16.6.08

Exhibitions


Last week I went to see the ongoing Camille Claudel exhibition at the Rodin Museum. I went early in the morning, as there is a long queue to get in.

I guess Camille Claudel and her life is known to most of you, but maybe just a few words: Camille Claudel (1864-1943) was one of the best sculptors ever. She worked first as an apprentice with Auguste Rodin, was his mistress for a couple of years, then worked independently for a few years, before being admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 1913. She spent her last 30 years in psychiatric institutions, on the demand of her family, including her famous author brother Paul, despite proposals from her doctors to have her released.

She destroyed a lot of her works; only some 90 statues, drawings and sketches remain... and almost all of it can be seen at the ongoing exhibition (April 15 – July 20). I would strongly recommend a visit!

I had of course the intention to take photos – and started. After my first four photos, on kind advice by the personnel, I realised that you are allowed to take photos in the Rodin museum (see previous post), but not of the exhibition. So instead I thought I should show you another art exhibition - where I was allowed to take photos.
Last Saturday my granddaughter Paloma, together with her kindergarten colleagues gave a “concert” with songs from different French regions – this is the reason she wears a regional dress. (She was strongly supported by her young brother Mattias.) After the “concert”, we were invited to see what kind of art she and her friends had produced during the school year, which soon is finished. I was amazed by the quality also of this exhibition!

My next post shold normally follow Wednesday.

39 comments:

claude said...

Cela change de tes post habituels.Très intéressant, j'aime beaucoup les dessins des enfants.
Tes photos interdites du Musée Rodin sont quand même bien visibles !

Olivier said...

et oui de plus en plus les musées interdisent les photographies ;o( et c'est bien triste.
Superbe la fête avec ta petite fille, le dessin du haut me fait penser a des danseurs. Et les enfants ont déjà un superbes goût avec cette caisse de Veuve Clicquot ;o).
Les créations des enfants sont magnifiques, il y a un dessin que tu aurais pu utiliser pour le thème du Métro.

Thérèse said...

Merci pour le partage: les dessins d'enfants nous surprennent souvent. Le dernier dessin/collage , celui de la Tour Eiffel est particulierement interessant.
Pour ce qui est de l'exposition C. Claudel je m'y rendrai avec le plus grand des plaisirs.

hpy said...

Le premier dessin, celui que tu montres en grand, est-il de Paloma ou de Niki? (J'ai un doute!)

Mona said...

what a wonderful display from the young budding talent!

Three cheers for Paloma & Mattias!

Noushy Syah said...

Greetings!

Kids are just amazing and creative.Those kindergarten kids with the exhibition and the concert must be gr8 to watch.And looking at Paloma and her lil bro seem had a good time.

p/s Good luck for France in the coming match against Italy...sadly to say The Blue players in the squad are not doing well!! Sweden - quite impressived.

alice said...

As-tu aimé les sculptures de Camille Claudel? Je trouve toujours intéressant de les voir auprès de celles de Rodin, combien l'approche de la pierre peut être différente... Et les modelages, et Les Causeuses...
Je n'en dis pas plus avant de savoir si tu les aimes.
Quelle explosion de couleurs et de bonne humeur chez les enfants! On voit qu'ils ont découvert Matisse avec plaisir. Dommage que cette spontanéité se tarisse souvent...

Nathalie H.D. said...

Oh là là j'adore tous ces dessins d'enfants ! La tour Eiffel soufflée par le vent, Notre Dame en bleu, les rondes d'enfants à la Matisse c'est fabuleux !

Et Miss Paloma est plus jolie que jamais dans son costume régional !
Je te souhaite de jolis journées jusqu'à mercredi prochain.

Nathalie H.D. said...

PS - je me construirais volontiers une maison dans l'avenue des bonbons !!!

Anonymous said...

salut peter. Camille Claudel m'a toujours fascinée. Peut-être parce que cette dame a fait un séjour prolongé en hôpital psychiatrique, oubliée de tous, cherchant en vain une reconnaissance. Le drame de beaucoup d'entre nous mais quand on est artiste, avoir de la reconnaissance, c'est un peu comme toucher un salaire.
Je suis allée au Musée Rodin la dernière fois que je suis allée à Paris. Une belle visite. Pour ce qui est des interdictions de prendre des photos dans les musées, c'est tout à fait ridicule. Je crois que le débat avait déjà été lancé sur le blog de miss cergie il y a quelques jours.
Pour les travaux des enfants, je les trouve merveilleux. Cela donne une petite touche de couleurs dans ce lundi très pluvieux, bien froid et bien triste. Les enfants ont un regard sur le monde tellement différent du nôtre, pas encore blasé, chaleureux et tellement vrai aussi. Quand j'étais petite, j'aimais particulièrement le dessin. J'avais une belle boîte de crayons de couleur avec le Cervin en photo dessus. Les fameux crayons Caran d'Ache. Et je dessinais beaucoup. Pour les membres de ma famille, quand ils avaient leur anniversaire, je leur offrais un dessin. Toujours. Ma maman en a gardé quelques-un aux murs et je les regarde toujours avec émotion. Il était tellement facile à l'époque de voir les couleurs de la vie, aujourd'hui c'est devenu plus difficile. On s'empêche - je m'empêche peut-être - de prendre des crayons de couleurs pour dessiner le ciel autrement qu'avec tout ce gris. Alors aujourd'hui, merci Peter pour ce post. Le ciel est un peu moins sombre. Je t'embrasse

lyliane six said...

Tu as réussi quand même à prendre le fameux baiser, mais pas de Rodin!
Et la petite niçoise qu'elle belle petite fille, tu as été gâté pour ton week end, peintures colorées, chants d'enfants, ça vaut certains tableaux qui valent des fortunes.

EMNM said...

No pictures allowed grrr i hate this words.

This is the same expo i have seen in Madrid, a very nice expo.
Today you can see another expo, here in Madrid, of Rodin, obviously no pictures allowed

Azer Mantessa said...

i thought i was on the wrong blog when i saw the first picture.

this is indeed your blog.

a bit of change from usual.

must be a worthwhile for you watching paloma and her concert. very nice.

and Peter, the kids' works ... oh my .... should einstein was an artist ... i bet he would have studied their techniques!

they are so creative!!!

amazing!

Anonymous said...

All visitors to your blog, and yourself, should look at these pieces by the children.

Children only include those things they know are essential for the work to be recognized and everything else is left out.

Photography should be the same. A child uses a blank sheet of paper of any color and then chooses a color to make something or draw something on that paper.

Any artist does that but few photographers seem to use that approach in their work.

They want to fill up the area with everything and while the portrait might be the intended subject, it is often surrounded by a landscape that should not be included.

I have only taken photos since 1953 and have been an artist all my life, and so I tend to see things in contrasts of light and dark, and in textures (like my post today, perfectly round, smooth cherries, versus a monotone thistle with thorns on every edge) to include in photographs.

You did this perfectly today in your presentation of the work of the children. And each work jumps off the page because of its color, its texture and its simplicity.

If I was giving out grades, Peter, I would give you an A+ for doing this instead of the museum where you were denied the opportunity to take pictures.

That is a totally stupid thing for any museum to do.

When the people can't photograph great art then the people lose interest in supporting museums with policies like that.

I know, I know. Almost all museums have a "no photography" policy but have you ever asked them to show you their written policy?

They don't have one.

Maxime said...

Lorsque j'ai découvert le premier tableau, j'ai aussitôt pensé à Niki Saint-Phalle ! Et le reste aussi est pas mal du tout. Je suis bluffé !

SusuPetal said...

Children's art is amazing. I think children are best artists.

Bettina said...

Camille Claudel is my all time favourite artist, I just LOVE her work, and I always go to the Rodin museum when I'm in Paris only to see her work. But I'm afraid this extended exhibition will close before I come in July, and then there'll only be the usual one room to her work.
Your granddaughter and her friends are lovely and there arts are beautiful.

Alain said...

Quand un jour tu ne mets qu'une photo, le lendemain tu te rattrape !
C'est vrai que certains dessins que tu nous montres sont magnifiques : la ronde, les silhouettes ...
Il n'y a pas de musée des dessins d'enfants.

PeterParis said...

claude:
Je voulais quand' même montrer que j'ai essayé!

olivier:
Oui, c'est dommage, mais je pense que la raison ici est qu'une grande partie des pièces exposées viennent de collections privées ("copyright"?).

therese:
Si tu passes par Paris, il faut y aller!

PeterParis said...

hpy:
J'ai bien peur; ni une, ni l'autre!

mona:
Thanks! (A view of Taj Mahal from your terrace! Incredible!)

noushy:
I'm afraid I will have to look at the match Italy - France tomorrow! I'm scared!

PeterParis said...

alice:
J'adore Camille, bien sur!
Tu as raison! Il me semble qu'on encourage les enfants quand ils sont tout jeunes, mais ensuite l'école devient souvent un obstacle pour la "liberté d'expression"!

nathalie:
Je pense que les enfants ici ont eu des bonnes institutrices! Ca fait plaisir!
Tu aimes beaucoup les bonbons?

delicium:
Merci pour ce long commentaire!
J'aimerai beaucoup voir tes dessins!

PeterParis said...

lyliane:
Merci! ... et la fête des (grand)pères en plus!

matritensis:
Yes, I know it was in Madrid! Normally, some of Camille's work can be seen in the Rodin museum, but last time I was there it was all gone; in Madrid!

azer:
Yes, it's a pity that the creativity is not often encouraged later in life!

PeterParis said...

abraham:
Thanks for this long comment! You are so right! You ... and the children have a lot to teach us!
For the no right to take photos, I would just say that I of course agree, but as far as the Rodin museum, and most other French museums, are concerned, you have the right to take photos of the permanently exhibited works. It's different for specific exhibitions like this one, where a lot of the works come from private collections.

maxime:
J'étais aussi bluffé! C'est pour ça que j'ai voulu montrer cette petite exposition!

susupetal:
A fantastic spririt of creativity!

PeterParis said...

bettina:
When will you be here? The exposition closes July 20!

alain:
Il faudrait le créer, le musée des enfants!

Bettina said...

I'll be in Paris on the 21-29 of July.
I almost cried when I found out that it closes the day before my arrival.

Ming the Merciless said...

That is a beautiful exhibition at the Rodin Museum. Wish they allowed you to document more work of art.

Paloma and Mattias are sooo cute.

Alex said...

Très mignons, ces p'tits bout d'choux !!
Tes petits enfants sont adorables.
J'aime bien les bonshommes en pâte à sel dans la caisse de Veuve Clicquot...

yoko said...

I'd like to see more Camille Claudel's works. Be sad you couldn't take photos. I watched the movie acted by Isabelle Adgani & Gerard Depardieu " Camille Claudel" long time ago, so I knew the relationship between Rodin & Camille.
I wish I could go to visit exhibitions in Paris next month.

The works of children are interesting. Lots of color & imagination & perspective.
They would be future Matisse & Picasso???

I will try writing my blog this summer. See you tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

That is some fantastic art!! This really made me smile.

krystyna said...

Hi Peter!
I love kids and I love look at kids and observe their spontanious actions. Kids are very artistic. If only parents notice that and help them. Your grandchildren are beautiful. I'm sure they are talented as they great grandpa. I wish you many happiness and blessings with your dear Paloma and Mattias.
Thank ypou for this great post!

PeterParis said...

bettina:
Sorry! Please give me a sign if you wish and have the time!

ming:
Yes, I guess it's the best Camille expo ever! I don't know if it will travel further; it was already in Madrid!

alex:
Merci!

PeterParis said...

yoko:
Welcome to contact me if you are around! My email address is in my profile.
Yes, you should try blogging!

ruth:
Yes, it's nice, isn't it?

krystyna:
Thanks for you always kind words!!

Shionge said...

Hiya Peter, I remember when I went to the Lourve we were not allowed to snap Mona Lisa but this tourist get snapping much to the dismay of others.

What a great celebration with your Granddaughter :) I have enjoyed it very much, very different from what we have here.

Marie-Noyale said...

C'est tres enervant cette histoire d'interdiction de photographier dans les musees et expo...

Mais pour une fois il y a un cote positif, ces peintures d'enfants sont vraiment bluffantes!!!
Celle que tu as choisi en 1ere photo est digne d'une gallerie d'art moderne dans Chelsea!!
J'avoue que l'avenue des bonbons me fait aussi REVER!!!!

Ash said...

Lovely artwork....bright and cheery!
I wouldnt mind having them on my wall :-)

PeterParis said...

shionge:
I believe you are allowed to take a photo of Mona Lisa (it's well protected)? Everybody does.

marie-noyale:
Pas d'interdiction pour le moment de la part des enfants (ou les maitresses)!

ash:
Maybe if you come this way I will get one for you!

Anonymous said...

Just wonderful. It's very astonishing that young children have such a feeling for composition and colour, instinctively I think. Great works of art, really.

Anonymous said...

You are certainly correct about the childrens artwork - very impressive! And despite the brilliance of Claudel, sometimes I feel these exhibitions miss the point about art. A mistake not made by the other one!

Karen in Honolulu said...

I love the photography in your blog. It is so much nicer to learn about a country by someone who lives there rather then someone who gets paid to talk about it.

I only wished that here in Hawaii that the schools would put more importance on art and culture.

I write about Hawaii with photos as you do but not the depth of history that you impart. I enjoyed your blog very much. I plan to follow it.
Karen In Honolulu