Already an established painter, Claude Monet was persuaded by a French statesman in 1914 to dabble in the artistic depiction of water lilies. Convinced to attempt his masterful hand at this next series of landscape paintings, Monet produced his marvelous Water Lilies arranged in a large-scale cycle. His condition for donating these works to the state was that they be ... Read More »
A beautifully restored 17th century building nestled in the heart of the scenic and hilly French town of Montmartre, this museum was once occupied by artists Raoul Dufy, Maurice Utrillo, and even Auguste Renoir. The picturesque surrounding of the town’s natural beauty inspired a number of Renoir’s paintings, including The Garden Rue de Cortot, Montmartre. Now, this exquisite mansion ... Read More »
Once a grand railway station, the beautiful Musée d’Orsay seemed destined to house artwork that would complement its stunning architecture and interior design. However, it was not until 1977 that the building became a museum, hosting the Impressionist collection from the Musée de Luxembourg. But before these artworks found their way to d’Orsay, they were rejected by the Musée ... Read More »
The unusual team of two French thieves and a Japanese gangster resulted in a five year heist of the painting, Impression, Sunrise only to be recovered and permanently displayed at this museum, the Musée Marmottan Monet, alongside other stolen notables. However, the great boast of the museum is the largest collection of Claude Monet paintings in the world, and ... Read More »
Is apparently no longer the question as the Van Gogh Museum’s head researcher Louis van Tilborgh recently discovered. A question often posed by art historians is: why are there no portraits of van Gogh’s younger brother Theo when the two were so close? After years of careful examination, van Tilborgh has come-up with an answer. There IS a ... Read More »
Woody Allen’s newest film delves into the psyche of an American screenwriter whom like so many before him, have fallen in love with Paris. Except in the case of Owen Wilson’s character, Gil, it is specifically the Paris of the 1920s which intrigues him. When a midnight stroll leads him into the Paris of his dreams, Gil finds the inspiration ... Read More »
At the Cinncinatti Museum of Art, one of their most popular pieces is a small van Gogh from 1890 called Undergrowth with Two Figures. The work is one of the master’s last and to the casual viewer, seems like a vibrant painting with its bright blue, yellow and green brushstrokes. But to conservator Per Knutas, this is a piece ... Read More »
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