Midday Rest by Van Gogh

Pause for a nap, as Millet.

Vincent Van Gogh's The Church at Auvers

The Church at Auvers was painted in 1890.  He wrote about it in a letter to his sister in June of 1890. 

He wrote, " I have a larger picture of the village church-an effect in which the building appears to be violet-hued against a sky of simple deep blue colour, pure cobalt; the stained-glass windows appear as the ultramarine blotches, the roof is violet and partly orange.  In the foreground some green plants in bloom, and the sand with the pink flow of sunshine in it."

Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone

For your Monday's enjoyment.

Musée d'Orsay: Van Gogh's Self Portrait

I was surprised I was permitted to be this close.   No flash photography was allowed.  I wanted to see his brush strokes and layering.

Musée d'Orsay: Terrace at a Cafe in Montremarte by Van Gogh

If you don't know, Montremarte is just behind Sacré-Cœur .  You really must go there if you visit Paris and stop at a café.  It is quite touristy now.  But, still, a delightful place to visit and see the street artists.

Musee d'Orsay

I have been to Paris a few times.  But, it has been a long time.  I was never at the Musee d'Orsay before.

I highly recommend it.

This is the center lobby.   From here, there are multiple hallways and galleries.

Even in Paris

People don't seem to pay much attention walking around. 

It seems like a good place to pay attention to traffic to me!

The Louve and Arc de Triumphe

When in Paris, you must see the Louve.

 
I am a bit perplexed at the glass triangle in front of buildings that are 100's of years old.  It seems to out of place.   

And the Arc de Triumphe

At the end of WWII, a US pilot flew his plane under it.   I love it.

Happy Valentines Day

May you feel the love and warmth from those who adore you, even when you are far away.

The Reliefs were Amazing

And they have withstood hundreds of years.

The Stained Glass was Incredible

Without a wide-angled lens, and time to set up, it is impossible to do this building justice.

But you can begin to see the amazing detail.

This was where the King and nobles would worship.   Below this, was a much less decorated church for the masses. 

Sainte-Chapelle: The Holy Chapel

The Holy chapel is located within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine in Paris, France.

Construction began some time after 1238 and the chapel was consecrated on 26 April 1248. The Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ's Crown of Thorns—one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom, now hosted in Notre-Dame Cathedral. ^[3].

The Sainte-Chapelle is one of the earliest surviving buildings of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité. It was damaged during the French Revolution and restored in the 19th century.  It has one of the most extensive 13th-century stained glass collections anywhere in the world.

The Seine

The Seine is a river 483 miles long.  It starts in NE France, flows through Paris and then eventually empties into the English Channel at Honfleur.

Below is one of the 37 bridges that cross it within the Paris city limits.

The Hôtel des Ivalides

The  Hôtel des Ivalides was commissioned in 1670 by Louis XIV in order to provide accommodation and hospital care for wounded soldiers.   In 1815, after Napoleon's abdication, over 5,000 survivors of the Great Armey were listed there.  Napoleon inspected and visited his men in 1808, 1813, and 1815.

I don't go in this time.  But, as I recall, it is a museum filled with historic artifacts of Napoleon's army.  Weapons, medals, etc.

It is worth a trip.  And, I was impressed that the government didn't just ignore those who gave so much for France.  

The Eiffel Tower

It doesn't really matter where you are in Paris, it takes just an open space between buildings to see it.

Eugène Boudin

Meet Eugene Boudin!

He was one of the first  French landscape painters to paint outdoors.  He focused on marine scenes, and was considered an expert in painting what happens along the seashore.

Happy 91st Birthday, Dad

Thank you for being an inspiration and guide for my life.

It was cold then, too, back on the farm.

Juxtaposition

I rather liked the blending of the very old architecture with beautiful sailboats.