It's raining today and perfect for a galleries and meandering in a warm place. The Musee de L'Orangerie is situated between the Tuileries garden and the Louve. We've come to see Claude Monet's most famous masterpiece Les Nymphea (water lilies) A true testament of Monet's artistic talent these eight panels presented in two rooms evoked the passing of hours from sunrise to sunset. Monet painted the water lilies from his home and garden he created in his later years of his life at Giverny from 1914 until his passing in 1926.
With no horizon to orient the viewer, the elements - water, air, sky, earth seem to merge in a composition without perspective where the flowers create a rhythm. Monet found calmness in the presence of stagnant water like a room that offers a refuge for peaceful meditation in the midst of a flowering aquarium. Both Gary & I were so moved by these paintings. In Buddhism, the water lily the symbol of purity. Rising above dark, cold and muddy murky water is a strong yet beautiful flower.
The lower level of the museum, there were other works by famous artists - Renoir Cezanne Matisse Derain Picasso etc. Three quick hours were spent studying the paintings.
After a quick break, we braved the mother of all Galleries "The Louve" . You can hear the crowds from blocks away almost like a concert is about to start. Travel Guy Rick Steeve actually has a segment in his guide books appropriately named "surviving the Louve". Lucky for us, we did our homework stroll right by the line ups and got right in. Of course that was short lived until we got in.
one could spend the night and the next day in this gallery. Since we didn't bring our sleeping bags, we just followed Rick Steeves audio tour even that was over two hours long.
We heard the roar of people around the corner, the oh ahh sound and realized we've arrived at the crown jewel. Yip, there she is - Ms ML. behind bullet prove glass safer than the President of France.
I now realize why she's smiling in the picture. Wouldn't u get a chuckle if u saw this crowd everyday?
Yay, we survived and exited right in to a busy shopping mall below the galleries.
We were both too exhausted from the day so we decided a little chinesey take-out by candle light would satisfy my rice withdrawals tonight.
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