Giverny
Andrea’s first full day in Paris had us taking the metro across town to hook up with a tour of Monet’s home in Giverny and Versailles.
Monet was quite unusual in his ability, as an artist, to achieve commercial success during his lifetime. However, he spent his early years fleeing creditors and conscription. His work was rejected by the prestigious Paris Salon, but the Americans bought up his art and American
critiques and artists praised his work. Mary Cassat was instrumental in promoting his oeuvre. (Oeuvre- French for body of work, difficult to spell and impossible to pronounce)
Monet was 46 when he purchased Giverny. He resided in his beautiful home from 1883 to 1926.
He expanded the original gardens and diverted a local river to create a Japanese themed garden. The towns people were horrified when he planted bamboo as they thought it would taint the water.
Monet employed up to 6 gardeners. The flower beds and ponds are spectacular. They give the feeling of an unplanned masterpiece – there isn’t any symmetry. Colors explode from some areas and demurely peek above the yarrow or native grasses in other areas.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit France, a trip to Monet’s gardens will refresh your soul.
Versailles
In the beginning, Versailles was a simple hunting lodge where Louis XIII chased games and met his mistresses. His son,Louis XIV, expanded the lodge into the palace,1661 – 1715. He also oversaw the construction of formal gardens, a lake, fountains and water features. The palace is immense.
The Palace was important as a statement of the power, wealth and culture of France. Elaborate garden parties hosted in Versailles would be world famous.
Jump ahead to 1919, when the Hall of Mirrors was the backdrop for the signing of the WWI treaty. The condition of the palace had deteriorated over the previous 200 years. John Rockefeller provided a substantial grant to assist in restoring the Palace.
Two pictures below from the Versailles website. The other is a view into the king’s chapel.
Louvre
Another palace of France, the Louvre started its life in the 12th century under Phillip II. England, at the time held Normandy. The Louvre was built to fend off attacks from the west. Overtime, it was a palace, a state sponsored collective of artists and a museum.
Napoleon III substantially expanded the collections to add legitimacy to his reign. The statue below is The Winged Victory of Samothrace, 2C BC. It is a compelling sculpture with beautiful movement and grace. It’s displayed in a spacious area between the first and second levels. The Nike swoosh was inspired by Winged Victory.
The mission of the Louvre has changed over the centuries. From the late 19th century, the Louvre veered away from its mid-century ambition of universality to become a more focused museum of French, Western and Near Eastern art. Many of the collections were moved to other museums.
Despite the decluttering, the Louvre is massive with more art than could be thoughtfully considered in a two week tour. The crowds and marble intensify the noise. Though the artwork and sculptures are beautifully staged, waiting in a line for 45 minutes to see the Mona Lisa, dampens the experience. The picture below is of the Apollo Gallery from the Louvre website.
It’s important to see the Louvre once, it’s similar to getting a Girl Scout merit badge. However, if you love art or sculpture, many of the smaller museums would be more enjoyable.
Seine River Cruise
The evening dinner cruise is a lovely way to relax after a taxing day of touring. Our night cruise pulled away from the dock at 8:30. The food was pleasant, the wine was plentiful and the singer on board had an excellent voice.
By the end of the cruise, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated and we had passed a blissful 3 hours floating through the art of Paris.
Chartres
In France, each day means another palace, another cathedral or both. Chartres is considered the best example of gothic French architecture.
It’s flying buttresses allow for unusually large windows. Many of the stain glass windows date from the early 1300’s.
During the French Revolution, the local Revolutionary Committee decided to destroy the cathedral via explosives. They asked a local architect to find the best place to set the explosions. He saved the building by pointing out that the vast amount of rubble from the demolished building would so clog the streets that it would take years to clear away.
During WWII, the stained glass windows were removed and stored for safe keeping.
On August 16, 1944, the cathedral was again saved from destruction thanks to an American. Colonel Welborn Griffith Jr. (1901-1944), questioned the order he was given to target the cathedral. American intel believed that the steeples and towers were being used as an observation post for German artillery.
Griffith, accompanied by a volunteer soldier, instead decided to go and verify whether or not the Germans were using the cathedral. Griffith could see that the cathedral was empty, so he had the cathedral bells ring as a signal for the Americans not to shoot. Upon hearing the bells, the American command rescinded the order to fire. Colonel Griffith died in action that same day, in the town of Lèves, near Chartres. He was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government.
And Now
Beautiful French food – a few of these pics are from MacDonalds, Starbucks and the kiosk at Gare du Nord.
