|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 8, 2019 14:05:58 GMT
Before I show you anything, it helps to know a bit about Roubaix, which is a well known city to the French and almost certainly the Belgians. Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing have all fused into one metropolitan area of 1.1 million people with the official name of the European Metropole of Lille. It has in fact spread across the border, too (84 km of city border with Belgium) into an additional entity known as the Eurometropole of Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai (pop. 2 million), and the entire greater metropolitan area has a population of 3.8 million. That all sounds quite impressive, but Roubaix is the poorest city in France with 46% of the population living below the poverty line.
In the 1950's, it was one of the richest regions of France and the heart of the textile, mining and steel industries. Naturally, one of the reasons that they were rich was because they were so good at exploiting the poor (read Zola's Germinal for more about that or you can even just watch the movie). But starting in the 70's and continuing to the end of the century, all three industries collapsed in France and all of the factories and mines in the region of Lille closed. It is the French version of the American Rust Belt.
Lille and Roubaix just refuse to give up. Not so sure about Tourcoing. One thing about France -- culture and education are considered to be the solution to everything, much more so than such things as hard work, religion or social activities. The French figure that with enough culture and education, all of the rest will sort itself out.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. In the mid-19th century, Roubaix created a textile museum since that was the main interest of the city, but they also collected art objects, mostly taken from the church as well as receiving some donations for the wealthy residents of the city. It was already declared a national museum when it was inaugurated in 1889. But at the beginning of the 20th century, it was basically a one man operation and when he (Victor Champier) died in 1929, nobody took care of the place. It closed in 1940 for the war and never reopened. In 1959, the government took away its "national" status and the collections were dispersed. There was also a small municipal museum in Roubaix, but it closed in turn in 1981.
Okay, that's more than enough depressing history, but things turned around on the cultural front in the 1990's when the city became determined to have a museum again. There was a spectacular old municipal bathhouse & swimming pool dating from 1932 and which had closed in 1985. Oh those quirky French who love to recycle buildings -- perfect place for a museum. And so La Piscine opened in 2001. I had not been there since that year, so I was long overdue to go back and see it again.
First I had to take a long long metro ride. The Lille metro actually goes all the way to the Belgian border. It was the first 100% automated (driverless) subway system in France.
i.postimg.cc/P5qRRNYX/Eldorado_2_002.jpg
And then I was in Roubaix. As you can see, just about everything is closed downtown in spite of the excellent architecture.
i.postimg.cc/pdwcrZ7r/Eldorado_2_003.jpg
I didn't have a map and had decided to rely on any signage that I might find. This turned out to be extremely simple.
i.postimg.cc/tCkckF1v/Eldorado_2_004.jpg
There was a little "Eldorado" creature to help me find it. No, it is not that building -- that's the national school of the textile industry.
i.postimg.cc/yd0QZR4P/Eldorado_2_005.jpg
La Piscine was on the other side of the street.
i.postimg.cc/cJg5djFP/Eldorado_2_006.jpg
i.postimg.cc/vZSNFMtW/Eldorado_2_007.jpg |
|
|
|
Post by bjd on May 8, 2019 14:52:59 GMT
It's so depressing to see those wonderful buildings with shuttered shops below. But I am glad the French recycle buildings and give them new life, whether as museums or apartment buildings or whatever.
Looking forward to more.
|
|
|
|
Post by mossie on May 8, 2019 15:38:36 GMT
What is the circular brick tower beside the walkway in the last shot?
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 8, 2019 16:32:57 GMT
I made a casual (rather than exhaustive) search on the web and could not find any reference to it. And I also still have my map of the museum from the other day, and it does not appear, so I guess they didn't find it significant.
But I will find out some day.
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 8, 2019 16:47:28 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by whatagain on May 8, 2019 19:55:58 GMT
It was at the center of a crime TV movie. In the series ´meutres a ´ Lille. With Elsa.
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 8, 2019 20:33:28 GMT
I'll have to hunt up that episode. The "Meurtres à..." series has always been excellent for showcasing each region. Anyway, before penetrating into the depths of the museum, I sent to see the temporary exhibition, which was devoted to Algeria. |
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 8, 2019 21:17:04 GMT
Wonderful stuff!
I love the laborers statues. They depict labor so much more eloquently than all those heroic statues ever could.
The Guillaumet pictures are fascinating. There is a whole genre of "Orientalism" in art from his period that is soft-focus, mildly erotic, and I suppose awfully inaccurate. Guillaumet's achievement is worlds above that.
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 9, 2019 19:11:34 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 10, 2019 16:14:02 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 11, 2019 6:02:44 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 11, 2019 7:34:01 GMT
Oh ~ the piscine is full of eau! Somehow I didn't expect that. Is it hyper-critical to point out there is disaster in the making in that combination of art lovers and water just one back step away? The story of Mamadou Ndiaye is fascinating, as is the story of nearly lost stained glass homage. I wouldn't have minded the display of small objects at all if they'd had small affordable price tags on them.  That's a great juxtaposition you made of the grindingly horrible factory conditions with the smarmily clueless admonition for those same happy, healthy workers to save their every spare sou. The studio display is wonderful. |
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 11, 2019 11:13:51 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 11, 2019 21:53:28 GMT
This keeps getting even better! The ornamentation of the original swimming pool is exquisite and I love that they chose to put that elegant wooden floor alongside the abbreviated pool.
Some interesting art throughout. I'm fascinated by that multi-colored bust. I've seen a couple of others with different colored marble(?) technique and always marvel at it. About the women with the deer, though -- dunno. i do like the one just below it a great deal, and also the courtyard.
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 12, 2019 4:50:33 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on May 12, 2019 7:16:18 GMT
Really impressive seeing the whole place laid out like that.
Interesting that a sculptural piece was one chosen for the contemporary collection, as it fits in nicely with the more venerable works.
Kerouac, what are the acoustics like? Were they able to do away with the loud, echoing aspect of a swimming pool building?
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 12, 2019 19:52:54 GMT
Frankly, provincial museums are often disappointing, but this one is at the upper end of the scale. It is not at all "overwhelming" if one is looking for familiar artists and famous paintings, but it is more than satisfying for those who want to discover unknown artwork and inventive presentations. I did not do this museum justice during the couple of hours that I was there, since I was in a hurry to get back to the parade in Lille, but the next time that I return, I fully intend to stay there as long as necessary.
i.postimg.cc/g0w0MD4Y/Eldorado_2_118.jpg
There was an amusing display of the items that bathers wore at the pool in olden times.
i.postimg.cc/s2tgbh05/Eldorado_2_119.jpg
i.postimg.cc/kGyMVhMy/Eldorado_2_120.jpg
I continued to appreciate some of the expressions on the portraits.
i.postimg.cc/Dww0GFX4/Eldorado_2_121.jpg
i.postimg.cc/137tcTGC/Eldorado_2_122.jpg
I really like it when portraitists (and their subjects) accept for the result to be dowdy.
i.postimg.cc/1593xPM7/Eldorado_2_123.jpg
looking back down to the basin again -- impossible not to
i.postimg.cc/tC2CpfMq/Eldorado_2_124.jpg
always something to see peering through the changing cubicles to the other side
i.postimg.cc/LXL8S8rw/Eldorado_2_125.jpg
i.postimg.cc/YCPrmF7T/Eldorado_2_126.jpg
There was also a display of elegant gowns. Not really my thing, so here is just one of them.
i.postimg.cc/8kdznsdr/Eldorado_2_127.jpg
i.postimg.cc/mgkZDwvQ/Eldorado_2_128.jpg
Back in the textile section, these were fabrics for neckties.
i.postimg.cc/HnYWZswf/Eldorado_2_129.jpg
and yes, looking back down at the basin again
i.postimg.cc/65Q5Cq5Z/Eldorado_2_130.jpg
fabrics for ribbons, it said
i.postimg.cc/dtSQ6FLx/Eldorado_2_131.jpg
Roubaix textile magnate
i.postimg.cc/MTbKmjQ7/Eldorado_2_132.jpg
|
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on May 12, 2019 20:06:30 GMT
|
|
