Maillol Museum and Modern Art Museum

(C) Ceraulen - 2006

Dear all,

Which place can you visit today? You are quite lucky because I propose you two Parisian areas, more precisely two current exhibitions, both are museums with a permanent collection.

If you like sculptures and Marilyn Monroe, do not hesitate to visit the Maillol Museum in the 7^th area and the exhibition dedicated to Marilyn “the Last Sitting” which will take place until October 30^th, 2006.

If you prefer modern art, so no doubt, you need to visit the Modern art Museum of Paris City in the 16^th area and the exhibition organized by Dia Art Foundation from New York, Dan Flavin’s retrospective, until October 8^th, 2006.

Let us introduce you each of them in a few words!

vDINA VIERNY FOUNDATION – MAILLOL MUSEUM

59-61, rue de Grenelle – 75007 Paris – Subway : Rue du Bac – Line 12

Website : www.museemaillol.com 

Schedules : from 11:00 AM to 18:00 PM, closed on Mondays and bank holidays

Price: Euros 8 / Special price at Euros 6 for unemployed, group

Free for under 16 years old

First of all, do you know that it is possible to have a first idea about Maillol’s works while walking in a famous Parisian garden?

If you are not aware about that (ignorer), I encourage you to go to the Tuileries Gardens. On the part closed to Le Carroussel du Louvre, near the kind of labyrinth, you can discover some sculptures from Aristide Maillol 1861-1944).

Of course, the beauty features (caracteristiques, canons de beaute) of this period does not match the current ones!

– The Maillol Museum’s creation is the result of a life devoted to art.

Dina Vierny was 15 years old when she first met Maillol. This meeting stimulated Maillol’s creativity as he has found the figure he needed to create and carry on his work devoted to the beauty of human being.

Their 10 years’ relationship were a highly productive period. The sculptures are based on sketches he drew of Dina. We can mention among others: “The Mountain”, “The Air”, many statuettes such as “Dina with a plaid”, many paintings and pastels derived from meeting between the perfection of body and the maturity of a talent.

His ultimate work called “Harmony” remained unfinished since he was killed in a car accident in 1944. His state funeral were only accorded twenty years after his death.

After opening an art gallery in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, travelling around the world to enlarge her collection, giving Maillol’s sculptures to the Tuileries Gardens in 1964, Dina Vierny decided to create the Foundation to show Maillol’s work to the public.

Since then, by sheer force of will (a force de volonte) she has succeeded in such a goal.

The building of Dina Vierny Foundation was build in the 18^th century and for record, Alfred de Musset had lived there between 1824 and 1840, the painter Baudry had settled his workshop.

The architect Pierre Devinoy helped Dina Vierny to achieve this museum composed of 27 rooms which includes the whole of Maillol’s work together with many works of outstanding artists such as Pierre Bonnard, Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Serge Poliakoff, Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin, Suzanne Valadon.

Beauties on Tuileries Gardens

(C) Ceraulen - 2006

For further information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristide_Maillol

http://www.artfact.com/features/viewArtist.cfm?aID=22486

– “The Last Sitting” exhibition – “La derniere seance” – Bert Stern – Until October 30^th, 2006

It is rare to discover Marilyn nude without makeup, so natural and fresh!

Originally, Bert Stern, an established photographer, renowned for the quality of his portraits, mused on his dream (caresser un reve) of taking pictures with Marilyn Monroe. It was in 1962 and the Vogue editors encouraged this idea.

Marilyn agreed to pose. The session can start after five hours of waiting as Marilyn’s moods (sautes d’humeur) and shims (caprices) were notorious.

And it became magical as for twelve hours without break, Bert Stern had connected picture after picture.

The results were remarkable but too plain (denude) for Vogue that suggested to do another session with garments and makeup.

The Last Sitting session includes 2,571 photos. For each exhibition, the photographer selected a small number.

In 1982, Stern chose 59 photos for an American museum. They were later auctioned and bought by Leon Constantiner, a collector from New-York. You can discover them now at the Maillol Museum, a delight! 

For further information:

http://glamournet.com/legends/Marilyn/stern/

http://www.geocities.com/melaniumom/BertStern.html

http://www.marilynmonroe.com/about/photos.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe

http://french.imdb.com/name/nm0000054/

vMODERN ART OF PARIS CITY 

11, avenue du President Wilson – 75116 Paris – Subway : Alma-Marceau or Iena (L. 9)

RER Pont de l’Alma (Line C)

Website : www.mam.paris.fr 

Schedules : from 10:00 AM to 18:00 PM, closed on Mondays and bank holidays

Late night opening on Wednesdays during exhibitions

Special price at Euros 6 for unemployed for Dan Flavin exhibition

Free for under 13 years, for permanent collection

Located in one part of Palais de Tokyo, this museum has just opened after two years of public works since February this year.

Concerning the permanent collections, you can discover along 17 rooms, the different art trends from the “avant-gardes” of the 20^th century to nowadays with a monumental sculpture from Jean-Michel Othoniel.

Cubism with Picasso, Delaunay; surrealism with Andre Breton; abstraction creation with Fernand Leger; expressionnism with Modigliani, Pascin; new realism with Pierre Restany; Fluxus movement with Ben, George Brecht; narrative figuration with Erro... take part of the exhibition.

Two additional rooms are dedicated to Dufy and Matisse.

Ben's work

For further information:

http://www.paris-tourism.com/paris/us/patrimoine_loisirs/musees/424.html

http://www.cofrase.com/artforum/index/g02-001x.htm

– Dan Flavin – A retrospective – Until October 8^th, 2006

This artist (1933-1996) built his entire artistic output (production) around the exploration of the light artistic possibilities. He is considered as one of the Minimal art founders along with Donald Judd.

He devised (inventer) and designed (concevoir) numerous installations out of fluorescent lamps, creating luminous environments in close relation to architecture.

Dan Flavin referred to his art as “situational” that means it is directly linked to the architectural context. His work does not only consist in the installation of fluorescent lamps, but also includes the space in which it is presented.

Light spreads throughout the space and changes it into an intense zone of perception, which it modifies, often in a spectacular way.

For further information:

http://www.diacenter.org/exhibs_b/flavin/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Flavin

Hope you will enjoy one of these two museums. Let me know your comments!

With best wishes,

Ceraulen

(C) Ceraulen - 2006