Parc Monceau in the rain

Referring to my recent post “Dancing in the rain”, I feel that I would like to show some more photos from my walk in the Parc Monceau. There was a special feeling with the autumn, the rain, the few people…

Some people walked under umbrellas…

… others looked for a shelter.

Some birds worried about the weather, others didn’t.

Many leaves on the ground, but some still on the trees, and some trees and bushes even offering flowers…

Fewer leaves on the trees makes it easier to view the remarkable buildings around the park.

I already made a post about all the statues to be found in the park. Here are just a few of them: de Maupassant... and Chopin (composing “Marche Funèbre”, let’s listen to it once more).

Igoshina - Chopin - Marche Funèbre par Quarouble

Dancing in the rain...

I went to Parc Monceau (see previous post) the other day. It was raining. At a distance I saw what looked like a dancing couple. It actually was, but they were not moving…

This is a statue by the American artist Seward Johnson, known for his life-size bronze statues, possibly a bit “kitch”, but interesting. Three of his statues are temporarily exhibited in the main path in Parc Monceau, all three related to French painters.

The dancing couple is a 3D version of Renoir’s “Dance at Bougival” from 1883. It’s a pleasure to get a closer look of Suzanne Valadon. (I wrote often about here, see e.g. here.)

There are two other statues to be seen.

This one is referring to another Renoir painting, “Two sisters” from 1881…

… and this one to Manet’s “In the conservatory” from 1879.

Seward Johnson is exhibited in a large number of museums, but some of his – sometimes giant – statues can also be found outdoors.    

            

Parc Monceau (bis)

On my way through the Park Monceau a couple of days ago, a grey and chilly day, I thought I should after all look for some spring signs … and, if you look closely, there seems to be some hope.

This is thus not the best moment to try to illustrate this beautiful park, but if you want to see it a bit greener, you are welcome to visit a post on my previous blog, from May 2007, when I more or less started blogging. But there is more than trees and flowers to see in this park, created during the 18th century as a private park for a member of the Royal family, but “bought” back by the French state in 1852.

To get into the park, you will admire the gates, designed by an architect, Gabriel Davioud (1824-81), who created a lot; the two theatres and the fountain at Place du Chatêlet (see previous post), the Palais du Trocadéro (not there anymore, see previous post), the Saint Michel Fountain (see previous post), not forgetting the little park, close to where I live (see previous posts)… and much more.

The park has a number of – false – old monuments. The arcade around the pond is one of the most popular places for “marriage photos”.

Many private mansions were built around the park during the 19th century. Now they tend to be museums (Nissim de Camondo – see previous post, Cernuschi) or fashionable office buildings.

This is also where you can find one of the (originally 62) remaining lodges where you were supposed to pay taxes in order to bring merchandise into the city of Paris. They were along the Wall of the Farmers-General, which represented the city limits until 1860. You can read more about this in some of my previous posts, e.g. here.

The first ever parachutist (André-Jacques Gamerin) landed in the park, jumping from a balloon in 1797. Da Vinci designed …, but – fortunately - never jumped!

The park is also known for a number of monuments, erected late 19th, early 20th century to commemorate some personalities.

One statue, (by Jacques Froment-Meurice) represents Fréderic Chopin (1810-49), composing “Marche Funèbre” (Funeral March). Below you can listen to it, performed by Valentina Igoshina.

Igoshina - Chopin - Marche Funèbre
envoyé par Quarouble. - Clip, interview et concert.

Another statue (by Antoine Mercié, who we also saw represented in the Montmartre Cemetery – see previous post) is of Charles Gounod (1818-93), surrounded by the heroines of some of his operas; Marguerite (Faust), Juliette (Romeo and Juliet), Sapho.

We can listen to Leontyne Price singing Gounod’s version of “Ave Maria” (the melody is superimposed over a prelude by Bach, part of the Well-Tempered Clavier…)

… and Anna Gheorghiu in the role of Juliet.

A third composer is Ambroise Thomas (1811-96), someone I guess most of us have forgotten, but he was much appreciated during his lifetime. The statue is by Alexandre Falguière (1831-1900), a quite successful sculptor, here portrayed by his friend Rodin. Ambroise Thomas wrote some 20 operas; Mignon, Hamlet (starring Christine Nilsson when first performed)… You can still quite often hear excerpts for concert use, but not so often the entire operas, although Hamlet could be heard at the New York Met as late as 2010.

Maybe more for “fun” we can listen to a 12 year old Julie Andrews singing “Je suis Titiania” (from Mignon)…

… and in another version by Maria Callas.

Antoine Mercié also made the statue of Alfred de Musset (1810-57), dramatist, poet, novelist … to a large extent known for a two year love affair with George Sand, preceding Frederic Chopin. He could also draw; you can see a portrait he made of George Sand. Alcoholic, he died quite young,

His most famous theatre play is perhaps Lorenzaccio, with 36 scenes and some 400 actors… It was first played only some 40 years after Musset’s death, in a simplified version, starring Sarah Bernhardt (the poster is by Alfonse Mucha). The leading role has alternatively been played by women and men (Gérard Philippe…).

Another name of someone, who we may have forgotten today, was Edouard Pailleron (1834-99), again much appreciated during his lifetime (monument by L-B Bernstamm), author, member of the French Academy and director of the National Theatre (“La Comédie Française”). John Singer Sargent was a friend of the family and painted all the members.

Interesting is perhaps that the young lady admiring Edouard Pailleron is an actress, Jeanne Samary (1857-90), very popular, but who died early, at 33. She was portrayed several times by Renoir and appears also on his famous “Le déjeuner des canotiers” (Luncheon of the boating party), painted at the “impressionist tavern” La Fournaise on which I previously made a post.

The last monument (by Raoul Verlet) is of another frequent guest at the same tavern, Guy de Maupassant (1850-93). A little text written by him can be found inside the La Fournaise tavern. I think there is no need to say too much here about one of the most loved French authors.

At last, a bit of geography.

The Nissim de Camondo museum

In the beginning of my blogging I made a post about Parc Monceau, one of the biggest, greenest and most beautiful gardens in Paris, surrounded by a fence and some fantastic golden gates - and quite near to where I live. Around the park you will find a very fashionable area, quite different from the much more modest Batignolles area, some ten minutes walk away, where you would find my flat.

I have already made a few posts about things you can find here (see map above). In a courtyard I found some rests of the destroyed Tuileries castle, there is a Chinese styled (C.T. Loo) gallery and also a Lavirotte building.



There is also an extremely nice museum, specialized in Asian - particularly Chinese - art, Musée Cernuschi, established in an ancient mansion house – “hôtel particuler”. In this museum (free of charge) you are not allowed to take any photos, but I would recommend a visit; already the interior of the building is beautiful. (The greatest museum for Asian art in Paris, bigger and more complete, is however the Guimet museum (16th arrdt.))

What I especially wanted to show today is another museum, actually a mansion house, left as it was in the 30’s, when it was bequeathed by a rich banker, Moïse de Camondo, to the institution “Arts Décoratifs” in honor of his son, Nissim de Camondo who gave the name to the museum. Nissim was killed in an aerial fight during WW I. The rest of the family later disappeared in nazi camps.

What is particularly interesting with this building, built in 1911 with the modern facilities of those days, is that you get the impression that it is left as it was when the family moved out. Furniture and very rich art collections are still there, but you can also visit the kitchen, bathrooms...

I wish you all a nice weekend! I have again blogging visitors around and may be less active in looking on your blogs, commenting etc. during a couple of days...