Thursday d'Orsay

On Thursday, we went to the Musee d'Orsay. It's a nice "little" museum (compared to the massive Louvre) occupying an old train station. The art in this museum is from the late-19th/early-20th centuries -- most notably the Impressionists.

Eric at the Orsay with the big train station clock in the distance.
This station became obsolete when trains got too long for the platform.
This was the only good photo I got before my camera battery died.

Of course I was excited to see the Degas paintings!

I took this with my iPhone, at an angle so the glass wouldn't glare.


I believe this Degas statue was recently in Milwaukee,
but I missed it there. Her tutu and hair ribbon are real cloth.


I discovered that I really like VanGogh!
His paintings have so much energy. Madness perhaps?


Here's a closeup of all those amazing little energetic brush strokes.


Wait! What is this I'm stepping on?


It's a wee-little 3-D model of Paris -- under glass and under foot!

We also learned about Le Chat Noir. You've probably seen this poster before.

It was a cabaret that developed these elaborate "shadow plays."

Le Chat Noir was open through the 1880s & 1890s. They would use shadow puppets
to tell historical stories or reenact famous battles; there were even caricatures.

With no TV or movie theaters, this was pretty impressive.


The tab at the bottom would allow the puppeteer to move
the figure through the scene. There were also elaborate shadow sets and
scenery that showed perspective much better than those early days of moving pictures.

After the museum we made a quick trip to Eglise Saint-Sulpice of DaVinci Code fame. It had the Rose Line, but it looked different in the movie ... ah that Hollywood magic!

Interior of St. Sulpice
(still using my iPhone)


The Rose Line is a brass line going all the way across the church.
There isn't any "x-marks the spot" on the ground. It then climbs this obelisk.