Musée d'Orsay 2021

[kerouac2]

Three years after Bixa's excellent report, I finally got back to the Musée d'Orsay which I had not visited in about eight years.  Back in those days, photography was not permitted, which was strange because it was allowed in other museums like the Louvre.  But they finally gave in, probably when they realised that there was no uee trying to fight smartphones.  So I was happy to be able to use my camera.  Obviously, I took pictures of some of the same things as Bixa but actually not as many as I expected.  (Bixa's report ----> Wild Souls at the Musée d'Orsay )

I was also interested in seeing a major museum in the time of covid.  Tourists, even from North America, have begun to find their way to Paris again, but not yet in huge numbers.  And there is nobody from Asia or Australia -- no Indians, no Japanese, no Chinese, no Koreans, no Singaporeans...  That makes a huge difference.  The number of visitors is limited, so it is obligatory to reserve tickets online for a specific entry time.  I know that just about everybody has internet access now of they are planning a trip to the Orsay, but I wonder how people with no computer or smartphone are expected to get in.  I suppose there must be a telephone number to call, but it really seems unfair.

Anyway, this was a spur of the moment decision, but I found that at 7:30 a.m. I was able to reserve a ticket for opening time at 9:30.  Some of the time slots for the day were already sold out, but not many.  I printed my ticket (since I never trust my telephone to work) and I was ready to go.

The queue was to get your vaccination pass verified.  Once you had been checked, there was no waiting at all to go in.

People flowed in at first but once they had dispersed, the place seemed nearly empty.

These museums have so much stuff (while displaying no more than 20% of it) that I am amused when there is a crowded portrait wall.  This is often caused by donations that were made with specific instructions that the painting must be displayed.

[kerouac2]

If you have a beautiful château or manor, where to you hang your big painting of death? The dining room? Your bedroom?





I just visit most of the paintings like a bee in a garden and don't really care who painted what.







I loved having the Orsay to myself.

[kerouac2]

The cross section model of the Palais Garnier has been moved to a temporary location during some construction work.





I don't think I could sleep in a room with this painting on the wall.



one happy family



I had completely forgotten that Whistler's mother had an artwork of her own on the wall at home.







Now that facial hair is popular again, here is a style to try.

[kerouac2]

still basking in relative solitude





Absolutely nobody but me was interested in the furniture on the middle floors. The lonely guard in each room would quickly slip his/her mask into place when I appeared.









Like moths to a flame, we are all attracted to the back side of the clock.





a brief peek outside. Unfortunately the outdoor terrace was closed.

[kerouac2]

Obviously, I found most of the other visitors on the top floor -- the impressionist and post impressionist section. Some people visit only that.



It is always really nice to see again some of the most famous paintings in the world.







So many of us would love to spend a Sunday afternoon at a guinguette along the Marne. Maybe even more so in the 19th century.



I had to get used to "crowds" again.

[kerouac2]

Even when you get very close to an impressionist painting, it is absolutely amazing what you can do with just a few touches of the paintbrush.

















In my opinion, this is one of the most stunning impressionist paintings ever.

[lagatta]

Death goes in the kitchen, unless you have something like a home workshop.

[kerouac2]

I have no idea if the restaurant is filling up this season, but it was too early for any customers when I passed by. (In Bixa's report, it is full.)





back to the art









Van Gogh's starry sky, no matter which version, is always stunning.



If only he had known what we think of him now.



better to just go to bed






President Macron was in the Marquesas this week (first president to ever visit). I wonder if he went to see Gauguin's grave (and also Jacques Brel -- he wasn't French but it is the same tiny cemetery).

[htmb]

A good time for an Orsay visit. Smart choice!

[kerouac2]

a few items from the Chat Noir cabaret



Then it was time for me to wend my way down to random items on the lower floors again.









Photographers are often criticised for taking morbid snapshots. How long does it take to make a painting of a dying child?





19th century train starions had such lovely architecture.

[kerouac2]

I thought this was "Jesus at the nudist camp" but the title said it was Plato's school.

Having never actually chiseled marble to make a statue, I sometimes absolutely cannot imagine how certain details are achieved without screwing them up.

An Italian colleague of mine trained to become an official tour guide in Paris. Just before leaving the company and after having passed his exam, he proposed a Musée d'Orsay tour to a few of us on the theme "cows in 19th century art." It was fascinating. This is one of the cows he showed us.

Anyway, that was the end of this visit. There were a few sections closed for renovation -- and also the escalators! It was an ordeal to climb to the top. But I'll be back one of these days.

[mich64]

This would be a dream day for me! I love this museum and to be able to stroll around without the crowds would be very enjoyable. Incredible to see the restaurant not packed with people. Thank you for all the photos of the sculptures and paintings, it was nice to see some of them again. Beautiful thread.

[lugg]

Fabulous - brought back some happy memories of my visit there -particularly the photos of " that clock" The last photo is fantastic but that's not to detract from all your others which have reminded me of my visit. Isn't it great that we can now visit and enjoy again what we had previously taken for granted ?

[bixaorellana]

Fighting down my jealousy over your getting to see this wonderful museum in near-ideal conditions! Comparing your pictures with mine in the areas we both visited, yours really show so much more of the art straight on -- no trying to get a quick shot between shoulders and over heads.

There are so many excellent pictures of different pieces of art in this thread and I marvel at the trueness of colors you captured in the painting photos.

This kind of report makes me long to go back to see things I missed the first time or to just linger and truly take in certain wonderful works.

[kerouac2]

Thanks for all of the comments.

One of the biggest challenges when taking photos is that (as you can see) a lot of the paintings have glass over them. So trying to position yourself to not get any reflections or at least as little as possible can be difficult. I had it easy since there were no real crowds around the paintings and I could keep repositioning myself, but that isn't an option when the museum is really full. As for the trueness of colours, since the Orsay uses as much natural light as possible, I'm sure that the colours change all through the day. I probably had the advantage of the soft light of a rainy morning, the kind of light that our cameras would have hated 20 years ago.

Whenever I am disappointed by my museum photos (quite often, of course), I just tell myself that we are supposed to be looking at the art and appreciating it, not taking pictures.

[bjd]

Your last post explains why cameras were not allowed for years in that (and most) museums. Flashes for one thing, but also that museums sell postcards of their paintings. In fact, since the postcards are done professinally when the museum is closed, the quality will always be better than someone with a camera or phone.

But, thanks for this visit of the Musée d'Orsay. I haven't been there for years because the lines waiting to get in have always put me off. And I'm like "most people" -- I like the impressionist and post-impressionist stuff best. Not really keen on those huge paintings of naked people lolling around listening to Plato. There used to be some great Art Nouveau furniture on the ground floor.

[kerouac2]

Now the Art Nouveau furniture is on the second and third floors.

In any case, flash photography has always been forbidden in museums.

[bixaorellana]

Jul 29, 2021 6:50:00 GMT bjd said:

... museums sell postcards of their paintings. In fact, since the postcards are done professinally when the museum is closed, the quality will always be better than someone with a camera or phone.

Maybe this is self-serving justification on my part, but I truly believe that every person on anyport who produces a report featuring the art in a visited museum is performing a service to the members & visitors of this forum.

One of the reasons I say that is because those of us who photograph artwork in a museum feel under pressure to reproduce exactly what we saw. Too often post cards, pictures in art books, and Google Images are way off the mark in color reproduction. In contrast, I would say that Kerouac and I, in our respective photos of Essai de figure en plein-air: Femme à l'ombrelle tournée vers la gauche 1886 very closely captured the exact tints in the painting & our photos are nearly identical. (note that we don't have the same camera). Compare our pictures with this "official" one. For that matter, copy & paste the painting's title into Google Images. I would say that the only near-accurate color rendering is in the first image, that of wikimedia.

Even though none of the posting members of anyport are professional photographers, I think our enthusiasm for our subjects and, in the case of artwork, our desire to show exactly what we saw produces some excellent examples. Further, no need to go to the museum itself to buy the postcard. People only have to peruse a thread here and will probably form a desire to go see the featured museum for themselves, or at least to have the pleasure of some minutes with painted and plastic art.

[htmb]

I cannot remember the last time I visited the Musée d’Orsay. I know I attended a Manet exhibit there in 2011, but I also rented an apartment a block behind the museum in 2013. The apartment was nice enough, but the area was extremely quiet at night, and I had to do lots of walking for groceries and transportation. Still, the museum was almost at my doorstep and I remember sitting in front of it in the evenings and enjoying the view of the Seine. I wouldn’t mind being in the same spot right now!

[bixaorellana]

I would disapprove of anyone else doing what I'm getting ready to do, but I'm giving myself permission just this once.

Going through this thread again, I was scrolling along, quickly looked at this picture, thought, "Degas" and kept scrolling. Then I pulled myself up short, mentally saying, "What the heck did I just see?!"

So I went back to look (reply #5, 2nd picture) and just marveled at the effect captured. The overall composition and detail are great, but it is the woman on the left which really makes it a knockout, as the movement and texture of her clothing -- with its Whistler color palette -- mimic both the statue and Impressionism in general.

[lugg]

No excuses needed Bixa , it is indeed a great photo . But also a sign of our Covid times to come , who would have known ....