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Introduction

Eiffel tower, a genesis and anecdotes

Champ de Mars-Rue Cler-Hotel des Invalides

Eglise Saint-Louis Dome Invalides Musee Rodin

Anecdotes of a prestigious neighborhood

Rue du Bac-Chapel of miraculous medal-Museé Maillol

Musee d'Orsay
Introduction

Musee d'Orsay
Ground level, Impressionism before 1870

Musee d'Orsay
Upper level, Impressionists and neo-Impressionism

Musee d'Orsay
Medium level and end visit

Paris-7th arr-Musee d'Orsay-Medium level and end visit

When you descend to the medium level don’t miss the collection Max and Rosy Kaganovitch with Van Gogh’s “Hospital at St.Remy”, "Paysannes Bretonnes" by Gauguin and several  Derain, Vlaminck, Cezanne. We are at the final, but still important part of this wonderful museum. The medium level. It is essentially dedicated to sculpture and decorative arts. In a sort of ancient ballroom the “official” painting of the 19th century is presented like Bonnat, Laurence, Cabanel, Puvis de Chavannes, and Cormon. More illustrious names could be Gervex, Gerome, Bougereau. I confess that this part and epoch of French painting is not at all in my taste, usually I pass it quickly. But “tous les gouts sont dans la nature, n’est-il pas ?” Get outside on the balcony where a lot of sculptures stand waiting for you to admire them. A monumental sculpture by Barrias: “Chasseurs d’Alligator”, Rodin: “l’Age d’Airain”, “Ugolin”, “Balzac”, “Porte de l’Enfer” and the admirable "Age Mur" by Camille Claudel. On the side of the rue de Lille, the balcony shows sculptures dating after 1900: Maillol “Méditerannée “, “Le Désir”.

Inside again, the continuation of the ballroom with a glorification of the field works. Remarkable works (even if too academic or outrageously lyrical for certain), like “Les Foins” by Bastien-Lepage, “La Forge” by Cormon, “,  "La Paye des Moissonneurs"v by Leon Lhermitte (1882), "The Docks of Cardiff" fantastic fresco of popular life by Lionel Walden.

Continuing we arrive in the Symbolists section, a reaction against Naturalism and Impressionism, letting us penetrate the world of dream and thoughts of the artists. ”Sérénité” by Henri Martinand “La Roue de la Fortune” by Burne-Jones . Art Nouveau, coming from Belgium wit the evident concern to eradicate the previous formulas, uses new techniques materials like ceramics, enamel and stained glass. This movement found its expression mainly in architecture (a trip to Brussels and Antwerp is highly recommended to see a lot of houses in that style!!), and decorative arts represented here by jewels (Lalique), furniture, vases (Gallé), . Wandering around we will pass different foreign 19th century European painting schools (Vienna, Glasgow and Chicago). More Vuillard, Maurice Denis. In a small room, works of Matisse (Luxe, calme et volupté),  Rousseau (La Charmeuse de serpents), Klimt (Rose bushes under the trees), Munch “Nuit d’été à Asgaarstrand" remind us of an international art panorama of the beginning of the 19th century.

Bibliography: 

--Vie et histoire des arrondissements de Paris, ed.Hervas, 1985-1988, 20 volumes- Le piéton de Paris, by L.P. Fargue, ed.Gallimard 1997—Rive Gauche, une expérience unique, by Cl.Evrard, ed.Albin 1991--Guides du Routard 1998, ed.Hachette,  Les 20 arrondissements de Paris, by Martine Constans, Renaissance du Livre 1998--Orsay museum in Parijs, by H.Witteveen, ed.Spectrum—Orsay und die Impressionisten, by W. Shulers (ed.Deltas, Munchen 1995), Musee d’Orsay, by the ministere de la communication et de la culture (ed. Musees nationaux 1986)