[Learn] Musée de l’Orangerie & Musée Rodin

I love a specialty museum that focuses on a particular artist. It's like being immersed in the artist's own world. Walking through this kind of museum feels like walking through the artist's story, a preserved piece of history.

To think about the art is to learn about the artist’s mind. Being able to see the works in person and in such a setting breathes life into a name I’ve only previously heard of.
This is especially true for the Musée de l’Orangerie dedicated to Claude Monet and the Musée Rodin dedicated to Auguste Rodin, both of which Professor Freixes will take the class to.

The Musée Rodin is stunning. The building and garden that house Auguste Rodin's (1840-1917) sculptures and paintings were once his personal estate. The famous French sculptor is widely celebrated as the progenitor of modern sculpture. His clay works on the human figure are evocative, expressive, and can at times appear unfinished. The moment he captures an emotion in the features of the clay, he leaves it as is.

Rodin's works. Other well-known works not pictured include: The Walking Man, The Thinker, and The Gates of Hell.

Though he studied traditional art, his works of realism departed from the traditional themes of mythology and allegory. Initially, he received heavy criticism for his work, but he refused to change his style and gradually gained the favor of the government and art community. In his lifetime, he grew to be recognized as a world-renowned French sculptor.

.
.
.

The Musée de l’Orangerie houses eight of Monet’s water lily murals in oval rooms and features the art of several different impressionist and post-impressionist artist including Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, Modiglianio, and Rousseau. It holds a fabulous collection in a pleasant, more quiet location.

Monet's Water Lilies inside Musée de l’Orangerie.

Oscar-Claude Monet (1840-1926) is one of the founders of the French Impressionism movement. Artists of this movement focused on expressing their perceptions of light and shadow in small, thin, visible brush strokes. Monet’s art career began in earnest in the 1860s when he lived in Paris and met Manet, Renoir, Bazille, and Sisley. Together they shared a new approach to art which later became known as Impressionism. Their works were originally rejected by the art community, and it wasn’t until they hosted independent exhibitions in the 1870s and 1880s that they gained prominence. 

Monet later moved to Giverny in 1883 where his garden and water lily pond instillations inspired his most famous water lily paintings. Our class visited Monet's home and gardens, and they were stunning in-person! 

Monet's water lilies in Giverny. 

Until next time,

Sherry