It is no surprising, American popularity lending a hand or not, that the Impressionists grab so many. And for so long. I spent time with various impressionists and post impressionists recently at Musee D’Orsay and Le Louvre.
Artists follow the Lover; Lovers follow the Artist. Some eye candy for the soul. Go to Paris in December photo album for more shots from a few galleries.
They had Odilon Redon’s Plante Verte Dans Une Urne (1910-1911), which had more of a post impressionist feel to it, its shade of green eerie at times. I came across someone I used to love when I lived in Europe, at a time when my life revolved around art: Emile Bernard.
Somehow, I could tell what pieces were driven by feminine energy. I loved the dramatic 1887 Baigneuses a la Vache Rouge.
Gauguin continues to blow me away, time and time again. Vairumati from 1897 was awe inspiring as were so many others. Many brought me to tears. Then there’s the texture and detail of Van Gogh’s work, whether its a portrait or a landscape, his work begs you to applaud quietly and loudly at the same time.
Other memories to note: George Lemmen’s post-impressionist piece of his wife Madame George Lemmen in 1893, Paul Signac’s Le Chateaux des Pepes (1900), Lautrec’s entire group of art (oils and charcoal) behind a window glass.
Then I saw the amusing lifesize portrait of Henry Samary which Henry Toulouse Lautrec did in the late 1890s, shortly before he died. The greens and purples are stunning, vibrant and alive; the model wears a twisted but soft conniving face: La Femme Au Bon Nois (1892). It looks like he may have done this using pastels or acrylics or a combination of both on brown paper, not canvas.
There was also Pierre Bonnard’s Femmes Interieur (Femmes at Enfants from 1899), where he presents us with an image which reminded me of my great grandmother on my father’s side. When I looked at “this femme’s eyes,” I thought of her, who unlike this model, could not remain still for long.
I went back in time to her Victorian on Second Avenue, where in the earlier years, we played softball in the backyard and later years, mowed the lawn for $2.00 an hour. I imagined her posing for Bonnard’s children and grandchildren.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
