To that end, I have been hitting up museums left, right and center, which frankly is what I would do anyway even if I had to shell out b/c I am a nerd. Plus, there are so many great ones here in Paris. I've decided to venture off the gilt-and-marble beaten path a bit and hit up some museums that I haven't visited before. On the list: Musée de Quai Branly, Musée Delacroix, Musée de Luxembourg and L'Institut du Monde Arabe. Gonna do two posts to have enough room for pics :D
Musée de Quai Branly
The Musée de Quai Branly is a museum which specializes in non-western art. It is situated super close to the Eiffel Tower, and includes a restaurant with superb Eiffel Tower views (didn't try it, but looks like it would be good for getting your parents/a date to take you). On a cold January night, guided by the light of the Tower, I followed the graceful curve of the museum's outer wall until I found the entrance. Behind onyx-dark walls, I entered a garden filled with exotic plants, completely silent except for the rustle of pampas grass in the wind. A few feet ahead I could see colored acrylic rods lit from within situated among the grasses, which cast circles of light on the geometric underbelly of the Museum's architecture. The set-up was superb, and totally gets you hyped for what's to come. I was instantly transported from "Paris-y" Paris to a foreign yet familiar world...the pampas grass made me a little nostalgic and gave me serious #SouthCarolinaOrnamentalGrass vibes.
The winding continued as I passed the magical fairy garden and up the lit ramp to the entrance of the museum proper. Once inside, visitors are guided up yet another ramp, on which featured art installation by Charles Sandison consisting of a projected "river" made up of the 16,000 or so words representing the names of the peoples and geographic locations represented in the museum. It was pretty cool.
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| Traditional dress from the Argentinian Pampas |
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| Feather necklaces from Amazonian tribal communities |
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| Saint Michael costume from Diablada de Oruro dance ritual in Bolivia |
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| Buffalo dance costume worn by Plains Indians |
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| Christian paintings from 8th century Ethiopia |
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| Was being ushered out as I took this pic, so no time to read the placard, but it looks just like a piece of art we have at home from Benin. |
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| I finally know what Wampum are! |
The museum is split up by regions: the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The layout is kinda windy and not really easily navigable if you only have a short period of time for a visit, so plan accordingly. I found that I learned more in a 45 minute visit to Quai Branly than in my last 5 or so visits to other Paris museums combined (no shade intended). Personally, I've found that my education has had a heavily occidental bent, and thus it is up to me to work a little harder to learn about non-US/European cultures. There were a lot of young couples whispering in the obscurity of the dimly lit museum, so if you're trying to seduce a french bae, this would be a good place to take him/her. The museum is celebrating it's 10 year anniversary this year, and in my opinion, it'll be around for a lot longer as well. I give it a sold 9/10...especially at night (adds to the ambiance)!
Musée Delacroix
This museum is right around the corner from my place (hit me up if you go, and I might join!). The museum is located in the rooms of what was once the residence of the painter Eugène Delacroix. It is small, but definitely worth a gander, especially if you are out and about in Saint Germain des Près. I didn't take any pics, but I don't want to spoil it too much! Delacroix captured an interesting moment in French art history, a time when large quantities of antiquities from classical Greece were being brought to Europe and many young artists were incorporating the idealized bodies and dramatic poses featured in the ancient sculptures into their art.
The museum is broken up into 2 main locations: Delacroix' chambers, and Delacroix's atelier, which is accessed by going outside and going down a few stairs. There is also a charming garden which I'm sure is going to be beautiful in the summer. They're featuring a few works by Picasso as well to celebrate the museum's 30th anniversary. The selected Picasso works mirror Delacroix's in their shared racines in Greco/Roman art. After you're done, you can totes pop across Place de Furstenburg and grab a chou...I recommend the praline filling :)
Click here for Zee Hearts Museums: Part Deux!
