Mucha at the Musée du Luxembourg

Czech artist Alphone Mucha moved to Paris in 1888, but it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time in 1894 that would change his life.  The great French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt wanted a new poster for her hit play Gismonda. On the night of 26 December, St Stephen's Day she made a call to her publisher Lemercier, and asked for a new poster to be created and ready by 1 January. Mucha happened to be in the office that day and was familiar with the actress as he had illustrated her when she performed as Cleopatra. He created a poster that was more than life size, towering to over 6.5 feet tall and was in muted pastel colors and depicting her as a Byzantine noblewoman, with  a headdress of orchids and an arch halo behind her to highlight her face. The curves and use of flowers was reminiscent of the Art Nouveau movement taking root at the time and what he will be remembered for to this day.  The poster was so popular it was being cut down and stolen at night, Bernhardt was so impressed she signed him to a 5 year exclusive contract.

He would go on  to produce posters for her plays depicting her as Hamlet, Lorenzo de Medici and her staring roll in Alexandre Dumas' La Dame aux Camelias among many others all in the  Art Nouveau theme. Their continued partnership would make him just as famous as the greatest French stage actress of the time.

With his new found fame he began creating a series of decorative panels focusing on the heavy themes of Art Nouveau, his two or four panels always focused on one central image of a woman.  The Arts in 1898, depicting Dance, Painting, Poetry and Music. The Flowers in 1898; Rose, Carnation, Iris and Lily. The Times of the Day in 1899; Morning Awakening, Brightness of the Day, Evening Contemplation and Night's Rest.The Precious Stones in 1900; Topaz, Ruby, Amethyst and Emerald. And the amazing collection of The Seasons created in 1896; Spring with her innocence and blossoms, sultry Summer dangling her feet in the water, Autumn surrounded by the grapes of harvest and frosty Winter hiding behind the snow covered branches.

In 1896 he began creating posters for commercial purposes for well know brands such as Job cigarette papers, Savon Notre Dame, Champagne Ruinart  and Moet et Chandon. His partnership with Moet et Chandon would result in many pieces ranging from menus to postcards.

Mucha's use of jewelry in his posters caught the eye of the son of the French jeweler Alphonse Fouquet. Georges Fouquet was looking to make his mark under the shadow of his father. Fouquet and Mucha collaborated for the 1900 Paris International Exhibition with pieces inspired by his art. The decorated chain with pendants made with pearls, semi-precious stones, gold, enamel and mother-of-pearl are heavily influenced by his Moet et Chandon Grand Cremant Imperial poster. Through their partnership Mucha was asked to design Fouquet's new boutique, both the interior and exterior. His goal was to create a space that was just as much a piece of art as the pieces Fouquet was selling. In 1923 Fouquet remodeled his store, but he had Mucha's monumental works carefully removed and stored in a warehouse, until the 1980's when it was installed in the museum of Paris, the Musee Carnavalet.  (currently closed for renovation and set to open in late 2019, beginning of 2020)

In 1910 he returned to his homeland with the intentions of expressing the ideals of his fellow Czech people. A new theme emerged from Mucha, one of iconography, folklore and even at times political. Under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Czechs were forbidden to organize and had to come up with other outlets to get out their message. Sokol is the Czech word for falcon, and used as the emblem to hold national sporting events for gymnastics. In truth at its root it was to unite the youth of the country. The 6th Sokol Festival poster is heavy with symbols, the red cloak being a Sokol color and epitome of Prague, her staff holds the emblem of Praque and her crown the ramparts. In 1925 the 8th Sokol Festival poster was now after the republic of Czechoslovakia was formed now shows one of celebration and exudes an outright a national pride. Mucha would die in 1939 in Prague, having never returned to Paris

The Mucha exhibit at the Musee du Luxembourg is amazing, and there is much more than I even mentioned here. Running until 27 January, 2019 and open every day of the week from 10:30am - 7pm, but grab your tickets online before you go to beat the line. It being a smaller museum they control closely how many people are in at one time, which makes it nice for you as a museum goer.  You can also download the audioguide before you go, which I highly recommend only a few dollars on  Apple or Google play, less expensive then the audio guide and exactly the same, available in French, English, Spanish and Dutch

Eugène Delacroix at Musée du Louvre

French artist Eugène Delacroix was the leader of the Romanticism movement of the late 18th and first half of the 19th century. Born in 1798 outside of Paris and an oprhan by the time he reached 16 years old, he found his way to art by the age of 18. Learning at the hand of Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, his fellow classmate was Theodore Gericault, who would have an influence on Delacroix's paintings.  

 

Self portrait- GIlet Vert  1837

Through the 23 of July the Musée du Louvre has the most amazing exhibition dedicated to Delacroix. It is the largest collection of his works in one place since 1963 in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Musée Eugène Delacroix. It includes some of his best known works, and one of my very favorite paintings but also his sketchbooks, diaries, working sketches he completed for some of his grandest works  and a few pieces rarely seen.

Le 28 Juillet 1830 La Liberte Guidant le Peuple  1830

Arguably his most recognized painting is Liberty Leading the People painted in 1830 for the Salon of 1831. Although today is the eve of la Fête Nationale that falls on the anniversary of the Revolution of 1789, this painting commemorates the Paris uprising of 1830, know as the Trois Glorieuses, (Three Glorious Days) that ousted King Charles X.  Liberty is the focal point of the painting, an allegorical figure rich with Greek imagery. Her bare breasts signifies the birth of democracy and her free flowing dress that conveys her movement as she climbs over the cobblestone barricades calling for all to stand up and fight inculuding the school boy.   

Exhibited at the Salon of 1831 it was purchased by the French state the same year to be hung in the Musée du Luxembourg, but was returned to Delacroix in 1839 as the theme was deemed to controversial. By 1848 King Louis-Philippe was the next to go and the painting returned, eventually making it to the Louvre in 1871 where it hangs to this day.   I could talk about this painting and describe it for days, but there is much more to Delacroix and this exhibit.

     sketch of Apollon Vainqueur du Serpent Python

One of the most beautiful galleries in the Louvre may be where you can find some of the crown jewels of France, but the the real beauty comes when you tilt your head up. The ceiling of the Galerie d'Apollon was painted by Delacroix. As a artist he loved to spend his days strolling through the Louvre and dreamed of one day seeing his work hanging with the historic walls. At the time an artist would only make it into the Louvre after they had been dead for 10 years. But Delacroix found another way in, when Felix Duban was restoring the famed gallery in the style of Louis XIV, thus the nod to Apollo. He was one of the few artists to live to see his work hanging in the Louvre

Jeune Orpheline au Cimetiere 1824

Young Girl at the Cemetery painted in 1824, shows Delacroix's affection of Peter Paul Rubens.  The sadness, fear and despair she shows on her face and her eyes glossy with tears, is incredibly moving. When you notice that she is in a cemetery and her great sense of loss as she looks upward for an answer. It constantly amazes me that one person can create that feeling with nothing more than a brush and paint. 

The exhibition is amazing and I spent over 3 hours taking in every detail and reading every word, it is a must see if you are in Paris in July. After that you can still see many of his works within the Musée du Louvre and also the Musée Eugène Delacroix that is a short walk away. And as a bonus if you go to the Louvre first, hang onto your ticket as it gets you into the Delacroix museum for free within 48 hours.

The best staircaise in all of Paris

The bends and curves of this amazing staircase in the Musée Gustave Moreau in Paris rivals that of all of the art hanging on the walls. The narrow steps twirl around like a little girl on a summer day, or like me in every given second in Paris.  The museum is located in the house his family lived in the 9th Arr. just below the famed Montmartre and shouldn't be missed.

A French symbolist painter, he spent most of his time painting mythical and biblical figures in the early to late 1800's. In fact he did more than 8000 drawings and paintings, where more than 6000 can be seen within the four floors of his former home. Moreau created an  extensive system of label and naming every piece he created in hopes that they would all be on display together. He turned the upper floors of his house into a gallery and studio and in 1901 it was opened as a museum following his death.  

The museum is off the main tourist tracks of Paris and not as well known so you can roam the small halls and rooms on the first two floors before you arrive to the second floor and see the crown jewel, this staircase.

Musée National Gustave Moreau
14 rue de La Rochefoucauld
75009 Paris

Open everyday but Tuesday and only 5 euros