My Day in Paris and Visit to L’Orangerie by Barbi Dalton

I am an airline hostess. This August, I worked a flight from JFK to CDG, and decided to take off for a fabulous day in Paris. The nice thing about a layover is you can take your time and enjoy the ambience, because you can always return for another day. I first met up with another flight attendant and we decided to make our first stop at the Monoprix, a grocery store we return to time after time to buy our favorite delicacies.  I love purchasing a soap made with honey called Cavailles. I also have found a salt that is in a round container with a painting of the sea. This is called Le Saunier de Camargue. I have also bought wonderful olives with anchovies. Then after our purchases, it was time for art! My fellow co-worker suggested we go to the Musee de L’Orangerie. I was enthralled with this structurally beautiful museum. This is where you can view the Waterlilies by Claude Monet. Painted from 1914-1926 Monet painted these large panels with the intention of them being displayed in the architecture space of the L’Orangerie. The panels are approx. 200 x 800 cm. each totaling 4 panels per room. The panoramic effect is as looking into a deep reflective hole. This magnificent work of art takes your breath away. I especially loved them since I myself have been concentrating on a water series the past 6 yrs. The combination of colors and very loose and abstract brush stroke create a very fluid effect. The colors are a harmonious combination of blue, violets and greens. One of my favorite panel introduced a strong contrast of yellows and reds to reflect the sunset. After marveling in these two rooms I moved on to the exhibit on the lower floor and was astounded at the richness of paintings on display by Renoir, Cezanne, Monet and other artists that I had not studied before, Andre Derain, Chaim Soutine and Maurice Utrillo. Unlike Monet’s Waterlilies, I was able to take photographs of paintings. Here are some of my favorites and notes and information about these paintings that I found interesting.

This first painting is titled “Argentueil” and is by Claude Monet, 1875.

Here Monet lived with his family, Argentueil was famous for it’s sailing regatta’s and Monet had a boat that was his studio!

I’m envious!!

 

 

The second painting, “Claude Renoir” is by Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1906.

This is a painting of his son, Claude playing with his toy figurines.

I love the innocence of this sweet child.

 

The third painting is titled “Bibemus the Red Rock” and is by Paul Cezanne, 1897.

I loved this painting. It reminds me of the boulder I have painted many times from my back yard in Chapel Hill, NC.

If only I could ask Cezanne to be my instructor.

What inspiration,maybe this will inspire me to be bolder with my creek and water scenes.

 

“Dindon at Tomatoes” is by Chaim Sortine, 1925.

 

I was captured by the strong colors and the pleasant abstract balance of this painting.

 

 

“Tourist studying map of Orangerie”  is a photography I took.

I was interested in the contrast of the tourist and the surroundings.

I also loved the repetition of shapes in the highlights of light from windows, also notice the repetition of the pattern in the texture of the walls.

 

After several hours at the museum we strolled the Tuileries Gardens, which are anchored between The Louvre and The Place de la Concorde and enjoyed a beverage and absorbing the ambience of Paris. We continued our walk along the Seine and visited a favorite of mine, Shakespeare and Company.  This is a historical book shop opened in 1951 by George Whitman with rare and new books across from Notre Dame. It was a sanctuary for writers and artists to meet and rest and exchange ideas. We ended the evening with a dinner in the Latin Quarters in the Left Bank. This is a maze of streets with endless French restaurants. Our meal consisted of Escargot, Salmon, and of course Profiteroles drenched in chocolate sauce. On to our hotel for a good nights rest and dreams of the Monet Waterlilies before the next morning flight back to New York.  See Barbi Dalton’s website for many examples of her work.