A morning with Monet

April 14, 2017

Majorelle sweater (c/o REVOLVE)
Grlfrnd jeans (c/o REVOLVE)
Raye heels (c/o) REVOLVE)
APC bag
Olive + Piper earrings (c/o)
Madewell rings

When we come to Paris, I often get a feeling of trying to make-up for lost time. When we left the city after a year in 2013, many of our friends stayed on for another twelve months. Leaving already felt like being ripped from lives we had just begun to settle into, and watching so many people we knew continue their adventure after ours had come to an end was nothing short of heartbreaking. And so, particularly when we first arrive, I often find myself considering what places I want to revisit, rather than what new places I could discover. The first place that came to mind this year was the Musee de l’Orangerie. A small museum at the west end of the Tuileries Gardens, it is home to a vast collection of paintings from Claude Monet’s Waterlilies series, the one he devoted most of the latter part of his life to working on. Known in French as Les Nympheas, they are among my favourite works of art in the world – along with a few Mondrians and every painting by Florine Stettheimer. The truth is that Monet painted so many waterliles at the garden of Giverny that one or two pops up in almost every major museum in the world, but what I love particularly is how they are displayed at the Musee de L’Orangerie – two long oval rooms, painted stark white, are devoted to nothing but these canvases, which wrap around the long walls in a chronological progression, showing the waterlillies as they appeared to the artist as he contemplated them from dawn until dusk. The midday paintings, in hues of vibrant blue and muted pink, are my favourites, but to be honest I love them all. The last time I visited the Musee de l’Orangerie with Ian was in 2011, on our honeymoon, and, admittedly, the outfit I chose for that visit (which included a red satin top) makes me question my sartorial sanity a bit. This year’s look felt much more me. My Grlfrnd jeans continue to be on seriously high rotation in my wardrobe, so much so that I’m wondering if I should add the black version to my collection. But since this is really more about art than fashion, tell me – who are your favourite artists?

Quand je rentre à Paris, j’ai souvent l’impression que je dois rattraper le temps perdu. Lorsque nous sommes reparties vers le Canada en 2013, la bonne partie de nos amis sont restés à la capitale pendant une deuxième année. Le fait d’abandonner une vie que nous avions passée douze mois à construire n’était pas facile, et voir nos proches continuer leurs aventures quand le nôtre venait de terminer fut déchirant. Et donc, surtout lorsque nous arrivons à Paris, je trouve que je me demande ce que j’ai envie de refaire au lieu de ce j’aimerais découvrir. Cette année, la première chose qui m’est venue à l’esprit fut une visite au Musée de l’Orangerie. Ce petit musée se trouve dans le coin sud-ouest du jardin des Tuileries et héberge une vaste collection de tableaux dite Les Nymphéas de Claude Monet. M. Monet a dédié une grande partie de sa vie à peindre ces tableaux dans le jardin de Giverny, et ils figurent parmi mes oeuvres d’art préférées dans le monde, avec quelques Mondrian et tous les tableaux de Florine Stettheimer. La vérité, c’est que M. Monet a créé tellement de tableaux dans cette série que nous pouvons voir un ou deux Nymphéas dans tous les grands musées du monde occidental, mais les voir dans le Musée de l’Orangerie, c’est une expérience différente grâce à l’exposition particulière et attentionnée. Nous trouvons les tableaux dans deux longues salles ovales aux murs tout blancs ; ils suivent la forme des murs de façon chronologique, donc nous voyons la scène de l’aube jusqu’au crépuscule. J’aime surtout les tableaux de mi-journée, avec leurs nuances bleue vif et rose sourd, et cependant, si je suis franche, je les adore tous. La dernière fois qu’Ian et moi avons visité le musée ensemble, c’était en 2011, lors de notre lune de miel. Ma tenue du jour lors de cette visite comprenait une blouse rouge et en me retournant sur les photos, je ne sais pas ou j’avais la tête ce jour-là. Cette année, je crois que j’ai choisi un look de visite qui me va beaucoup mieux. Je continue à porter mon jean Grlfrnd sans cesse – si souvent, en fait, que je me demande si je devrais acheter la version noire, aussi. Et pourtant, étant donné que nous discutons plus l’art que la mode aujourd’hui, dites-moi, quels sont vos artistes préférés ?

6 comments so far.

6 responses to “A morning with Monet”

  1. I am a HUGE fan of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in terms of art – not the really saccharine stuff but like a good Rossetti or Burne-Jones. One of my favourite parts of visiting London is visiting places like the National Gallery that have great PRB collections.

    Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines

  2. Nice outfit … well combined with the black shoes 😉 To be in line with Monet you should have add a touch of purple and yellow 😉

    https://4highheelsfans.wordpress.com/2017/04/13/back-from-holidays/

  3. Superjuw says:

    Tenue canon (et c’est une super idée d’avoir shooté dans ce musée !) ♥

  4. Here come my brigade of comments as I catch up on my blog reading! 😉 Sorry I’ve been so MIA, but sometimes a computer break is exactly what a girl needs!! And I LOVE the sounds of this Monet exhibit (I’m a huge fan) and it sounds like a dream to see! Plus a big yes to your sartorial choice for this particular visit, white is always beautiful, and you fit in beautifully with your surroundings! Plus love the pop of glam & sparkle from your earrings. The prettiest!! xo

    http://www.girlandcloset.com

  5. lyddiegal says:

    Perhaps someday we will reach a point in our timelines when we no longer look back at old fashion choices with puzzlement, but it seems with the evolution of fashion trends we may never avoid it.

    I do quite love your choice for the museum this time around, and I can relate to your desire to revisit the same places, as they are filled with the fondest memories.
    http://www.iamchiconthecheap.com

  6. I love Monet! This is so stunning to see in person I bet! I had the calendars and some posters in my work office. Always so tranquil & serene.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

Cee Fardoe is a thirty-something Canadian blogger who splits her time between Winnipeg and Paris. She is a voracious reader, avid tea-drinker, insatiable wanderer and fashion lover who prefers to dress in black, white and gray.

Categories

Archives