I’ve done the Louvre and checked off the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. I’ve visited Versailles and been humbled by its architecture and extravagance. So, which art gallery is next...
...The Rodin Museum!
I love a good sculpture, probably more than any other type of art. While Henry Moore may be my favorite, I really appreciate the naturalism of Auguste Rodin. His museum was at the top of my list, and luckily, it wasn’t too busy 👌
The sculpture garden was full of his most famous bronze statues like the Thinker, the Kiss and the Gates of Hell.
There were also statues of influential French leaders I’d never heard of, grouped as The Monument to the Burghers of Calais. It depicts six men who surrendered to the King of England during the Hundred Years’ War. Each figure was displayed solo, then finally together in a powerful grouping. My favorite was Andrieu d’Andres, with his head in his hands, overcome with despair.
The Gates of Hell was another standout—massive and intricate, inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, and incorporating many of Rodin’s other works like The Thinker and The Three Shades. I actually saw the original plaster version at the Musée d'Orsay the next day!
After the garden, I toured Rodin's former rental home, Hôtel Biron, which now houses a lot of his art. As expected, I was drawn to my favorite piece of his: The Kiss.
But I was also unexpectedly moved by two of his hand sculptures—The Cathedral and The Secret. These sister statues were beautifully made.
Fun fact: when Rodin first began sculpting, he made a statue of a Belgian soldier that was so lifelike, critics in 1877 accused him of using a life cast instead of sculpting it by hand. Talk about a compliment!
Musee D'Orsay
This has always been a bucket-list museum for me. I love expressionism and post-expressionism, and the architecture alone was worth the visit. The museum is housed in a former train station (Gare d'Orsay) built in 1900, the first electrified urban terminal station in the world. It still has much of that original beauty.
My favorite animal has always been the polar bear (bless you, elementary school project), so I was thrilled to see François Pompon’s sculpture. Pompon worked with Rodin, but his focus was animals, not humans.
I also fell in love with these quirky little sculptures by Léopold Chauveau called Monstre. Which Little Monster speaks to you most? Move over, Seventeen Magazine, this is the hottest personality quiz yet.
Since today was a low-energy, recovering-from-jet-lag kind of day (Rodin Museum and Hôtel des Invalides wore me out yesterday), I headed straight to the 5th floor for the Impressionists while I still had some steam.
I mostly skipped the Renoirs (though I did appreciate Dance at the Moulin de la Galette) and just soaked in the Monets and Van Goghs.
Impressionist Highlights:
• Les Villas à Bordighera – Monet: This surprised me. I thought Monet only did dreamy water lilies and garden scenes, but this Mediterranean villa felt like an exotic twist on his usual.
• Nymphéas bleus – Monet: 😍 Classic for a reason.
• Danseuses bleues – Degas: As a kid, I loved the Degas dancers, so it was special to see this one in person.
• The Siesta – Van Gogh: Something about this just feels peaceful. Like, everything can wait... it’s nap time.
• Starry Night Over the Rhône – Van Gogh: My favorite painting is Starry Night (at MoMA in NYC). This felt like a beautiful brother of it.
• Self-Portrait – Van Gogh: Calm and unhinged all at once. Painted while he was in a psychiatric hospital.
• Port de la Rochelle – Paul Signac: Pointillism at its finest. 'Nuff said.
• The Origin of the World – Gustave Courbet: A bold and divisive piece, but one I find absolutely beautiful. NSFW, so click this link to view.
Thanks for joining me on this little art adventure. I have zero art history background, but I sure appreciate the heck out of it.
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