Le Petit Palais, April 18, 2023

Le Petit Palais - Paris, April 18, 2023 

We woke this morning to sparkling sunlight and blue skies.  There were fluffy white clouds throughout the day, and at times, the sun played peek-a-boo with us.  The high temperature for the day was predicted to be about 63 degrees - perfect weather for a light jacket as we took a loop on the Batobus and then halfway around to the Petit Palais, located at the Place de la Concorde stop. There was still a strong wind at times, while at other times, we were quite warm in the strong sunlight.

The Captain of our Batobus at work

It seems as if everywhere we go in Paris, we can see the construction cranes that are working feverishly on the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral.

There are many of these houseboats up and down the Seine. I wonder what it would be like to live on one.

The Grand Palais

The Grand Palais dominates the Parisian skyline.  It is across the street from Le Petit Palais, which was our destination today.  Like so many places in Paris, it is under construction and closed to the public. It was also constructed as part of the 1900 World's Fair, serving as an exhibition center for shows and events.  The Grand Palais temporarily closed to the public in March 2021 for significant renovation work. It will re-open in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where it will host fencing and taekwondo events.  It is supposed to re-open to the public next spring.

I loved all of these shots of various pillars on the Pont Alexander III - mostly because of the moodiness of the sky.  The Beaux-Arts style bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs, and winged horses at either end, was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III, who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palais, to which it leads on the right bank.

Entrance to Le Petit Palais

Admission is free, and there were no more than a hundred or so people in this magnificent building. A bit of history:  In 1894 a competition was held for the 1900 Exhibition area. The Palais de l'Industrie from the 1855 World's Fair was considered unfitting and was to be replaced by something new for the 1900 Exhibition. The construction of the Petit Palais began on October 10, 1897, and was completed in April 1900. In 1902, the Petit Palais officially became the Palais des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris.

La Danseuse Sacha-Lyo - Serge Youriévitch (1933)

Sacha-Lyo was a Russian dancer who committed suicide due to a failed relationship.  Jeff and I both titled this sculpture "The Impossible Position."

La danse de Bebe (1910) -  Paul Rousee

Diana, la chasseresse - Georges Bareau (1898)

Diana, the goddess of hunting, gracefully rides an eagle, similar to Hebe, a deity that embodies youth. The mythological subjects of the late 1890s into the early 1900s were popular but reinterpreted in the fashion of the time. This Diana has little of the antique style - she sports a hairstyle and the graceful silhouette typical of elegant ladies in the late 19th century.

Le Denicheur d'Aigles - Louis Gossin (1890)

An eagle hunter had just removed an eaglet from its nest and is brutally attacked by the mother eagle as she defends her offspring.

Maria Deraismes, by Ernest Barrias (1898). Maria Deraismes was a French author and major pioneering force for women's rights.

The Hunt - Ernest Barrias

The views from the courtyard, where we had lunch

The ladies who lunch with babies!

These ladies, each with a baby, enjoyed a bite to eat and some conversation in the sunshine.

We shared this salad with chicken, and Jeff enjoyed his "lemon cake."

It seems to be a custom amongst wealthy Japanese to hire a photographer to accompany them on a honeymoon to Paris, following them around as they "dress up" and have a series of "photo shoots." I did not capture the photographer taking the picture of the husband. However, I peeked around the pillar and saw his poses as well.

After lunch, we ventured back into the museum for a look at some remarkable paintings downstairs.

Le Bon Samaratain (The Good Samaritan) - Aimé Morot (1880)

Le Bon Samaritain is an oil on canvas painting by Aimé Morot. Although it was originally larger, the artist reduced it in order to focus more directly on the life-sized figures at the center of the composition. It was exhibited at the Salon of 1880, where it won a Medal of Honor.

Pour l'Humanité, pour la Patrie (For Humanity, For Country) - Jean-Joseph Weets

The painting depicts Jesus on the cross with a dead French cuirassier at his feet, lying on the tricolor. The sense of depth is enhanced by the position of the dead horse and the diagonal placement of the officer. The composition implies a parallel between Christ’s sacrifice for humanity and the soldier’s sacrifice for his fellow citizens. The juxtaposition of sacred and secular subjects within a single image might seem shocking, but Weerts’ refined academic technique perhaps serves to smooth the difference and make it appear normal.

These two young women were sketching and weren't happy that I was taking a photo.

I

Sans asile or Les Expulsés - Fernand Pelez (1883)

This painting captured me and brought me to tears. Sadly, unwanted immigrants are nothing new.

Les Premières Funérailles - Ernest Barrias (1883)

This sculpture is inspired by the Bible story of the death of Abel, son of Adam and Eve, at the hands of his jealous brother, Cain. Here we see Adam and Eve carrying their dead son.

La Bacchante -Auguste Clésinger (1848)

An impassioned discussion of the painting

Jeff's photo of the beautiful spiral staircase

It was a remarkable visit to a beautiful place, but eventually, we had had our fill of art and decided to head back to the apartment for a rest.  

I made a rather delicious pasta bolognese into which I added the leftover chicken and broccoli from the other night's dinner, which I chopped up finely.  It really added some flavor to the very, very good jarred bolognese sauce that I used. We had purchased some fresh linguine, and we both declared the dinner a smashing success!

Tomorrow ... In search of "chestnuts in blossom"