Author Archives: layne_busch@student.uml.edu

Art and Spectacle

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Wednesday March 12th

Morning at the Museum D’Orsay

View of clock in the Museum D’Orsay

Bright and early, we took the Metro to the Museum D’Orsay. This museum is housed in a converted train station. The structure held up by steel is an example of the architectural innovations of the 19th century. However, I was most excited about the art, as the late 19th century is my favorite period. We saw works by Millet, Bonheur, Courbet, Renoir, Manet, Degas, Monet and more!

The Gleaners by Millet
Dance at Le moulin de la Galette by Renoir

Like at the Louvre it seemed unreal to see works of art I had seen only in art history classes. I loved to be able to looks closely at the paintings. For example, Monet used thick layers of paint which creates a texture to the work that is not easily seen from a photograph. Also, the size of a painting is impossible to fully comprehend until you are standing in front of it. I was amazed by the detail and realism of Rosa Bonheur’s Ploughing in the Nivernais. The dirt that is being turned up and the fur of the cows appears as if you could reach out in touch it.

Rouen Cathedral by Monet
Detail of Rouen Cathedral by Monet

Ploughing in the Nivernais by Rosa Bonheur
Detail of Ploughing in the Nivernais by Rosa Bonheur

The Orangerie Museum and Monet’s Water Lilies

Even though we had spent the morning walking around the Museum D’Orsay I was eager to go to the Orangerie Museum. After lunch my roommate and I headed there. It is right across the Seine from the Museum D’Orsay, so it was a quick walk. I have always wanted to see Monet’s Water Lilies. He had specially designed them for the Orangerie which was a building where orange trees were once stored in the winter. My roommate and I first headed to the Water Lilies. Like seeing painting, I had only seen in classes this was also a surreal experience. The size of the canvas and the fact they follow the curve of the wall is incredibly immersive. I loved walking along the paintings and be able to see the paint texture. In certain spots I could see where Monet at dragged a finger through the paint. For anyone who loves impressionism seeing the Water Lilies is a must!

2nd Water Lilies Gallery
Detail of one of Monet’s Water Lilies

While exploring the rest of the museum I saw some works by artists I had never heard of but whose works I now greatly admire. The artist’s name is Chaïm Soutine. He uses a lot of color and texture in his paintings to create images that like Monet walk the line between representational and abstract.

Paysage avec personnage by Chaïm Soutine

The Spectacle that is the Moulin Rouge

View of entering the Moulin Rouge performance space

In the evening we went to the Moulin Rouge. Going in I knew nothing about this show, and I am glad. It was such a special and fun experience to dress up and go to a show like this. The show goes back to the 19th century and is all about spectacle. Multiple times throughout the performance we were in awe. Before we knew it the show was over, and it was time to leave. I would love to come back one day and see the show again! It was an incredible way to end the day!

Parisian Art & Architecture

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On Monday March 10th (Day 3 of the trip) we went to the Louvre. The Louvre is a museum that holds a good portion of the most famous works in the Western world. The museum was once a palace but was converted to a public museum by Napoleon Bonaparte.  

View of the exterior of the Louvre and the Louvre glass pyramid.

Our first stop in the museum was the Mona Lisa. This painting was created by Leonardo da Vinci who at the end of his life worked at the French court. Leonardo was never satisfied with the work, and it is rumored that the paint was still wet when he died. The painting is a lot smaller than it appears in images. Professor Cadero-Gillette had a pass that gave her “the right to speak” in the Louvre. This pass allowed us to get beyond the outer barricade and to see the Mona Lisa more closely.

View of the crowd around the Mona Lisa.
Our view of the Mona Lisa from beyond the outer barricade.

After seeing the Mona Lisa, we stuck to two galleries on Level 1 of the museum. In these galleries we looked at art from the Renaissance, Baroque and 19th century. This portion was personally my favorite part. Many of the painting we took a close look at were ones I had learned previously about in art history class at UML. For example, we looked at a painting by Caravaggio titled The Fortune Teller. I had previously seen this painting in a Baroque Art class. This semester I am also taking 19th Century Art. Many of the paintings we saw in the 19th century gallery were works I had seen and learned about in class. These painting included The Oath of the Horatii, The Coronation of Napoleon, The Raft of Medusa and more. It was very surreal to walk through the galleries and see works of art I had only learned about and seen in classes.

Our study abroad group in the Paintings in Italy from 1250-1800 gallery.
Oath of the Horatii by Jacques Louis David.
The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques Louis David.
Professor Cadero-Gillette and some members of our study abroad group in front of The Raft of Medusa by Théodore Géricault.

We had the afternoon free, so most of our study abroad group went to Galeries Lafayette. Galeries Lafayette is a department store from the 19th century. Paris is where department stores originated. This particular department store has a beautiful stain glass ceiling. While at the department store, we got lunch at DS Café. I really loved this café! I am allergic to eggs and a vegetarian, but this café had many vegetarian options and icons to indicate allergens. I got the risotto. Our waitress was also incredibly nice. She managed to remember all nine of our names.

View of the Stain glass ceiling at Galeries Lafayette.
Risotto at DS Café in Galeries Lafayette.

After lunch we took the elevator and then a few flights of stairs to the rooftop of the Galeries Lafayette. From the top of the building, we had a breathtaking view of the city.

View of Paris from the top of Galeries Lafayette.

For the rest of the afternoon we did a little more exploring of the area around the Galeries Lafayette before heading back to our rooms at FIAP.

For dinner my roommate and I used our Navigo cards to take the bus to the 5th arrondissement (district). There we had dinner at a Greek restaurant called La Crète. The food was amazing! The interior was very cozy and traditionally European. It was an incredible way to close the day!

Waiting for the bus to go to the 5th arrondissement.
Street view of La Crète.
Decor in La Crète.