Sunday at the Petit Palais~

Another lazy morning... this is a good thing.  I think perhaps it's the slow way we ease into our days that is making this trip so relaxing.  No rush and scurry. No feverish pitch to "see it all"...

Today, we jump on the #1 again and head up to the Petit Palais.

Petit Palais is across the street from the Grand Palais.

The beautiful entry.

When you walk in you are in a huge rotunda.  To the left are the permanent collections and to the right are the temporary exhibits.  We began to the left.  The first hall is mostly sculpture and vases.

The statue in the entry rotunda.

The beautiful leaded glass window is also in the rotunda.

"Look at the mosaic design" Woody said.

"Get a shot of the ceiling" (in the rotunda.)

The permanent collection hall.

"La Pensee"

"La femme au singe" (woman with monkey)

Neo-grecian urn by Baccarat

This was a very large vase, we both loved it.

The next room was filled with furnishings from the 18th century.  We've seen alot of the 18th century these past few days.

The entire display case was full of these pocket watches....simply amazing!!

I wish you could experience the splendor of this mantle clock.
I don't know where to begin.  So intricate and it must have close to 2 feet tall.

Then onto another very large hall of sculpture and oil paintings.   We had the option to go downstairs to view the photography exhibit but decided to do the first floor first.

"Bacchante"

"The Triumphe of the Republic"

My favorite paintings:

The Newborn

This woman had the most seductive eyes.

"Bal Blanc"
This is my favorite~The white ball.

Next we went out into the courtyard garden.  The garden is encircled by the Palais.  There is a circular "porch/arcade" decorated with Ionic columns and gilded garland.

There was also a small cafe off one side of the garden.

The temporary exhibit, was titled "Revelations".  This was the most ingenious, creative and awe-inspiring exhibit.  With the support of Samsung,  several dozen "masterpieces" were digitally recreated.  On one side, a copy of the original and just next to it, it's digital alter-ego.

Photographs were not allowed.  Photographs would not do this justice!

Here is an excerpt from the exhibit brochure:

"This digital era also provides the opportunity to bring some forty masterpieces together virtually, thus taking up the concept of Malraux's imaginary museum and updating it using new technologies. Great masters including Veronese, Rembrandt, David, Delacroix, Courbet and Van Gogh are brought together in a digital pantheon that goes far beyond the confines of the Petit Palais!

Alongside reproductions of the world's most famous paintings, a number of films, some of them made in 3-D, take viewers into the very heart of the images to help them understand and appreciate them better. Atmospheric sound adds a further dimension to this new genre of immersive experience. The installation also offers an opportunity to think seriously about the idea of originals and reproductions."

Each painting was different.  Some painted themselves.  Some magnified each area of the painting so you could see it up close, some came to life ~like the one with blood oozing from a wounded body.  We stayed quite awhile!

This was really a very special day.  Totally awesome.  We spent a long time here and, again, it was free.

We left the museum walking passed the sculpture of Winston Churchill.  We walked along side of the museum viewing the Cours de Reines, a long promenade lined with chestnut trees.  It was originally created by Marie de Medici.  The statute is Albert I, King of Belgium, one of France's staunchest allies in World War I.

Continuing towards the apt.  We walked through the Tuileries garden and came to the rue de Rivoli.  How fortunate that Angelina's was right there!!!  One of the most fashionable salon de the in Paris, famous for its hot chocolate, it would be our lunch stop.

There is a gift shop and pattiserie.

Oooops!  I forgot to take a picture of my Quiche Lorraine....sooo good!

I did NOT forget the chocolate eclair...to die for chocolate!

From here we walked home, then as usual,  we DROPPED.
It is Sunday and I was supposed to go to St Eustache for the organ concert tonight....I slept through it!

We watched NFL football on the computer!  It was all graphics but really rather fun and you didn't have to listen to the inane banter of the commentators.

We were too tired and too full from our late lunch...so we didn't venture out tonight...there are still "snacks" to munch.

Bon soir~