The day I was captivated by the Musée d'Orsay exhibition: 'In the Greenhouse', 'Young Girls at the Piano', and Rodin's 'The Burghers of Calais'

The day I was captivated by the Musée d'Orsay exhibition: 'In the Greenhouse', 'Young Girls at the Piano', and Rodin's 'The Burghers of Calais'

I went to the Musée d'Orsay exhibition, which is being held at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno until February 15th.
It was a reunion about 10 years after the previous Impressionist collection from the Musée d'Orsay.

Among them, I was captivated by Albert Bartholomé's 'In the Greenhouse' (c. 1881).

The figure of a lady in a polka-dot and striped dress standing gracefully in the greenhouse is depicted with surprising delicacy.
The quiet air, the soft light, the freshness of the plants.
It is a warm work that feels as if the quiet happiness of daily life has been turned directly into a painting.

The woman in this painting is Bartholomé's wife.
However, his wife fell ill after this and passed away seven years later.

Even so, Bartholomé cherished the radiance of that day and kept his wife's dress from that day for the rest of his life along with the painting.
This dress was actually on display, and I was captivated by it.
Looking at the painting, the gaze filled with love and trust that his wife Périe directed toward her husband is conveyed to me as well...
There was a quiet weight that the word 'beautiful' alone cannot capture.
And the husband who cherished the memories of that glorious day as if gently cradling them in his palms.
The love itself between the two seemed to rise from the depths of the painting, and I couldn't move from in front of it for a long time.
And, my favorite, Pierre-Auguste Renoir's 'Young Girls at the Piano'.

There were other works by Renoir, and in every one of them, I feel a radiance, warmth, and happiness as if they are glowing from within.
I think it is a painting that celebrates the brilliance and vitality of the girls' lives.

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The Louvre Museum is a place that is truly the 'origin of art,' housing works from ancient times.
On the other hand, the Centre Pompidou houses mainly modern and contemporary works, carrying the art that continues to the present day.

The Musée d'Orsay, a temple of Impressionism, was born as an entity to connect the two.
It is located on the Left Bank of the Seine, with the Louvre Museum on the opposite Right Bank.
Furthermore, it is a place where you can feel the flow of Parisian art, leading toward the Arc de Triomphe.

It was originally built as a terminal station for the 1900 Paris Exposition, and while it has a structure made of metal and glass, its exterior is an imposing stone construction, and it opened as a museum in 1986, retaining remnants of its time as a station.

The long history that begins at the Louvre shifts to the modern era at the Orsay and connects to the contemporary at the Pompidou.
The city of Paris itself seems to be a path of art history, and I felt once again that Paris is profound.

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And Japonisme, which spread following the 1867 Paris Exposition.
Japanese art attracted great attention in France, and from there, a new aesthetic sense blossomed all at once.

What is interesting is that its influence did not stop at Impressionism.
It penetrated deeply not only into the world of painting but also into the field of decorative arts.

For example, the Art Nouveau glass works represented by Gallé, whom I love, deeply reflect the compositions of ukiyo-e, the use of negative space, and the way of perceiving nature.
Even though it is different from realism, it feels as if nature is alive.
I feel that the spirit of naturalistic Japanese art runs through it.
I learned for the first time that Japonisme also influenced Gallé.
Thinking that Japanese aesthetics are alive in such a form in Paris, far away from Japan, made me feel a sense of wonder and pride.

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Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies' is also an unforgettable presence.

From his 50s, Monet built a pond in his own garden, planted vegetation, and created the world of the painting itself while calculating how the light would enter.
And it is said that he continued to create even in his late 70s.

Even at today's art exhibition, while gazing at the works, I felt as if I had entered the paintings themselves.

I also used the audio guide, so I could enjoy the music along with the paintings, which made it easier to understand.
Mone Kamishiraishi's voice was soft and warm, and it matched the Impressionist paintings very well, so it was pleasant.
In the silence, the time spent gazing at the works while listening to her commentary as if I had entered the water lily pond.
That was not just 'looking at a painting,' but an experience of immersing myself in that world, and it became a time for my heart to be centered.

And I asked Chappy-chan about Rodin's sculpture 'The Burghers of Calais' placed outdoors.

This work was
• All six look exhausted
• Expressions of looking down, suffering, and being lost
• No exaggerated heroism
Because of this,
from the citizens
'These are not heroes, but losers'
'Not suitable as a monument'
it was criticized, and it seems it took seven years to be installed in the square.
In modern times, this work is called a 'revolution in modern sculpture'.

I had no idea it was created based on such historical facts.
I wished there was commentary for the sculptures as well.

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And for breakfast, the usual Elvis toast.
When I added the whipped cream I had frozen, it was even more delicious...
I was a little happy from the morning.

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And for lunch today, I had Turkish food.
The dish using my favorite chickpeas was healthy, and the kebab also had a gentle seasoning and was delicious.

Inside the store, many magic lamps and Turkish mosaic lamps were decorated.
The mosaic lamps are said to be handmade works by craftsmen that combine glass fragments (mosaic glass) and beads, passed down since the Ottoman Empire era, and they were beautiful, and I was captivated by them.

Ameyoko and Okachimachi after a long time were also bustling, and just walking around was fun.
For the first time in about 5 years, I also strolled through '2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN'
- a commercial facility under the elevated tracks located 2km 540m from Tokyo Station -

I thought that this kind of liveliness in the city is really good.
It was a wonderful holiday where my sensibilities were stimulated, my heart was centered, and I learned a lot.

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#ArtExhibition
#MuséedOrsay
#Impressionism
#Monet
#WaterLilies
#Japonisme
#ArtNouveau
#Gallé
#Paris
#TravelMemories
#Ameyoko
#Okachimachi
#TurkishCuisine
#Breakfast