Zvi Netanel traveled to the City of Lights in June 2018, visited several intriguing exhibitions that are currently taking place, and then went out of town and visited the Chateau de Maintenon and Chartres. The following article is based on his impressions of those museums in Paris and the places he visited, and it contains some excellent tips. I am very happy that Francophiles are sharing their impressions on my site, and I invite anyone who has recently visited France and has something to tell to write to me (contact details can be found at the bottom of the site). Hence, permission to speak to Zvi Netanel…
Klimt exhibition at ATELIER DES LUMIÈRES
As if missing In Paris museums Or art exhibitions, so not far from the Marais, they opened a new place called Atelier de Lumière at 38 rue Saint Maur. It's a kind of huge hangar that serves as a space for projected exhibitions, and their opening exhibition is dedicated to Gustav Klimt. The principle is to project Klimt's works or excerpts from them onto the walls and floor, combined with colored lighting and a soundtrack (a few years ago there was a similar exhibition in Israel with works by Van Gogh).
Since the space is large, something different is projected in every corner, so you have to move around and try to take it all in, because the projections go by quickly. There is a terrace in this space that you can go up to and look down from and get a wider view of the entire space, and there are also chairs you can sit on, but as mentioned, you can't take in everything from there either, so don't stay in one place.
The soundtrack accompanying the performance consists of classical music and classical music lovers will enjoy it the most. The performance lasts about 20 minutes and is followed by two more short performances, one by Hundertwasser and one more abstract, so it is worth seeing the entire series several times (I saw the series twice and I regret not staying at least twice more. It is simply stunning!!).
Some may argue that it is kitsch and that there is no substitute for the original works. True, there is no substitute for a visit to the Belvedere in Vienna, but as the exhibition is defined, it is an immersive experience, and as its name suggests, you drown in a sea of color, especially since you can see details from the works up close, such as the Beethoven frieze, which is originally on display in the Vienna Secession. Beethoven's frieze is a “snake” painted at ceiling height and depicts Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in figures.
In Vienna, you'll leave with a full neck. Not here. I visited the exhibition on Saturday and there was a sign outside that on the weekend, ticket sales were only online, but because I arrived right at the opening, they opened a box office. I don't know if they continued selling later, so it's worth taking that into account. I was very enthusiastic about the place and the exhibition and I highly recommend it, and it's also recommended for children.
Short tour of the Marais
From there I continued on foot for a fun walk through the small, hidden gardens of the Marais. Square Saint-Gilles du Grand Veneur is a truly magical little place to rest for a few moments. From there I continued to Square Léopold-Achille, located between rue Paynne and rue de Sevigne. I have already walked through the Marais, but this time I really delved deeper into the area.
In the “Bull’s Heads” square, there are a lot of people sitting and eating falafel. So it turns out that at the intersection of these streets there are a lot of falafel shops and they are all full of visitors. I visited the “Mi and Mi” falafel, which was a correction to all the falafel I have eaten in Europe to this day. True. You don’t go to Paris for falafel, but it was hard to resist the tempting smell and it was already noon, and it is also cheap (for stingy people like me when it comes to food….).
I also took a stroll through the extensive gardens of the National Archives (Hotel de Sauvage) and reached the Anne Frank Garden next to the Pompidou. On the way there, don't miss the chocolatier François Perleau at 35 rue Rambuteau. And if you get there or are on your way to the Pompidou, take a short detour to the small street Brantome and enter the Clock Quarter, so called because A watch of enormous dimensions 4 meters high, made of a statue of a man fighting a cancer, a dragon and a bird. If you arrive at the hour mark, you can watch the fight of the armed man with the three figures (I missed the hour mark…).
https://youtu.be/K_77ujFbWwE
To conclude this itinerary, not far from Pompidou, at rue de la grande Turanderie 15, is the small spa Massage Concept Paris, where for 55 euros for 45 minutes I received one of the best massages I've ever had from the faithful hands of Virginie.
Tintoretto: The Birth of a Genius – Exhibition at the Luxembourg Museum
Tintoretto's style was less appealing to me, but his works are mostly large and therefore have a very big impact, and when you focus on the details, you discover how brilliant he is in choosing colors, facial expressions, poses, and composition. Anyone who is a little familiar with Tintoretto's works knows that these are huge canvases with large, expressive figures, so how surprising it is to find the "Labyrinth of Love" in the middle of the exhibition, which is all about delicacy and delicate brushstrokes.
Buying a ticket for a specific date (the cheaper option)
Buying an open ticket (a slightly more expensive option)
Corot, the portrait artist
A wonderful exhibition of Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot at the Marmottan Museum. Corot is very well known for his landscape paintings, but he also created many portraits, most of which are stunning. At the beginning there is a series of eye-catching portraits of the children of his family, and the highlight of the exhibition is a monumental painting called “The Greek Girl” that you can stand and look at for long minutes. Highly recommended.
At the same time, the space dedicated to temporary exhibitions is small and narrow, and when there are many visitors (and there always are, perhaps in the evening the pressure decreases) it makes it difficult to observe the works. Visitors to the charming museum, after visiting the display of Monet's works on the lower floor and spending the best of your money in the shop (and there is definitely something for it...), do not miss the charming works of Berthe Morisot on the upper floor.
Delacroix exhibition at the Louvre Museum
The last time an entire exhibition in Paris was dedicated to Delacroix was in 1963 to mark the 100th anniversary of his death. From the collections The Louvre And of course, the questions from other museums were grouped into about 180 works covering the entire period of Delacroix's work and the development of his style, from figurative paintings such as the very famous "Liberty Leading the People", through portraits, dramatic scenes, murals, paintings inspired by Moroccan landscapes and people, landscape paintings to works on Christian themes. The exhibition is large and fascinating and highly recommended, and there is a lot to see. My favorites were "Young Tiger Playing with Its Mother", "Orphan Girl in the Cemetery", "Greek Woman on the Ruins of Missolonghi", "Medea" and "Jesus Sleeping in a Ship".
Chateau de Maintenon
I came across this place through an article on the internet and that was enough to get me excited. Metten is a small town south of Paris on the road to Chartres. The castle belonged to Françoise d'Aubigny, one of the mistresses of Louis XIVIt is a small but well-preserved castle, overlooking a very beautiful garden. The place is not crowded, but when I arrived, all the audio guides were sold out (an hour after opening!).
The display is not very detailed, there is no signage or adequate description in the rooms, and there is no organized guidance on the recommended order of visit (there is of course a map that is distributed free of charge at the entrance). The castle itself is not very exciting in my opinion, despite some very impressive portraits of d'Aubigny and Louis XIV, as well as a long and magnificent gallery in the style of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
The city's main attraction is the massive aqueduct built on arches, which is also clearly visible from the castle gardens. Three-quarters of the 80 kilometers planned for construction were indeed completed in ten years, but the work was never completed. There is a wonderful view from the castle terrace overlooking the gardens and the aqueduct. A great location for taking pictures. The entire castle is planted in a vast green lung and you can also walk along the aqueduct that stretches across its territory.
Chartres
Although it is possible to continue from Maintenon directly to Chartres in a very short drive, I decided to dedicate a separate day to it. The main attraction in Chartres is of course the cathedral, which is a magnificent work of French Gothic architecture, and is a pilgrimage site. I visited it 7 years ago, and it was undergoing renovations.
Today, after the renovation was completed, the cathedral is radiant and shiny, and since the day was beautiful and the sun shone on the beautiful stained glass windows, known for their deep blue color, and the huge rosettes are a sight that is difficult to leave. One of the great mysteries of the cathedral, the labyrinth in its center, is still hidden under dozens of chairs, which is a shame and especially jarring. The wall of miniature sculptures that surrounds the altar from the outside is fascinating and you could spend hours just looking at it.
A wonderful attraction I discovered in Chartres is a small and charming house called Maison Picassiette that belonged to Raymond Isidore, who was a municipal employee in Chartres. Starting in 1938, he began decorating his house with porcelain shards that he found by chance, and in fact, in a rough translation, Picassiette means “plate thief.” Slowly, the momentary hobby turned into a life's work that was a huge mosaic work. In fact, for 25 years, Isidore decorated the entire house and its contents with mosaics. It is difficult to describe in words this magical and breathtaking wonder.
The mosaics are so abundant, precise, and detailed that it is difficult to absorb all the details, and even though it is a small place, it is worth dedicating at least two hours to it. In addition to the house and the courtyard, there is also a small chapel whose dominant color is blue (the symbol of the Virgin, the color of the royal house, or simply the hallmark of Chartres), an inner courtyard with a model of Chartres Cathedral, a large wall in the backyard known as the “Jerusalem Wall.” Inside one of the rooms is also the “Tomb of the Spirit.” If you come to Chartres, don’t miss this house, and in any case, the house and the cathedral are a good enough reason to go there (an hour and a quarter by train from Montparnasse).
A personal word in closing
the little Prince, a book I read a million times when I was a kid, and I certainly didn't understand most of its meanings. I know almost all of it by heart and even quote from it sometimes. And it is of course a French icon, and the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is buried inPantheon. While wandering around one of the souvenir shops, they sold postcards with pictures from the book and quotes from it. Suddenly, I heard in my imagination the voice of a storyteller reading the book (in French, of course), and it awakened my memories. Like the tapping of an ancient gong, the sound of which continues to be heard long after the blow, the sentences echoed in my head and the meanings of the sentences took on their true depth. So, just before boarding the plane, I bought the book, which will find its place of honor next to the worn-out Hebrew copy, and of course, a magnet to decorate the refrigerator ❤
Looking for more information about museums in Paris and current exhibitions?
- You can find information and buy tickets for all the important museums of Paris atAttractions page on the website.
- There is a page on the site that is updated once a month and contains theThe most interesting exhibitions currently taking place in ParisIt is recommended to take a look at it.
Excellent article. You taught me quite a bit and made me want to see a lot of what you said. A big thank you.