Day Three Paris

A delicious leisurely breakfast fuelled our walk to the Musee de l'orangerie where we contemplated 8 of Monet's tableaux of his garden and the infamous lilies. We also enjoyed Renoir, Picasso, Guilliaume and many others. It kind of tickled my heart to see all those round bellies and rolls and heavy legs. No twiggy women modelling for those artists. I watched as school children on field trips came to the museum and heard these amazing stories from these artists'life. I wondered how these experiences and this beautiful art affects their thinking. I had a small insight into this later when we went to see the Musee jacquesmart-Andre which is the private home now museum of a pair of art collectors from the late 1800s. While my ancestors were stoking bales and halling water on stone boats, these two were commissioning artists from Italy, and Paris for their salon. The house was perfectly restored and one can see the opulence, luxury and scope of their experience. Beautiful tapestries, marble busts, paintings and frescoes adorn the house. Also showing was an exhibit of Edward Bodoin whose pictures of cows and girls at the sea were so inviting to contemplate. Bodin struggled with the freedom to explore artistic expression and commercial success. He often felt burdened and restricted with some of his commissions. I thought about women in those heavily layers dresses and corsets at the beach with all that sand and sun. No skinny bikinis for them. As we waited in line for our tickets, I noticed how most of the people in line were elderly or seasoned Parisiens. This museum doesn't appear on the normal attractions to see in Paris. These are connoisseurs of art. Men and women who appreciate beautiful art who had come specifically to see the Bodoin exhibition. There was a certain reverence and thoughtful study of the tableaux. This was my answer to the my earlier question of how living near all this beauty and having it so accessible affects people. We discovered some salted caramel ice cream which is going to make me a perfect candidate for Reuben to paint. My knee is protesting with all this walking. I nearly hobble to bed. It's a price I'm willing to pay.