Paris (III)

those two days in paris seemed a lot longer - we got to see so many things! here are some pictures... and for a full description, read about it in Assaf's blog :)



1. pricey little espresso at a pricey little deli; 2. Venus over a building across the street; 3. Molin Rouge; 4. Montmartre; 5. river Seine

our last destination in Paris was Musee Picasso - the Picasso museum.

a few years ago when i was visiting Pasadena, i followed a friend's advice and went to the Norton Simon museum. that museum is quite tiny, but it has an amazing collection. in a very nonchalant way, it has hanging side by side Degas and Rembrandt, Monet, Renoir, van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin...
and there was one painting by Picasso, that caught me.
growing up with all those are books so accessible, it wasn't the first time i've seen a Picasso - i have to admit, i didn't make much of Picasso's art before seeing that picture. couldn't understand what's with the asymmetric features, the cross eyes, just didn't get it.
and then, looking at that one painting from up close, its thick layer of oil paint, bright vivid colors, i finally got it. it's hard to explain exactly what "it" is that i got, it could be something emotional that i can't explain in words... but i think i finally learned to appreciate Picasso. maybe you have to see it in real life and not in a picture in a book.

next to the painting, there was a small plaque with a couple of paragraphs of text -- it was probably similar to this (from the Norton Simon museum website):

In early 1932, Picasso painted a number of large canvases of women, brightly colored and elaborately drawn in heavy dark lines that flow into great sweeping curves. His model for these paintings was his mistress, Marie-Therèse Walter, who in this picture looks up from her book and momentarily daydreams. In Woman with a Book, Picasso referred to Ingres' great portrait, Madame Moitessier (National Gallery, London). Striking similarities can be noted in the pose, the graceful, sensuous lines, and the reflected image in the mirror behind the sitter.

the last part, about this painting being somewhat of an answer to a classic, probably commissioned, portrait, made me look at this picture even more closely and appreciate it on a deeper level.



i was excited to see more of Picasso at the Picasso Museum in Paris. here are a couple of paintings that i was moved by:

"Still Life on a Pedestal Table" - it's your basic still life paining, in "Picassish". when i was in, i don't know, 5th or 6th grade i took art class, and the teacher would put a bunch of fruit and a vase on a table, with some table cloth draped around them, and we were supposed to draw. i think i did a pretty good job.
i think Picasso did a better one :)
it's the vase, and the fruits, floor, background... all told in the language of Picasso.


"The Sculptor"
i think i stood by this painting for 15 minutes and stared. here's a sculptor, sitting in his studio, and admiring his art... he's sitting there looking relaxed, but has two faces: one face is looking at the sculpture, but the other face is looking at you - maybe looking to see what your expression is, looking for the approval of his audience. isn't that what many artists secretly (or not secretly) crave? after all, art is a way to express oneself. i think it's not only means to get your feelings out there, but also to have your thoughts reflected off of other people's perception.