Palais Longchamp

LE MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS, the Fine Art Museum, is the oldest museum in Marseille and is housed in the Palais Longchamp. Established in the 1800s, it houses a rich collection of paintings dating from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Whilst the paintings and masterpieces are exquisite, the building in which they sit is also worth a visit in its own right. The Palais Longchamp was constructed in 1869, as un château d’eau or a ‘water castle’, to celebrate the new canal that brought the waters of the Durance river to Marseille. Until this point, Marseille had been having problems with a constant water supply.

Behind the large and extravagant fountain, is a large park, once home to the botanical garden and a zoo. Whilst there are no longer any animals kept there, you can see many marseillais walking their dogs and taking a stroll among the ancient trees- some as old as 150 years!

In the heat of summer, this is a lovely place to relax and enjoy the peace of the garden. In some places, you can even look out across the city to the surrounding mountain ranges.

 

“Freedom Revolution” Urban Sketching Workshop

One of the driving forces that encouraged me to take this trip to Portugal was the workshop that was being run in Lisboa that weekend. In Melbourne, I participate in a group called Urban Sketchers, in which we meet in the streets of the city to draw what we observe. The concept is wider than just Melbourne though, and there are Urban Sketchers all over the world. I was lucky enough to hear about a workshop being run in Lisboa, the capital of Portugal and decided it would be a great way to build some skills, meet some people and give a purpose to my trip.

Run by the wonderfully engaging and encouraging Marina Grechanik, the workshop focused on the process of putting people in our pictures- something I have to admit I often avoid. We were given some great tips on how to focus on people- be it by capturing emotion, capturing action or by making the people the focal point and ‘heroes’ of the scene.

It was the perfect day to host the workshop as in Portugal, the 25th of April is a celebration of the freedom and democracy that were established after the Carnation Revolution which took place in 1974. Initially a military coup against the Estado Novo regime, it was accompanied by an unexpectedly high level of civilian resistance. What is so amazing about this revolution is that almost no shots were fired. In fact, red carnations were placed in the muzzles of rifles as well as on the soldiers uniforms, giving the revolution it’s name.

So to celebrate the 25th of April, there were a lot of people in the streets- selling strawberries and carnations, participating in speeches and music concerts, running in a race, participating in parades… There was a great atmosphere, perfect for observing people and trying to capture the moment.

It was lovely to meet so many passionate sketchers. There was a great range of people, many from Lisboa, but also from all over the world. It was lovely to sit and chat  (in English or French) and hear their stories, as well as to look though their drawings and discover their style. Although I was tired, and missing home (the 25th of April is an important day in Australia, as we celebrate the soldiers who serve and fight for our country. It also happens to be my brother’s birthday), I had a wonderful time, spending the day engaged with others, observing, drawing and trying out new techniques.  I miss the Urban Sketching group from Melbourne and look forward to sketching with them once I’m back on Australian soil.

Strasbourg: Tomi Ungerer and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

Tomi Ungerer is a French illustrator and writer born and bred in Strasbourg. He’s published over 140 books, from picture books, to more controversial adult work, as well work as political cartoonist. We went to visit the museum dedicated to his work and that of his contemporaries.

I enjoyed seeing his cartoons which included the Cathedral of Strasbourg as a motif. It made me think about the importance we place on symbols of the places to which we belong, and about the way culture is incorporated into society.

After lunch, we visited the Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery at the other end of town, not to far from the station. We were well impressed with the large and diverse collection, ranging from early impressionism through to interactive works from 2014. So much so that we lost track of time and had to hurry to catch our train.

The Modern and Contemporary Art Museum peaks out over Le Barrage Vauban

Unterlinden

The Unterlinden Museum of Colmar is home to a number of art pieces famous to the area. Depicting religious themes, the artworks are impressive but are full of symbolism that can be difficult to understand. Thankfully with our student entry we received free audioguides explaining the symbolism and the history behind each painting, as well as highlighting its aesthetic qualities. Available in several languages, including English, we opted for the French to test our listening skills. The gentle voice of the guide was easy to follow, and our decision impressed the museum hosts. Normally located in a gallery, due to renovations, the content of the museum was relocated to a church near the Colmar Cathedral- a setting which felt just right for the images depicted in the paintings. In addition to the artwork, there were old relics from the region on display: cups, spoons and even an old incisor tooth!

Basel: Museums and Galleries

After exploring the town of Basel and sitting down to lunch at a bakery that also sold plated meals (Chloe had a ‘Pizza’ that ressembled a quiche, I had a veggie Strudel -which was delicious), we headed off to visit the temporary exhibition on Paul Gauguin, housed at the Foundation Beyeler. To get to the gallery, we had to catch the tram to one of the city’s outer suburbs. It was lovely to watch the buildings change and to see the parks and open spaces appear as we headed further from the city centre.

I enjoyed walking through the spacious gallery, their sculpture garden, temporary exhibitions and permanent collection. The Guaguin exhibition was very crowded, but worth seeing. A traveler, he lived for a time in Martinique and in Tahiti, and produced works depicting the lives of local people. Although he apparently was against many of the ideas upheld in these French colonies, I still find many of these later works unsettling. For me, there is a feeling of intrusion and misrepresentation, perhaps as a result of my education, which has often included a focus on the injustices of colonialism and a critique of this ‘natural’ superiority that now remains entrenched in some aspects of most societies. I find it difficult to appreciate art from other eras without applying my own 21st century judgments, without separating it from the ideas that are prevalent in my culture today. I’m not sure whether art remains tied to a particular moment in time, but I am convinced that knowing the history and the culture of the artist can help us immensely to understand the art they produced and the way in which our perceptions of this artwork have changed with time.

Foundation Beyeler

‘White Curves’ by Ellsworth Kelly

A Peter Doig exhibition was also on display. I loved his use of colour and layers to add intrigue and depth to his landscapes. The paintings were often beautiful, but tied to a sense of lonely chaos- strange dreamlike creations that made you question what they really represented. After viewing his paintings, we were able to see a selection of the artist’s experimental prints on paper. It was fantastic to see the development of composition, tone and colour as the prints progressed, and to recognise in them part of the final painting.

In late afternoon, we went to visit the Music Museum. Chloe being an avid cello player, studying Arts/Music at university, this was a stop we couldn’t miss. As small as it was, the museum housed a great collection of instruments, along with recordings of their sounds. It was fantastic to see the progression and refinement of musical instruments through the different ages. The focus was mainly on European and classical instuments, although there was also a temporary exhibition on guitars- acoustic, classical and electric. It was fun to do something interactive and to play with the sounds, but when we stumbled upon a listening lounge, we were more than happy to sit down and do nothing but soak in the music.

Basel is a Museum City. There are so many galleries and museums that you could easily spend a whole week of rainy days there and not get bored. I would have loved to have had more time to visit them, and perhaps one day I will come back for more. Although this Shoe Museum  would not be on the top of my list of things to see, I found it so eclectic that I wanted to share a few photos. There really is something for everyone!

Not so simple

This reflection is from a few weeks ago, but I wanted to share it because it remains a challenge sometimes to remain positive in the face of the unknown and the unfamiliar. 

Today was one of those days when things just seem a little harder than usual.

My class in the morning was difficult, although it was meant to be a revision session, at the end of two hours most of the class was left scratching their heads in confusion. I then met up with friends to work on a group assignment, which we feel as though we are making progress on, but still aren’t entirely sure what the task requires of us.

Once home, I decided I ought to make sure that the money I had transferred into my french account had indeed arrived. Three attempts at my password later and I was locked out of my online profile. I went into the bank, thankfully the cheerful assistant was more than happy to provide me with a new password, and to let me know that yes, the transfer had indeed been processed.

Finally I went to the train station to collect tickets for the next weekend- and discovered I’d booked the wrong date of departure when I bought them weeks ago! I couldn’t believe it. I was so relieved to have realised my mistake before the date on the ticket though, as it meant it was possible to exchange the wrong train for one leaving closer to the date I had originally aimed for. Next time, I’m double triple checking before I click “confirm purchase”.

All these little challenges on top of one another had left me feeling quite overwhelmed. I was glad to stumble across an art gallery, which whilst mainly housing displays for interior design, also featured the works of Paul Bergignat, a French artist. His works had a lovely mix of texture, and the gentle mix of tree silhouettes, river-like patterns and hazy skies was soothing. I stood and enjoyed the paintings, half listening to the conversation of the owner and a client, discussing the aesthetic value of a side table. You can see the paintings in the exposition here.

Paul Bergignat, mise au point. Oil on canvas 100 x100cm.

Later that evening I went out to a café-bar with a friend, to sit inside watching the rain and debrief on the little difficulties of our day. No matter where you are in the world, it’s important to have good friends to help turn your frustration into laughter and to remind you to look back on the day with a smile.

Musée des Beaux Arts

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Located just next to the cathedral, the Fine Art Museum houses some beautiful paintings, trinkets and statues. What’s more it follows the same “First Sunday free” rule which means no-one pays on the first Sunday of the month. With my student card and my “cultural passport”, it’s free for me anytime. As well as its permanent collection, the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions. We were lucky enough to visit while there was a display titled Dans la lumière de l’impressionnisme (In the Light of Impressionism) featuring works by Edouard Debat-Ponsan (1847-1913). Many of his works were painted en plein air (outdoors) and include rural scenes, landscapes and family portraits from his home region of Languedoc, in Paris, in the Bretagne region and my local area: the Touraine.

Photography was forbidden, but this was a blessing. I was able to soak in the paintings, the use of colour and stroke to depict the light falling on the scene, the way a painting changes when you stand near or move away. I love the impressionistic style, and the subject of nature – it’s very soothing and there’s a tranquil, calming quality to most of these works. It was nice to spend an afternoon locked away in the rooms of the museum, finding peace and solace in these gentle paintings.

Poster for the exhibition

First Sunday Free!

In France a lot of things slow down on Sundays and most places are closed. This doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to museums though. In fact on the first Sunday of each month, the museums not only open, but are also free to visit.

I was lucky to be in Bordeaux for the first Sunday of January (the first Sunday ever for 2015) and I took advantage of this to explore two of the major museums of Bordeaux. I began with the Musée Des Arts Décoratifs, which contains a collection of homewares, furniture, paintings, curtains and wallpaper from the centuries past. There were some very interesting designs. The musuem itself was previously a house for important people within Bordeaux, and some of the rooms retain the same layout, colour scheme and furniture as it did back in the 1700s.

In addition to the ancient furniture there were some newer pieces on display. These were the works of Martine Bedin who began her career in furniture design and is now an established architect. The exhibition displayed furniture designs she had previously abandoned, now readapted years later. It was interesting to see these designs amidst the older furniture- sometimes their presence was quiet and it was easy to miss them- at other times it was glaringly obvious that these pieces came from a different era. I really loved some of her white vases, influenced by architectural designs, and probably the items I would most like to house in my own home one day.

The second stop was the Galerie des Beaux Arts, the Fine Art Gallery. Here a temporary exhibition was on display to celebrate the works of Bissière, and to mark the fifty years since his death. Roger Bissière (22 September 1886 – 2 December 1964) was born near to Bordeaux and lived there over a number of years, starting a law degree then moving into painting. Whilst this exhibition focused on his use of the human figure in his early works and documented his move further and further into abstraction, he is also well known for his stained-glass windows, such as those of the Église de Cornol and the Église de Develier (Switerland, 1958) in the pictures below.

Image source: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bissi%C3%A8re

Image source: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bissi%C3%A8re

I really enjoyed this exhibition as you could really see the progression of the artist’s style throughout his lifetime. There was an impressive number of works on display- three floors entirely dedicated to a single artist. It was also very crowded, as I think a lot of the locals were also making the most of the free entry. I also enjoyed going to the Museum of Fine Arts across the road. This held a diverse selection of paintings from the past few centuries, including a few historic tableaux of Bordeaux itself. All in all it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon and it didn’t cost a cent.