PARIS MUSEUMS

PARIS MUSEUMS
By Christine Arnold

There is plenty to see and do just wandering the streets of Paris without stepping foot in any of the museums or galleries. But if you have the slightest interest in established art, this city's many collections should not be missed. Some of the most popular museums are the Louvre, Beaubourg and D'orsay. Admission prices vary but average about 25 francs ($5.00). Many offer discounts to those under 25 and over 60. The Louvre and state owned museums close on Tuesdays and are half-priced on Sundays. The Beaubourg and other museums are closed on Mondays and Sundays are free. If you plan on seeing a few museums in a short time, a museum pass can be purchased at any metro station or museum and start at 50 francs for 1 day. The pass provides access to 62 museums in and around Paris and allows you to bypass ticket lines.

The Louvre was a palace, first opened to the public in 1793, during the French Revolution. Napoleon turned it into one of the largest collections on Earth. It is inspiring but does require willpower and good walking shoes to find the works you'd like to see among the 300,000 housed there. The now famous pyramid is the main entrance with an underground but sunlit concourse. There are seven basic divisions of the collection: 3 lots of antiquities, sculpture, painting and applied graphic arts. Oriental and Egyptian antiques contain jewelry, domestic objects, sandals, sarcophagi, and many examples of decorative technique, such as wall tiles depicting a duck taking off from a marsh. Also don't miss the Kneeling Scribe statue. The Greek and Roman antiques include Winged Victory and Venus de Milo, the most visited pieces after the Mona Lisa. In the Roman section are some interesting mosaics from Asia Minor and incredible frescoes from Pompeii. The largest section by far is the paintings, mostly French but also Dutch, Italian, German, Flemish, and Spanish. The early Italians are the most interesting and if you want to get near Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, do so early or late in the day.

The dramatic conversion of a defunct railway station into the Musee D'Orsay brought a major reorganization or Paris' collection of 19th century art. This famous turn of the century building is all iron and glass with an open and refreshing feel. There are 3 floors of exhibits including painting, sculpture, furniture, architectural displays, and photographs. These combine to show the richness and diversity of 19th century art, including impressionism, realism, post-impressionism, and art nouveau. The ground floor center gallery holds mid 19th century sculpture including Barye, the caster of super-naturalist animals. The Galleries to the right hold a few Delacroix'ss and to the left Daumier, Corot and Millet lead to the first impressionist works, including Manet's controversial Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe. The top floor shows outdoor scenes by Renior and Sisley. Monet's Water Lillies are everywhere and include 5 of his Rouen Cathedral series, each painted in a different lighting. Cezanne is also represented well. The rest of this level is given over to various offspring of impressionism. There's Gaugin, both pre- and post-Tahiti and lots of Toulouselatrec at his wildest. Also the smashing colors and disturbing rhythms of Van Gogh. The middle floor has 19th century sculpture, including Rodin and large rooms of beautiful art Nouveau furniture. Lastly, Mattisses and Klimts make a nice transition to the modern art of the Beeaubourg.

The Beaubourg, Musee National D'Art Moderne is on the 4th floor in the Centre Pompidou. Huge brightly colored pipes form a maze around the exterior of the building and escalators surrounded by glass provide a wonderful view of the city. The collection here is exclusively 20th century and is so large that only a small portion can be shown at one time. The works rotate and you can see contemporary pieces near the muted colors and double dimensions of Cubism in Picasso's Femme Assise and Braques L'Homme a la Guitare. There are also many abstracts, including several Kadinsky's. The expressionists and portraits offer a slightly more relaxed feel, none more so than the sleeping woman in Le Reve by Matisse. Squashed up cars, rows of silver buckets, empty white canvases and Warhol's Electric Chair can be seen. Beaubourg also houses a reference library, music library and a rooftop restaurant.

The best way to enjoy these museums is to stroll through stopping only to explore a painting or sculpture that catches your eye. After many hours of exploring these wonders, it's a good idea to spend some time relaxing with a leisurely dinner and a nice bottle of wine at one of the thousands of restaurants in the magnificent city of lights.

About Christine

Christine Arnold is the Sales Manager at Classic Travel and has been with the agency since 1993. She has a degree in Travel and Tourism from the College of DuPage in Illinois, is an International Travel Institute Certified Travel Consultant and has been voted "Travel Agent of the Year" for the Greater Lansing Area since 1998 and has a very loyal client following. A native of Chicago, Christine has traveled extensively in Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Russia and South America. Utilizing her backround in hotel management and her contacts around the world, Christine's travel experience, her passion for travel and personalized attention for her clients result in exciting trips and incredible travel values.