passporttoparis2015

We  visited the Musee d’Orsay on Tuesday. The museum was really great, I thought! It was rather quiet for a touristy type place. The museum is located on the left bank of France just off of the Seine River. The building is a former train station, Gare d’Orsay which was built back in the 1900’s. The Gare d’Orsay was formerly a train station and hotel that was built by Victor Laloux, Emile Benard and Lucien Magne. The Gare d’Orsay serviced the Paris-Orleans railway, the first electric rail system at the time. In 1977, The government had this building transformed into a museum. They decided to retain the clock that was built and restore it to its original glory.

The rail system in the late 1800-1900’s was suited for shorter trains that did not carry as many passengers.The Gare d’Orsay was not intended for longer trains as we are accustomed to today.  As time progressed, the trains got longer and longer and there was a need for longer platforms to allow more passengers to enter into the train at once. The Paris-Orleans rail system began to decommission this station due to the short platforms in 1939. Although, the rail company still used this station for shorter suburban journeys in France for a period of time. However, to this day, SNCF still uses some of it’s lower level rails for short travel.

(FUN FACT! Emile Benard contributed/inspired the design and building of the University of California, Berkeley campus!) 

Le Château des Papes, Paul Signac, 1909

Le Château des Papes, Paul Signac, 1909

This piece of art titled “Le Château des Papes” was completed in 1909 by Paul Signac. This piece represents pointillism which is a technique in which the artist uses small brush strokes or dots of paint create an image when you step back from the painting. The idea is that the brain is combining all of the colors on the canvas to bring the photo to life. This type of art is not widely used today. This art technique was created by Paul Signac and George Seurat in the late 1800’s when they were looking for a way to branch away from the impressionism phase.

Pointillism was intended to harshly critic the technique and artists to imply they were not good enough. It is now used more endearingly. This technique began what is now known as the neo-impressionism movement by George Seurat. The word “neo-impressionism” was first used by an art critic Felix Feneon, to describe a painting by Seurat, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”

André Allar, Child Abruzzo, 1873

This was my favorite piece in the Musee d’Orsay! It is a piece by French Sculptor. In 1869, he won the Prix de Rome competition. The Prix de Rome was an art scholarship intended for paint and sculpting students. The competition began in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV which gave students the opportunity to live and practice art in Rome for three to five years at the expense of the competition.

Portrait of the Artist, Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

Self-Portrait of Vincent Van Gogh that was created in 1889. Van Gogh has created in excess of 40 self-portraits. Van Gogh had a series of self-portraits that characterized the state of mind he was in. Van Gogh was a dutch post-impressionist painter. Van Gogh was an upper-middle-class child and work for a variety of art dealers. Van Gogh struggled with mental illness and much of his self-portraits walk us through what his life was like. Van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Van Gogh painted more than 2000 paintings in his lifetime changing the art world for the better.

We visited the St. Denis Chapel and viewed many pieces of art and architecture. St. Denis is the first gothic chapel in Paris. The Gothic era lasted from 1100-1500 and had some key differences than the Romanesque period such as Religion, Economics, and most importantly the Architecture. The church is named after St. Denis whom allegedly was beheaded and then picked up his detached head and began to preach his last sermon. As a result, St. Denis will always be shown holding his own head as a reminder of the last sermon. The building was designed under the eye of Abbot Suger.

I appreciated the St. Denis visit because it was off a beaten path and there were no more than 20 people there aside from our group visiting the cathedral. It is important to me to have the ability to ask questions to Professor Burke and have them answered without being pushed around. The most important aspect was having the time to just look at something and spend more than 2 minutes looking at the piece to understand or study it.

Some pictures! (iPhone Photos always stink!)

St. Denis Baslique Organ, François Debret (1777-1850)

This organ is situated inside of the St. Denis Basilique. Although it is not the original organ based on what I was able to find, This organ was designed by François Debret in 1836 after Napolean reconstructed the church in 1806. As of March 1837, the organ has five keyboards and 1,394 pipes. The organ has been restored and renovated several times throughout history to improve the sound, mechanics and ability to play. At one point in time, the organ did not function for a period of three years and was repaired by Charles Baker. The organ Pierre Pincemaille is the current organist since 1987.

Rose Window, West Facade, St. Denis Basilique

The Rose Window on the west facade of the St. Denis Basilique was my absolute favorite. The Rose Window plays an important part in St. Denis and gothic cathedrals alike as it allows in light. The window casts in a beautiful color on the cathedral almost like the light of heaven. The Rose Window is used as a method to tell a biblical narrative and are found at the end of the nave or transepts. Historically, they were much smaller but got larger over time.

Lion, St. Denis, France

A lion at the foot of a statue. Historically, animals were used to describe a person or charatercistics of the person. There were many different types of animals that were used such as lions, dogs, and dragons. The dogs were often used on females and children to describe loyalty and fidelty. The lion would be like “King of the Jungle” showing a symbol of power and strength, often found at the feet of kings. The dragon was naturally associated with evil and fear.

This is the entrance of St. Denis Chapel. This is what you would call a Ribbed Vault. A set (two-three) of intersecting barrel vaults create a Ribbed Vault. The ribbed vaults serve an important purpose, they allow for the ceilings and windows to go higher up. Giving the feeling of being closer to whomever they believe their higher power is.  Ribbed Vaults during the Gothic Era the supports were made of stone and allowed the wooden ceiling to be held up. Ribbed Vaults also distribute the weight over the pillars. Ribbed Vaults are exclusive to gothic architecture.

Louis XVII preserved heart, St. Denis Basilique

This is Louis XVII preserved heart. Louis is the second son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The heart was preserved by placing it in a vase of alcohol and then dried out. It has been rumored that the heart of Louis XVII was removed by chief surgeon Philippe-Jean Pelletan after his death. It has been at the St. Denis Basilique since 1975. In 2004 during a funeral mass it was placed under the portrait at the Basilique where it has remained since then.

Sources
Organ Information
Ribbed Vault – Professor Burke
Louis XVII Heart
Animals History

“Alexander in Babylon.” Alexander in Babylon. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 July 2015.

This piece was created by Charles Le Brun in 1665. Charles Le Brun was titled “the greatest French artist of all time” by Louis XIV. This piece depicts a time during the reign of Alexander the Great when he was entering Babylon on a chariot being pulled by elephants. The painting also gives an image of his noblemen which portrays their loyalty to their King. The painting shows the extravagance of the time period as his carriage is plated in gold and has a gold drinking well being carried by servants. My impression of this painting is that it’s overwhelmingly and visually busy. I am not an art critic nor am I able to look at something long enough to receive a “message” out of it, so my opinion becomes limited. However, Alexander the Great is one of my favorite kings in history, but this painting doesn’t completely represent who Alexander was or his set of mind during the entering of Babylon in; I believe 334 BC. Alexander was a noble, loyal and patient man who cared more for his men than anything else, this painting makes him seem as if he is “high and mighty” and not the humble, gentle man he actually was.

Pomarede, Vincent. “Œuvre Louis XIV (1638-1715).” Louis XIV (1638-1715). N.p., n.d. Web. 05 July 2015.

This painting of Louis XIV, the “Sun King” from what I believe was 1644-1715 captures the essence of Louis and what I interpret he represents. This piece was ordered by Louis for his son to cherish his father.  Louis is pictured here in what look to be an over the top coronation robe, covered in blue and gold print This photo was painted in 1701 by Hyacinthe Rigaud, a famous French classical artist from the 1700’s, Louis XIV is wearing red heels, a robe, and holds an extravagant cane. This photo gives me an impression of a man that is just entirely too wealthy and underspent. Louis was known for extravagance as he turned his palace into a gold plated mansion and this photo portrays that. Louis XIV is posing so eloquently and seems to be in control.

Source

This is arguably the most recognized painting in history. Painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 1500’s. This painting caused a lot of controversy due to how realistic the painting is and during a time when realism was still a far-fetched idea.   The painting is being portrayed at the Louvre Museum behind bulletproof glass to prevent any form of vandalism. The Mona Lisa maintains a mysterious story as it has not been determined who the real-life Mona Lisa is. There are speculations of it being several people but the mystery remains. The Mona Lisa gives me an impression of modesty, simplicity and nature in one photo. The Mona Lisa is smiling but doesn’t maintain a full smile. At the same time, she is wearing relatively modest clothing which confirms the time period which this was painted. I am impressed and in awe of what the Mona Lisa is and who she is.

Typhani