On the Way to the Musée du Luxembourg
Sous le Chapeau (Under the Hat)
This young woman sits on a bench at the doorway to the Hungarian Institute at 92, rue Bonaparte. She is not far from the Musée du Luxembourg, which is located in the northwestern corner of the Jardin du Luxembourg. She is barefoot and wearing a summer dress, with her face shaded by a large, floppy hat.
Her chin is resting in her hands, and she seems to be lost in thought. The sculpture was cast in 1992 by Hungarian sculptor Andra Lapis, copied from a (1975) sculpture in Szeged, Hungry.
Becky sitting beside the pensive young lady. I encountered this sculpture unexpectedly on my way to the Luxembourg Museum. A passerby kindly offered to take this pic.
Around the corner from the Musée du Luxembourg: Jardin de la Roseraie
There has been a Rose Garden in the Luxembourg Garden for centuries. The Rose Garden lies opposite the Orangerie (where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter) right next to the Musée du Luxembourg. It is worth a short detour around the museum to see this charming little garden. In the 1840s, the Roseraie had the best collection of roses in France and was the most renowned Rosarium in Europe. It had hundreds of different varieties of roses, but things changed dramatically, and by World War I the Rose Garden had been destroyed. Eventually it was re-established, but there are now only approximately eight varieties of roses that remain from its glory days.
The tourist information board located next to the gate before you enter the Rose Garden shows signs for "no smoking, no drinking or picnics and no football."
One of the borders of the garden with bedding plants and climbing roses
Climbing roses
A close-up of the exquisite roses to be found within the Jardin de la Roseraie. It may be a variety of Bourbon Rose, similar to a Tea Rose, which was first introduced into France in the 1800s.
There is a dedicated space for young children within the Rose Garden to play in the sandpits.
In the central area of the Rose Garden opposite the Orangery, is the statue called La Messagère (The Messenger) by Gabriel Forestier (1889-1969), installed in 1950. She is facing the façade of the Orangerie. There is a very wide path bordered by a hedge between the Rose Garden and the Orangery, and If you follow the path toward rue deVaugirard you will arrive at the entrance to the Musée du Luxembourg.
Musée du Luxembourg
The Palais du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Palace) was commissioned by Marie de Médicis, wife of Henry IV of France, in 1615. The palace was a monument to the Queen, and the architect included two galleries to house the 24 paintings Rubens dedicated to the Queen. In 1750, the gallery opened to the public, and the Luxembourg Palace became the first public gallery of paintings in France. Around 100 paintings came from the King's own collection. The public discovered Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Veronese, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Poussin, and Raphaël. In 1818 it became the first museum of contemporary art. In 1884 the museum moved into its current building, the former Orangery of the Palace.
The first, and highly controversial exhibit of major works from the Impressionists held in a national museum, featured works from Cézanne, Sisley, Monet, Pissarro, Manet, Renoir, and others. Their work was considered scandalous at the time because Impressionism differed radically from the classical painting tradition. Original collections once displayed here have been moved to other locations, such as the Musée du Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. Nowadays, there are two or three exhibitions each year at the Musée du Luxembourg. I keep returning to this museum because there is always a different exhibit to see. In addition, it is not a large museum, so you can see a wonderful assemblage of artwork in a relatively small area and in a short period of time.
Poster of the signature painting of the exhibition on Rue de Vaugirard
Entry to the museum with the garden’s distinctive black wrought-iron grill
Huge bronze entry portals to the museum
Pediment (triangular place under the roof of a Greek temple) of the façade of the Musée du Luxembourg. The sculpture of the pediment which crowns the door of the museum was done by Gustave Crauk (1827-1905) and shows the figure of France presenting a laurel leaf crown and a palm to Painting and Sculpture.
Poster of Woman with a Cage beside the entry portal to the museum
Bronze entry portal sculpture by Cecco Bonanotte, Italian Sculptor (2006)
Sculpture on the opposite bronze entry portal by Cecco Bonanotte
Masterpieces from the Hungarian National Gallery
About 80 works from the Museum of Fine Arts of Budapest were on display at the Musée du Luxembourg from March 9 through July 10, 2016. Most of the works were from the collection of the Esterhàzy family, a Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages, who owned many beautiful pieces acquired in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1871, 600 of their works were bought by the Hungarian state
The exhibition is divided into chronological sections, starting from the end of the Middle Ages through Symbolism and Modernity in the 20th century. The Dutch Golden Age, a period particularly appreciated by the Esterhàzy, is well represented with various paintings, including a portrait by Frans Hals as well as a genre scene by Jan Steen. The modern section includes major works by avant-gardist Hungarian artists such as Jozsef Rippl-Ronai. His mysterious large-scale canvas, Femme a la Cage was painted in 1892 in Paris, where he worked close to the Nabis painters.
End of the Middle Ages
16th century wooden sculptures and painting
King Saint Stephen of Hungary,1500
He was the first king and Patron saint of Hungary
He was the first king and Patron saint of Hungary
Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, 1500, Maitre d’Okolicsno (Hungarian, 16th century)
Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth as required by the Jewish religion. Elderly Simeon meets Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus, who he predicts will be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
King Saint Ladislaw of Hungary, 1500
He extended his country’s borders, kept its enemies at bay, and made it a great state politically.
Sainte Dorothée
15th century wooden sculpture of Saint Dorothy, a graceful young woman holding a basket
German Renaissance 1430-1580
Lamentation over the Dead Christ, 1500, Lucas Cranach, the Elder (German, 1472-1553)
Christ's corpse is in the center of the image supported by St John. The Virgin embraces her dead son and Mary Magdalene kisses the wound on his right hand.
Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, 1530, Lucas Cranach, the Elder (German, 1472-1553)
Herod, king of Galilee, had imprisoned John the Baptist because he censured Herod for divorcing his wife and unlawfully taking Herodias, the wife of his brother. On Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter, Salome, danced before the king and his guests. Her dancing pleased Herod so much that he promised to give her anything she desired. Salome was told by her mother to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod reluctantly agreed and had John executed in the prison.
Crucifixion, 1518-1520, Albrecht Altdorfer (German, 1480-1538)
High Renaissance in Italy 1495-1600
Virgin and Child, 1495, Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio (Italian, 1467-1516)
Boltraffio was a student of Leonardo da Vinci. In his Virgin and Child, the face of Mary looks a lot like Leonardo’s Madonnas and may have been completed by him.
Virgin with Child and Saint Elizabeth and John the Baptist, 1525,
Bernardino Luini (Italian, 1485-1532)
Both Luini and Boltraffio were said to have worked in Leonardo da Vinci’s studio, so some of their works were signed in Leonardo’s name. Luini was known especially for his graceful female figures with his classic “Luinesque,” or lowered, eyes.
Christ on the Way to Calvary, 1552, Jacopo Bassano (Italian, 1510-1592)
Mannerist school of art (Late Renaissance, 1520-1580) tends to be more artificial and less naturalistic than Renaissance painting. Christ carries his cross to Calvary (He is mid-picture but the cross is not easily seen.) He has fallen to the ground and Saint Veronica, who kneels to the left, holds out her veil to him. According to Veronica's legend, she wiped Christ’s face with her veil, and his features were miraculously imprinted on it.
A New Religious Movement
The Penitent Magdalene, 1576, El Greco (Greek, 1541-1614)
Mannerism (Late Renaissance) The angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will become the mother of Jesus. The Virgin listens to the message of the Archangel.
Mannerism (Late Renaissance, 1520-1580) Mary Magdalene is believed to have been among the women who stood at the foot of the Cross. However, that she was a repentant prostitute is probably not true. Her tearful eyes look towards the sky, and she appears as a very elegant woman, rather than as a tragic penitent hermit.
The Annunciation, 1600, El Greco (Greek, 1541-1614)
Mannerism (Late Renaissance) The angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will become the mother of Jesus. The Virgin listens to the message of the Archangel.
Saint Jerome, 1620, Jusepe de Ribera (Spanish, 1591-1652)
Ribera was a leading painter of the Spanish school, although his mature work was all done in Italy. The image of St Jerome, one of the four Fathers of the Church and a favorite subject of popular religious devotion, was also one of Ribera's favorite themes.
Ribera was a leading painter of the Spanish school, although his mature work was all done in Italy. The image of St Jerome, one of the four Fathers of the Church and a favorite subject of popular religious devotion, was also one of Ribera's favorite themes.
Kingdom of Hungary Golden Angel with Skull & Serpent
Painted and gilded limewood, late Baroque (1680-1750), artist unknown
The angel has a skull and a snake gliding across some bones at his feet. The Baroque artistic style (1600-1700) is elaborate, often with a sense of dynamic movement and many details.
Apparition of St James at the Battle of Clavijo, 1750, Giambattista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696-1770)
Saint James was a disciple of Christ and the patron saint of Spain. He was said to have miraculously appeared to help the Christian Spaniards defeat a Moslem army in 844 AD. Tiepolo painted a triumphant St James holding a sword to the neck of the king of the Moors at the Battle of Clavijo. Although the battle is the subject of a number of paintings, the battle never happened. Rococo Art, light, elaborate and decorative, succeeded Baroque Art in Europe.
Dutch Golden Age
Portrait of a Man, 1634, Franz Hals, (Dutch, 1582-1666)
Frans Hals the Elder was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who lived and worked in Haarlem. He is notable for his loose “painterly” (showing visible brush strokes) brushwork.
In Merry Company says the Cat Family, 1673-1675, Jan Steen (Dutch, 1626-1729)
A portrait of the artist’s family. He is probably the man in the armchair, his wife leaning on his shoulder. Around them are a lot of lively young people around a litter of kittens.
Detail of In Merry Company...
Study of a Man’s Head, 1616-1619, Peter-Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640) Flemish Baroque
Character studies
Study of a Man’s Head, 1616-1619, Peter-Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640) Flemish Baroque
Young Peasant with a distaff, 1740, Giacomo Ceruti (Italian, 1698-1767) Italian Baroque
(A distaff is a short staff that holds a bundle of fibers ready to be spun into yarn or thread.
It is a traditional symbol of women’s work.)
Dona Manuela Camas y de las Heras, Wife of the artist, 1792-1793, Francisco de Goya, (Spanish, 1746-1828)
Goya was one of the great portraitists of modern times.
An intelligent woman looks up from her embroidery, meeting our gaze with a smile.
Baudelaire’s Mistress, Reclining, or Woman with a Fan, 1862, Edouard Manet (French, 1832-1883)
Édouard Manet was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, and a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. His famous portrait of Madame Duval, Baudelaire’s mistress, is depicted when she has long passed her youthful beauty. Her huge crinoline dominates the painting.
Modern Art and Symbolism
Trois Bâteaux de Pèche, 1885, Monet (French, 1840-1926)
Étretat was a popular village on the English Channel near Le Havre. Monet depicted the weather-beaten fishing boats accurately, reflecting his understanding of the fishing industry along the Normandy coast. The boats, prominently front and center, suggest their importance to the inhabitants of the region.
L’Alouette (Skylark)1882, Pal Szinyei Merse (Hungarian, 1845-1920)
A naked girl gazes upwards watching the flight of a lark. Surprisingly, the sky with its fluffy white clouds takes up over three-quarters of the picture.
Centaur in the Village Blacksmith’s Shop, 1888, Arnold Bocklin (Swiss, 1827-1901)
He ranks as one of the most outstanding Swiss/German symbolist artists of his time. Bocklin gradually moved from painting landscapes towards figurative compositions, which contained dream-like figures and mythical references.
La Femme Peintre, 1903, Karoly Ferenczy (Hungarian, 1862-1917)
A slender woman in a long dress and apron, wearing a straw hat, clutches paintbrushes and palette while studying her easel in a sun-dappled garden. The canvas would have been perfectly in place at a French impressionist exhibition. He is considered to be the father of Hungarian impressionism and post-impressionism.
Veronica’s Veil, 1909, Oskar Kokoschka (Austrian, 1886-1980)
Kokoschka was an Austrian artist, poet and playwright best known for his intense expressionistic portraits and landscapes. Expressionist artists sought to express emotional experience rather than physical reality. Saint Veronica encountered Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary. When she paused to wipe the blood and sweat off his face with her veil, his image was imprinted on the cloth. Veronica is holding the veil protectively and appears despondent, lamenting the dead Christ.
Jeune Homme, 1919, Beni Ferenczy (Hungarian, 1890-1967)
After his experiences with cubism first and with expressionism later, his art evolved in sculptures with emphasized forms. While a highly talented sculptor he was one of the most accomplished graphic artists in Hungary of the period.
Woman with a Cage, 1892, Jozsef Rippl-Ronai (Hungarian, 1861-1927)
József Rippl-Rónai, whose symbolist masterpiece Woman with a Cage is the signature painting for the exhibition, was an avant-garde Hungarian artist whose association with Les Nabis in Paris influenced the development of Hungarian Art Nouveau. Les Nabis were a group of post-impressionist French painters active from 1888–1900 whose work is characterized by flat patches of color, bold contours and simplified drawing. The subject of Woman with a Cage holds up a cage, contemplating an imprisoned yellow bird. (The model is Rippl-Ronai's life companion and future wife, Lazarine Baudrion.) The blue-green background and the woman’s burgundy-brown hat and dress are simple and dark, soft and and peaceful. It has been suggested that her wistfulness while looking into the bird cage may be a reflection on the bars that enclose her life.
The Big Birdcage
by French artist Mathieu Challières.
The designer crafts his aviary-inspired art by hand with delicate copper wire, and the birds which perch on the bars are made of hand-dyed goose feathers. (In the gift shop, for 1800 euros = $1900)
