Today is our last full day in Paris. We've hit a good share of the places we wanted to see but one remained, the Musée D'Orsay, which has the major paintings from 1848, the cut-off year for the Louvre, to 1910 or so, including all the big names and many famous paintings. It was also said to be a great building, a re-purposed railroad station of 1900, and so it proved.
Grabbed a #7 Metro to start. Shortly a musician/beggar came on.
Catch the lady in the lower left...
We've seen this done by an accordionist, a violinist, and today, a trumpeter. They haul a boombox with a backing track and solo over it, loud enough to be quite audible over the noise of the train, and at the end of a number, walk quickly through the car holding out a can or a cup hoping for donations. Then jump off as the doors open at the next stop.
There are also guys who jump on and give a loud spiel, real oratory, about (apparently) their bad luck and lack of money, and pass a cup and jump off. Hardly anybody gives anything.
Anyway, we had a pleasant walk across the width of the Louvre courtyard, over a bridge, to the D'Orsay building.
Not a great picture, but it's not an easy subject.
As a memento of its railroading days, it has a big clock.
The same clock is accessible from inside on the 5th floor.
Could this have been an inspiration for Scorses's 2011 movie Hugo?
Here's an overview of the interior space.
In remodeling they have kept the big cast-iron bones of the original depot.
And kept a massive inside clock as well.
The silhouettes are people crossing from one gallery to another. Brilliant architectural detail!
This museum, alone among all we've visited, has a no-photography policy. People were taking pictures with their phones all over the place. At three points, guards cautioned us not to take pictures. We did anyway. These were a few of the pictures that grabbed us enough to want a copy.
"Essai de figure en plein-air : Femme à l'ombrelle tournée vers la gauche", 1886, Claude Monet
"Chemin montant dans les haute herbes" (Path leading up through tall grass), 1876, Pierre-August Renoir
The very famous "Bal du moulin de la Galette", 1876, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
And in sculpture,
"La Douleur" (Pain), 1890, Jean Escoula
"Hercules Killing the Birds of Lake Stymphalis", 1910, by Émile-Antoine Bourdelle
Lots more happened today, but it's late, and we'll make a separate blog entry about the evening tomorrow.
On to Rouen!
Really outstanding pics . . . Bob
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