Musée Jacquemart-André

Last Wednesday night, I was feeling pretty crummy about everything, asking myself existential questions like, "why am I here, what's the point of going into Paris, I'm running out of money, what is life, who am I???" So I decided, instead of wallowing in these thoughts, I should defy them and go see something I've never seen before in Paris.

I chose Musée Jacquemart-André, a relatively small museum of decorative arts in the fancy 8th arrondissement. One downside to no longer being a student, is that I no longer receive free admission to certain museums around Paris. I naively attempted to use my old Parisian student ID, but embarrassingly, the ticket woman checked the date on the back and I ended up paying the full price. oops! :p








This museum has an amazing staircase! Still not as good as the staircase at the Gustave Moreau Museum though!

I really love the colors and textures of this smoking room, the rugs, the velvety sofa, and the carved wood:




After the museum, my friend and I got "the best falafel in Paris" on Rue des Rosiers, and then some yummy ice cream at Berthillon because I am obsessed. I've been to Berthillon far, far too many times. In only managed to take this quick pic of the felafel. It was indeed delicious.




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Louvre - First Visit

My Grandmother was in Paris a few weekends ago, and I was able to show her around Paris. We went to the Louvre, but we were all extremely exhausted from all the traveling and early mornings, so we didn't spend a ton of time there.

We did see the brand new Islamic arts collection though! And it was really beautiful! Some things were a little boring (some of the pottery and shards of tile), but there were also some gorgeous and unique treasures like intricately carved jewelry boxes, ancient suits of armor, ornate and jeweled teapots (or "genie" lamps... I don't know the proper names of things), and mosaics that used the most gorgeous shades of blue. There were also many rugs, architectural fragments, and carved wood doors. I think the most fascinating thing about Islamic art is all the surface decoration and patterning.

{Love the use of turquoise and rust} {Incredible, how well-preserved this is} {I want this in my kitchen cabinet} {Such a cute little iridescent bottle} {I want these in my kitchen too}

By the way, just a little practical advice: I think it's much more convenient to enter through the Carrousel (like an underground mall beneath the Louvre), because the lines seem to be much shorter there. If you stop at metro Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre, you can enter directly into the Carrousel from the underground station itself, just follow the signs. Signs are your best friend.

Also, here are two other non-Islamic works we saw. We also visited the Mona Lisa, but it was a zoo with all the people crowded around. I didn't care enough to fight my way close enough to get a good picture.

{The ancient Greeks were fantastic} {Botticelli's women are so pretty}

Musée Gustave Moreau

When my Mom was in Paris, we took an hour to check out the Gustave Moreau museum. Most people, even people who have some knowledge of art history, aren't super familiar with this artist, but I gotta say, he's extremely interesting!

{View of the lower studio space}
He's considered a Symbolist painter, so many of his tableaux are a fantastical melange of biblical, mythological, medieval, and otherwise imagined references. Some of his work is more textured, expressive, and colorful, like the later work of Delacroix, while his more famous works are expertly drawn, highly ornate, and almost scintillate with detail. His mix of symbolism with extreme attention to detail bring to mind, at least in my own head, apocalyptic yet ancient, and cult-like, ritualistic themes. I picture his images taking place in an imaginary time that is futuristic, yet extremely ancient at the same time, and it's pretty easy to become lost in them.














This museum doesn't take long to visit, so I would highly recommend it as an extra outing when you need something else to do in Paris. I say that like you'll actually run out of things to do... NOT possible! haha

What's also pretty unique, is that the museum itself resides in Moreau's actual home, and planning for it began while he was still alive, by Moreau himself. As a result, you can see not only some of his living quarters, but also take comfort in the fact that it was organized and preserved according to the artist's own vision. Pretty neat!





{Amazing staircase!}

Montmartre & the Salvador Dalí Museum

Montmartre used to be a village on the outskirts of Paris, but as the city grew, this charming, hilly, cobble-stoned area was eventually integrated into Paris. "Back in the day," so to speak, starving artists and bohemians frequented this area. At the base of the Montmartre hill lies the famous Moulin Rouge and Pigalle, the red light district of Paris.

Lucky for me, the metro line I live close to takes me directly to Montmartre! I surfaced from the metro at Abbesses (TAKE THE ELEVATOR UP - I made the mistake of using the stairs, and I think I hiked up about 10 floors-worth of stairs) and the first thing I saw was a vintage clothing store. I immediately went inside to see what they offered, and was extremely happy to see dresses priced at 10 euros and skirts at 5! I didn't end up buying anything, but I will definitely return someday.

I meandered in the general direction of Sacré Coeur Basilica, which means I basically headed uphill. If you ever get lost in Montmartre, just go upwards and you'll eventually reach something recognizable.

After stopping to buy a crepe sucre, I stumbled upon the Place du Tertre, where hundreds of artists set up shop, most offering live portraits. I didn't check the price for getting a portrait drawn, but I'd really like to have one of my own.

I then bought some Art-Nouveau post cards and found my way to the Sacré Coeur. It is so beautiful! The white stone looks amazing against a blue, partly cloudy sky. And the view of the city is pretty amazing as well. I couldn't take any pictures inside the church, but I think the outside does it justice.

{Sacré Coeur} {The view from Sacré Coeur}
{Architectural Detail}

I also visited the Salvador Dalí museum. I'll be honest and say: this museum is very small. Although I got a student discount, I can't quite say that it was worth paying the entrance fee. The museum itself consists of only three rooms plus a bookstore, and there weren't any of his major works. However, if you're a Dalí maniac and would appreciate his minor works (illustrations and sculpture), then go for it!

{Alice in Wonderland - the Caterpillar} {Mad Tea Party} {Surrealist Interior Design??} {Surrealist Sculpture}
Coming next: Areas around the Louvre

The Getty Museum

If you're in LA, one of the things you have to do is visit the Getty Museum. It is perched atop a hill overlooking all of Los Angeles, and on a very clear day, you can see all the way to Catalina Island. The building itself is something to see, with bold architectural lines, made entirely out of a beautiful natural stone.



I loved all the geometric lines and shadows I found.




The views are beautiful, the art collection is amazing, and the garden is really cool. Unfortunately, the gardens were closed for renovation when I was there, but you can see a glimpse of it here:



The day I went, LA was covered in this strange mixture of what looked like clouds, fog, and smog, all obscuring any chance at a clear, beautiful view. So, I just took more pictures of the complex itself.