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| Le Kimono Rouge, 1893 |
It may seem sometimes that I do nothing but go to museums when I am in Europe. And I suppose there is some truth to that. I walk around a lot and enjoy the cafés and restaurants, poking into shops and people watching, most of which is not very interesting to write about. But it is also true that when I first return, I am like someone dying of thirst for art.
On Friday, my day of recuperation after the flight, I made a beeline for the Petite Palais where an exhibit of Dutch painters in Paris, 1789-1914 was on the verge of closing. This time the line for those without tickets wasn't too long and I got in to see a very interesting collection of works by Van Gogh, van Dongen, Mondrian, and several others of whom I'd never heard. Among my favorites was this lovely painting of a woman in a red kimono by George Breitner.
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| Zadkine, Head of a Woman |
After a little nap, I met my friend Hollis Palmer, who is spending three months in Paris and having a grand time. We went to the Zadkine, a small museum devoted to a single artist, like the Maillol, and run by the City of Paris in Zadkine's old studio next to his house, 100 bis rue d'Assas on the south side of the Luxembourg Gardens. Ossip Zadkine was a cubist sculptor who emigrated to Paris in 1910. I loved the spaces in the museum and its lovely garden. His sculptures are really interesting. He used wood a lot. I thought this one had particularly lovely lines.
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| Matisse Museum, Nice |
Letting no grass grow under my feet, it was off to the Gare de Lyon on Saturday morning for the train to Nice where I met my friend Laura Walker. Laura found a really nice apartment for us not far from the Old Town and the Place de Masséna, which is the center of the downtown area. On Sunday, with rain threatening, we decided to visit the museums we most wanted to see, starting with the Matisse Museum.
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| Matisse Museum Entrance |
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| Mme. Matisse |
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| Nice |
One is greeted at the ticket counter with the wonderful bright floral design above. There are, of course, lots of examples of his work and some terrific designs for other pieces, often several of the same subject, layering color and complexity as he worked along. One of my favorite drawings was one of Mme Matisse (left) done in about 1905 at the height of the Fauve period with slashes of bright color highlighting a very simple line drawing. Indeed, there were bright slashes of color absolutely everywhere.
The Chagall Museum houses primarily his large Biblical works. I particularly liked this rose window, so simple and elegant. He was a man both deeply religious and deeply educated about religion and the symbolism in these paintings is stunning. The audio guide is particularly helpful in that regard.
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| Russian Cathedral, Nice |
Finally, Laura and I stopped by the Russian Cathedral, supposedly the most beautiful outside Russia. It is indeed a beautiful building in a stunning setting and the interior is full of gold and silver icons (no photos allowed) covered with beads, pearls and jewels. Well worth a visit.
More or less rained out on Monday. Enjoyed the rest!
