenting with Impressionst values by incorporating the use of light in real time into this classic family portrait. It became clear that around this time, Impressionism had already begun inserting itself into the context of the era.
Edouard Manet’s ‘Olympia’ (1863). I was well aware of this painting before seeing it firsthand at the D’Orsay, and I have to admit it’s even more arresting than I imagined it would be. I find the defiance she’s imbued with to be incredibly feministic; it’s powerful to see a woman occupy her space so comfortably with all of the characteristics that academic male artists of the time read as ‘déclassé’. Pierre Auguste Renoir’s ‘The Swing’ (1876). This is potentially my favorite work of the Impressionist period. It has a sweetness and a beauty to it which I think really romanticizes the nineteenth century in a beautiful way. His use of blue and purple has always been incredibly striking to me, and his depiction of light poking through the trees of the Montmartre gardens is so captivating! The works which I think made the biggest impression on me and which surprised me the most was Monet’s ‘Studies of a Woman with a Parasol’ (1875). I found the use of color genuinely shocking, and noticed in the description of the work that Monet wrote to a colleague something to the effect of, “I am creating a new way of depiciting light and shadow, but it is very difficult to execute.” Understandably so, as it seems that Monet was actively redefining the ways which portraits interacted with their surroundungs. He practically incorporates the subject into the foreground. After an incredible trip to the D’Orsay, the group took some time to travel along the train station back to FIAP to rest and get ready in anticipation of the night ahead.
Later in the evening, we headed to the Moulin Rouge! One of the oldest and most famous burlesque clubs in Paris, and practically the birthplace of burlesque itself! In this act, the second act, we saw a man and woman acrobat performing incredible stunts on a platform elevated in the air! The level of control, strength and endurance was absolutely breathtaking.
This act was arguably the most impressive of the evening. These two bodybuilder looking acrobats interacted in a way I don’t think I’ll ever see again! The man sitting on the ground was able to maneuver and contort his body in ways that were unprecedented to me, all while holding the weight of his partner at the same time. Utterly impressive! A picture of the whole group at the end of the evening! Truly an unforgettable night with amazing people! & an experience which I will hold with me forever! Merci, au revoir!
