J'adore le small, manageable museum
If one of the stops on your
European train extravaganza is
Paris, and it most definitely should be, don't stress over the Louvre. Sure, when you get home people will inevitably ask ""Did you go to the Louvre?"" Just say no. The Louvre is truly an endeavour of enormity. It's huge; you could spend five days rushing around the voluminous collections, racing from gallery to gallery to see it
all, until your feet finally give out. Or you could do the mad dash through the throngs, straight to the Mona Lisa, but do you really want to have to run on holiday?
It's not that the Louvre isn't worth visiting, but if you have only a week or so in the brilliant City of Light, the small museums are infinitely rewarding, and will not induce heart palpitations or cause unnecessary sweating. Sweating is not chic. These are a few options that will leave you feeling accomplished, not to mention far more art-savvy. Anyone can identify the Mona Lisa.
Claude Monet himself selected and created this space as a respite from the hectic bustle of the city, calling it a "haven of peaceful meditation". You need not subscribe to a meditative philosophy to enjoy the Orangerie, however as you enter one of the four circular rooms showcasing vast canvases of Monet's
Nymphéas, your pulse will slow and a dreamy feeling of calm will envelop you. Never fear, there are long, cushioned benches in the centre of each room if you need to lie down from all the dreaminess.
Drag yourself out of your meditative state and continue downstairs to browse the eight condensed galleries of modern art featuring Cézanne, Renoir, Picasso, Rousseau, Matisse, Derain, Modigliani, Soutine, Utrillo and Laurencin. You'll be able to spend at least ten seconds with each painting (or sketch), view one of the video presentations (between 44 and 60 minutes, depending on the subject), browse the gift shop and still satisfactorily complete your tour in under three hours, which should leave you feeling quite accomplished. Full rate: $10, Reduced rate: $7, $3 surcharge for temporary exhibitions. Free entry on the first Sunday of each month.
Built in the early 18th century, the Hôtel Biron chateau (now housing the
Musée National Rodin) changed hands numerous times; alternately belonging to dukes and duchesses, and at one point even being converted into a boarding school for girls from aristocratic families. Today the chateau offers the unique charm of an artist's home, as it's filled with both Rodin's works and collections, as well as his former armchairs and sofas where the visitor may sit and ponder. You might even rest, chin in hand and, wait for it …
think. Auguste Rodin lived and worked here from 1908, filling the walls with his drawings, and the gardens with his sculptures, including such masterpieces such as
The Thinker, The Kiss, The Gates of Hell and
Balzac. The gardens are an exotic experience all on their own, and may be visited separately for an easy $1.50.
Full rate: $8. Free admission to the collections and park on the first Sunday of each month. Keep your entrance ticket and visit Musée Maillol at reduced rate (Full rate : $15, reduced rate : $12.20)
Musée who? Maillol may not be as internationally recognised as Monet, Rodin or Picasso, however, Dina Vierny (Maillol's muse and model) believed he deserved his own museum in which to showcase his spectacular sculptures.
Musée Maillol is a cosy space in a three-story stone building, which includes works by Rodin, Gaugin, Matisse, Degas, and Kandinsky, as well as Maillol's drawings, engravings, paintings, sculptures, decorative art, original plaster and terracotta work. The museum also houses some of Séraphine de Senlis' explosive floral paintings.
After your leisurely perusal of le Maillol, reward your art-appreciating efforts with a bite to eat, and some wine, in the museum's stone cellar restaurant, La Cortigiana. Museum rate : $15 (unless you've followed instructions and visited Musée Rodin first, in which case it is the reduced $12.20).
Go way, way,
way back in time at the
Musée Cluny, a 15th century Gothic mansion, built above ruins of ancient Roman baths, and housing a magnificent collection of medieval art. The mansion is one of only two remaining medieval homes in Paris (the other is the Hôtel de Sens in the Marais). The most famous attraction of the
Musée de Cluny is the
Lady and the Unicorn (
Dame à la Licorne) tapestry, the most acclaimed tapestry of its kind. Full rate: $11 Reduced rate: $8. Free entry on the first Sunday of each month.
Should you choose to visit these museums in order, as listed above, your last stop Musée de Cluny is three short blocks from the utterly charming Hotel Saint Paul Rive Gauche — not to be confused with the Hotel Saint Paul Le Marais (unless they've done a massive overhaul). In Paris, location is key when choosing a hotel, and the Hotel Saint Paul is nestled in the Latin Quarter, between Saint Germain des Près, Sorbonne, Notre Dame and the Luxembourg gardens. Don't forget to double-check the museum websites for opening/closing times, and days. Bon voyage!
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Have you visited any of these museums? Tell us your thoughts below.
