Musee D'Orsay and maybe Notre Dame
June 26 in France ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
Skipping the city tour and heading to Musée D'Orsay for 11:00 am entrance. A few pics of the breakfast goodies we get to choose from each morning.
Musee D'Orsay
June 26 in France ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F
Took the "C" train from Port Javal De Bas to the museum. Tried to tap our card FAIL. It just so happened that Kate came stepping through the turnstile as we were fumbling around and loaned us her twoRead more
Traveler
This photo shows the bronze rhinoceros sculpture outside the Musée d’Orsay in Paris — one of four monumental animal statues that greet visitors at the museum’s main entrance along the Rue de Lille. ⸻ 🦏 About the Sculpture • Title: Rhinocéros • Artist: Henri-Alfred Jacquemart (1824–1896) • Date: Cast in 1878 for the Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) • Material: Bronze • Style: Highly naturalistic with a hint of theatricality, typical of 19th-century zoological sculpture • Subject: An Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), known for its distinctive armor-like skin folds ⸻ 🏛️ Musée d’Orsay Context • Originally a Beaux-Arts train station (Gare d’Orsay) built for the 1900 World’s Fair • Now a museum housing French art from 1848–1914, including masterpieces by Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and more • The animal sculptures out front are a tribute to natural history and academic sculpture, symbolizing France’s fascination with exotic animals during its colonial era ⸻ 🐘 Other Animals Nearby: The rhino is part of a quartet of bronze animal statues: • A horse • An elephant • A bison • And this rhinoceros They were originally part of cast-iron garden sculpture programs for Tuileries or the Paris zoo but now serve as striking outdoor pieces that set the tone for the museum’s fusion of industry, art, and imagination.
Traveler
This painting is “Blue Dancers” (Danseuses bleues) by Edgar Degas, one of the iconic masterpieces housed at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. ⸻ 🎨 About the Painting: • Artist: Edgar Degas (1834–1917) • Title: Danseuses bleues (Blue Dancers) • Date: ca. 1897 • Medium: Pastel on paper mounted on canvas • Style: Impressionism, with Degas’ distinctive use of pastel layering and cropping • Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris ⸻ 🩰 What Makes It Special: • Degas was fascinated by ballet dancers, capturing them not just in performance but also in rehearsal, rest, and preparation. This work emphasizes movement, color, and composition over realistic detail. • The dancers’ blue tutus dominate the canvas, swirling in circular formation, while the background blurs into impressionistic dabs of color—suggesting foliage or backstage lighting. • Degas’ cropping of figures reflects the influence of Japanese prints (ukiyo-e) and modern photography, adding to the painting’s sense of spontaneity and immediacy. ⸻ 🖼️ Fun Fact: Degas created dozens of works featuring dancers—paintings, pastels, sketches, and sculptures—making ballet a central theme of his artistic life. This piece is especially beloved for its harmony of color and movement.
Traveler
This is “Houses of Parliament, Sunset” (Le Parlement, effet de soleil couchant) by Claude Monet, part of his celebrated London series — and this particular version is housed in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. ⸻ 🎨 Artwork Details: • Artist: Claude Monet (1840–1926) • Title: Houses of Parliament, Sunset • Date: 1904 • Medium: Oil on canvas • Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris ⸻ 🌆 Background & Context: Monet painted nearly 100 views of London between 1899 and 1905, primarily from his hotel room at the Savoy Hotel, where he looked across the Thames at the Houses of Parliament, Charing Cross Bridge, and Waterloo Bridge. This painting captures the sun setting through London fog, transforming the sky and river into a glowing haze of oranges, purples, and blues. The Gothic silhouette of the Parliament building looms mysteriously through the mist. ⸻ ✨ Key Artistic Features: • Impressionist technique: Short, thick brushstrokes of complementary colors to create atmosphere rather than sharp detail. • Color & light: Monet was fascinated by how light changed at different times of day, especially in foggy or smoggy London. • Repeated subject: Like his Rouen Cathedral and haystacks, Monet painted the same view repeatedly under varying light and weather conditions to explore perception and time. ⸻ 🖼️ Fun Fact: Monet didn’t finish these paintings in London — he took them back to Giverny to complete them in his studio, working from memory and sketches.
Notre Dame
June 26 in France ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
Line looked very long when we got there but moved really really fast. We were probably inside within 10 minutes From remembering what the previous building looked like until now is remarkable.
Traveler
This stunning photo shows the newly renovated apse area of Notre-Dame de Paris, specifically the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament (Chapelle du Saint-Sacrement). Key Elements in the Image: ✨ The Golden Circular Structure • This is the new tabernacle, designed as a golden radiating disk with a central cross. It holds the Blessed Sacrament, which Catholics believe to be the real presence of Christ. • Installed as part of the 2024–2025 interior restoration effort, it brings a contemporary sacred art piece into harmony with the Gothic architecture. Its geometry and luminous quality echo medieval devotion while standing as a symbol of renewal after the fire. 🪟 Stained Glass Windows • The windows behind the altar are among the most brilliant in Notre-Dame. These are 19th-century reconstructions by Viollet-le-Duc, following the cathedral’s Gothic style but using richly saturated blues and reds. • The rose windows above the lancets depict saints and biblical scenes in intricate detail. 🕯️ The Monument on the Left • The statue on the left is the tomb of Archbishop Georges Darboy, who was killed in 1871 during the Paris Commune. The sculpture shows him in a prayerful, reflective pose and has long been a feature of this chapel. 💙 Starry Ceiling • The deep blue vaulted ceilings with gold stars reflect a medieval design known as celestial vaulting, evoking the heavens. This has been brilliantly restored and cleaned in the recent renovations, returning it to its intended brilliance. ⸻ Would you like more detail about the artist behind the new tabernacle or how Notre-Dame’s side chapels were curated after the fire?
Traveler
This photo is from Notre-Dame de Paris, specifically one of the side chapels inside the cathedral, recently reopened after years of restoration following the 2019 fire. Notable Features in Your Image: • 🪟 Stained Glass Windows: The brilliant blue and red tones are typical of Notre-Dame’s 19th-century restorations by Viollet-le-Duc. The rosette-like patterns in the lancet windows are consistent with his Gothic Revival style. • 🎨 Wall Paintings: The fresco-like mural above the tomb appears to be part of the restored Chapel of Saint Ferdinand, one of the side chapels in the cathedral’s apse. The vibrant storytelling style is a key feature of the renovation, aiming to restore 19th-century polychrome beauty that had darkened over time. • 🪦 Tomb Sculpture: This particular white marble sculpture is of Denis-Auguste Affre, the Archbishop of Paris, who was killed during the 1848 June Days Uprising while trying to mediate peace. His tomb lies in this chapel, and the sculpture shows him in a pose of contemplation or sorrow. ⸻ A Bit of Context: After the fire in 2019, Notre-Dame underwent an intensive restoration, not just to rebuild the spire and roof, but also to clean and restore the interior murals, stained glass, and side chapels—many of which hadn’t been touched for nearly 200 years.
Traveler
This vibrant and detailed image shows part of the Gothic polychrome reliefs from the choir enclosure (chancel screen) inside Notre-Dame de Paris. These reliefs date back to the 14th century and were beautifully restored during the cathedral’s recent renovation. ⸻ 🔎 What You’re Looking At: This specific scene represents two significant New Testament events depicted side by side: ⸻ 🦶 Jesus Washing the Feet of the Disciples (John 13:1–17) • Jesus, kneeling, washes Peter’s feet (left side of the panel). • Peter is shown hesitant, reflecting the biblical moment when he initially refuses. • This act symbolizes humility and servanthood — a key teaching before the Last Supper. ⸻ The Sleeping Disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–46) • On the right side, we see the apostles sleeping, heads bowed, clustered together under stylized trees. • This is the moment when Jesus, in agony, prays before his arrest, while his closest followers fall asleep despite his request for them to stay awake. ⸻ About the Style: • The gold patterned background, colorful robes, and naturalistic expressions are hallmarks of Gothic religious sculpture. • These reliefs were painted in rich colors during the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc’s team and were carefully preserved and restored for the 2024 reopening
Last Dinner
June 26 in France ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
Great last dinner as usual. Will miss our new friends and our two servers, both of whom were from Bulgaria. He has been doing this for 17 yrs. 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off
The Louvre
June 27 in France ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F
500.000 works of art here would take about 5 months to see it all. Total madhouse here to get in
Traveler
This painting is “Madonna della Vittoria” (Madonna of Victory) by Andrea Mantegna, an Italian Renaissance painter. It’s housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, as indicated in your screenshot. About the Painting: • Artist: Andrea Mantegna • Title: Madonna della Vittoria • Date: 1496 • Medium: Tempera on canvas • Commissioned by: Francesco II Gonzaga • Context: Celebrates the Gonzaga victory at the Battle of Fornovo (1495). The Virgin and Child are enthroned, surrounded by saints and possibly Francesco II himself kneeling in armor. The highly detailed architectural elements, intricate garments, and classical references are all hallmarks of Mantegna’s meticulous style. The wreath of foliage and fruit above the figures is another signature Mantegna flourish, blending Christian iconography with classical motifs.
Traveler
This marble bust is a Roman copy of a Greek statue of the poet Homer, known as the “Head of Homer” (Tête d’Homère). It is housed in the Louvre Museum and is one of the most iconic representations of the legendary ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally considered the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Key Details (based on the label and standard Louvre collection info): • Title: Tête d’Homère (Head of Homer) • Period: Roman copy of a Greek original from the Hellenistic period • Date: Likely 2nd century AD (copy of a 2nd century BCE Greek original) • Material: Marble • Location: Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Louvre Features: • The bust depicts Homer as an older, blind man with deep-set eyes, curly hair, and a full beard. • He wears a fillet (headband), a common symbol of poets or honored men in antiquity. • This style of portrait became standardized in Hellenistic times, likely created by sculptors who wanted to give visual identity to the otherwise legendary figure.
Traveler
This statue is indeed the “Diana of Versailles” (Diane de Versailles), a famous Roman marble copy of a lost Greek bronze original, likely created in the 4th century BCE by Leochares, a noted sculptor of the Classical period. Key Facts: • Name: Diana of Versailles • Depicts: Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, known as Diana in Roman mythology • Period: Roman Imperial era, 1st–2nd century CE • Original Artist (Greek): Attributed to Leochares, ca. 325 BCE • Medium: Marble • Current Location: Louvre Museum, Paris (Salle des Caryatides) Description: Diana is shown in a dynamic pose, striding forward as she reaches over her shoulder, possibly for an arrow (the right arm was restored holding a bow). At her side is a small stag, reinforcing her identity as the goddess of the hunt and protector of wild animals. The statue was discovered in Italy and placed at the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV—hence the name “Diana of Versailles.” It was transferred to the Louvre during the French Revolution.
Dinner
June 27 in France ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F
https://yelp.to/I2p9stvial. Stopped in here for a bite of dinner before crashing for the night.
At the Walk In Clinic
June 28 in France ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F
Thought we might actually escape Paris without a bug catching us. Janet has what sounds like really bad bronchitis. She got that about 4 days ago. Yesterday I started to drag as well. So we hailed anRead more
Rive Gauche Marriott
June 29 in France ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Well after sitting in the walk in clinic for 2 hours and seeing practically nobody called back, I pulled out the Google translate app and after a few conversations realized we might be there another 3Read more
La Manufacture - AirBnB
June 29 in France ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Spending the night in this tiny little room ( but perfectly suitable). $100 in the middle of Paris in the summer - I'd say that was decent.
La Manufacture (Restaurant)
June 29 in France ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
So we walked a block from the hotel and found a restaurant by the same name. How crazy is that? Sitting outside with a nice breeze. Ordered some fish and chips (sea bream).
Ride to the airport
June 30 in France ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
Uber was supposed to pick us up at 6:20 and we had a driver, then suddenly he cancelled and we got a new one assigned and then he cancelled and finally a woman picked us up at 6:45. Think we shouldRead more
On board and on time -Shock
June 30 in France ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
Typical convoluted nightmare st airport but we made it through in time to grab an egg McMuffin and run onto the plane
