I think that this is the last of the posts from Paris. At the top of Montmartre, is Sacré-Couer -- a beautiful church. I might almost say that I think it's better than Notre Dame...but don't tell anyone that I said that! Take a peek and judge for yourself: It was beautiful and filled with art and artistic touches. When we emerged from the church, there were two young men singing that soldier song from the Bizet opera, Carmen. It was pretty magical. If you're interested: Catholic Art Mosaic Art Top 10 Facts about the Sacré-Cœur, Paris Thanks for stopping... Read more →

Here is part two of my Picasso Museum visit. Not everything you will see is inspired by Guernica, some of it is the beautiful architecture of the building (and a few photos of Picasso's work that seem to have been carried over from yesterday's post by accident as well as some more Picasso originals). Enjoy! So, two things to point out: (1) I did buy an eye mirror and drag it back home from Paris (of course) and (2) that wooden bench comes completely apart into those few parts you see stuck to the wall. It's very cool design! I... Read more →

One of the museums that I was the most psyched to visit in Paris was the Picasso Museum! When we got there, they mentioned that two of the floors were closed at the moment, but I didn't care. I was giddy with happy excitement to be there at all! The exhibit I'm sharing with you today is work Picasso created in preparation for one of his masterworks: Guernica. In case you don't know anything about Guernica, this is from PabloPicasso.org: Probably Picasso's most famous work, Guernica is certainly the his most powerful political statement, painted as an immediate reaction to... Read more →

They say the best way to explore a city is on foot. So, let's hoof it around Paris and see all the beautiful architecture and gardens and street life! (And admittedly, some of these photos were taken from the top of a tour bus or our hotel room balcony, but it's more romantic to pretend they're all from walking around the city!) Paris is a gorgeous city with a river -- the Seine -- running through it. One of the reasons that Boston -- the city where I live -- is called "a European-esque city" is because of the river... Read more →

The Rodin Museum in Paris is dedicated to the famed sculptor (and one of my personal faves): Auguste Rodin. In the museum (a "hotel" he shared with other artists as a home and workshop space) you can see his sculpture, practice bits and pieces, and his personal collection of art by other artists (including Monet, who stayed there for some time). The building is beautiful. The grounds are filled with his sculpture and the outdoor setting is magical. Rodin's most famous works are The Thinker, The Kiss, and The Gates of Hell -- all on view at The Rodin Museum.... Read more →

Let's head back to the Musee d'Orsay. There's so much more art to see! Funny story about this Winslow Homer painting (below). You may recall that I went to an hour-long lecture all about this painting back in March 2017. At the time, I remember thinking: It's so lucky that I'm seeing it here while it's on loan because I'll probably never see it in Paris, where it lives. Well...I got to see it in Paris! Can we talk about Manet? Manet is not Monet (of the water lillies). Manet is a master of portraits and the d'Orsay has a... Read more →

The Musee d'Orsay was not on my "must visit" list, but it may have been my favorite of the museums we visited in Paris. I have seen lots and lots of Cézanne landscapes and still lifes, but I have not seen a lot of his portraiture and I loooove it! See if you agree: And, of course, his landscapes and still lifes (and yes, I looked it up: the plural of "still life" is still lifes not still lives). I have always looooved Gaugin. Not as a human being, because there are some issues there. But, as a painter. Swoon.... Read more →

Are you ready for some artwork?! Today I have more photos from The Louvre -- starting with a pastel exhibit that I really enjoyed, moving through some religious art, checking out the Mona Lisa madness, and then portraits, pottery, more portraits, some Impressionist work, and a framing exhibit. I love framing. It's fascinating! Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy! So how many monkeys did you see? There are a surprising number of them in paintings. I became so curious about monkeys as pets after this visit, that I did a little googling. I thought this article was interesting. I... Read more →

Theoretically there are five great art museums in the world: The Met, The Hermitage, MoMA, El Prado, and The Louvre. I don't know who made the list or what the standards were, but I have long remembered the list after hearing it some time ago. I have been lucky enough to wander The Louvre several times in my life. Each and every time it's an overwhelming experience. I find myself as in awe of the building itself as I am of the art on the walls. Today's post is therefore 90% about the architecture. Check it out: Tomorrow I promise... Read more →

Paris is a city filled with street art. You can even go on street art tours! Next trip (if there ever is one) I'd love to do that! Nevertheless, I found plenty of art everywhere I looked. Take a peek (PS: I snuck a random photo or two of a fabulous statue into this post, just because I wanted to share it and it didn't fit into any other post. And there's one photo that you have to really look at to find the street art!): You can see that I found the colored circles and the faces and the... Read more →