If I were in Paris... Friday, June 8, 2012

I AM in Paris!

Yesterday was another day of writing in the apartment. The view makes everything worthwhile and I am very pleased with my output.

Then, late in the day, I went here:

To see this Matisse exhibit.

The focus is on a lifelong habit by the artist of making two, three, four, or more versions of the same view or subject at the same time. The exhibition puts the different versions side-by-side for comparison. Most striking are the three versions of Pont Saint-Michael in Paris: one is a very Monet-like view, one seems an imcomplete Gauguin-like rendering, and the final one reminded me of a very colorful early Kandinsky. Amazing that all three were done in the same year, of the same subject, by the same artist using completely different styles, color pallates, painting techniques.

The exhibition was beautifully done, too, with the works on big, white walls and in large rooms, so the crowds seemed minimal. Delightful to walk around, see the work, then go eat dinner in a cafe at Chatelet. My favorite cafe there, Ma Vieux Chatelet, is apparently under construction, so we went to the Cafe Sarah Bernhardt across the place. Just as good, although my chicken was a skinny one.

The Pompidou cener is also having a retrospective of Gerhard Richter, so I'll be going back there this stop for that exhibit. Richter is simply brilliant.

On the way to the exhibition, I stopped at Mariage Freres and bought myself some tea: Casablanca, a green tea with mint, and Nil Rouge, a red tea with citus and spices. This is only my first stop: I ahve more tea to buy as gifts and for myself.

Big plans today? Finish the section of the manuscript I am engaged with, eat lunch at the little cafe down the block, buy more coffee capsules, walk up to Sacre Coeur, start rewriting the next section. A simple day.