Picasso mania in Paris

[Deleted]

The gigantic Picasso exhibit in the Grand Palais has been running since October, but since all such things must come to an end, today is the very last day.

However, the lines just kept getting longer and longer, so for the past several days, the Grand Palais has been open 24 hours a day. 11,689 visitors were counted from Saturday night to Sunday morning, for a grand total of 760,000 visitors since the exhibit opened.

The exhibit was called "Picasso and the Masters" and confronted some of Picasso's works with the paintings that inspired him, by Poussin, Van Gogh, Velasquez, Manet and dozens of others.

Picasso meets Van Gogh

This was extremely complicated to put together, because it meant obtaining paintings on loan from many of the great museums of the world, both the Masters and the Picassos.

Well, I confess that I didn't see it myself, so I will just have to regret it along with millions of other people. When you live in a city with so much to offer, it's impossible not to miss most of what is going on anyway.

[bixaorellana]

I read about this exhibit and thought the concept was interesting. However -- and I know this sounds like sour grapes -- I can't imagine it really working except in an almost empty gallery and with unlimited time to contemplate the paintings. That would include the ability to leave when the eyes and brains were satiated, and to return at will.

Still, I probably would have jumped at the chance to see it. The difference between seeing a Picasso canvas on the wall & a reproduction of it is the same as that between eating an exquisite dish and reading the recipe for it.

One of the stellar experiences of my life was in February of 1989 -- walking unawares into a huge empty space in The Museum of Modern Art in New York and being rocked back on my heels by the sight of Les Demoiselles d'Avignon at the far end. The painting circumvents the intellect entirely and viscerally charges the viewer with something far beyond "appreciation". Truly, it was a life-changing moment.

[Deleted]

Isn't the taking of pics in a museum strictly forbidden or did they lighten up on that?

[Deleted]

No flash pictures. Photography has always been allowed without a flash in the museums of Paris. The only place where I have seen a "forbidden" sign is in the Monet lily room in the Orangerie.

[Deleted]

Interesting article about the long-delayed opening of the Picasso Museum.

[Deleted]

On the evening news last night, they gave a preview of the inside of the museum just before the official opening. It is going to be MOBBED.

[htmb]

Really interesting article, Lizzy. I've worked my way through a good bit and plan to finish as well a follow some of the links. Thanks so much for the post.