I’m not one for modern art usually, but I think I’ll make an exception for two exhibits at the Musée d’art moderne de la ville de Paris, both of which are on right now and both will close on August 21.
The first is collection of 100 or so works Albert Marquet, a close companion of Matisse. His work bridges post-impressionism and fauvism and often features muted landscapes.
The second exhibit features the German avant-garde painter Paula Modersohn-Becker. She was inspired by French primitivist Paul Gauguin. Even though she died at the tragically young age of 31, she left behind a substantial body of work, of which almost 100 pieces are on display in this exhibit.
The musée d’art moderne is right around the corner
from one of my favorite small museums, the Palais Galliera, dedicated to fashion exhibits. An exhibit that has just opened and will stay until October 23 is Anatomie d’une collection. The Galliera has plumbed its archives to assemble pieces that belonged to people as diverse as Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and an anonymous nurse from World War I. Do you think they’ll notice if Audrey Hepburn’s outfit is missing when I leave?
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the exhibits in Paris this summer, it’s just the ones I think I might like. These sorts of things are highly personal aren’t they? There is a French expression, “Chacun voit midi à sa porte” (shak-uhn vwah mee-dee ah sah port), which literally means “Everyone sees noon at his door,” which is a rather cryptic way of saying “To each his own.” Some exhibits end up being more to my taste than others, but I always learn something new with each one I see. And isn’t that the best part of traveling?
