Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rodinworkedwithmanymaterials—hechiseledmarble(thoughnotoften),modeled
clay, cast bronze, worked plaster, painted on canvas, and sketched on paper. He often cre-
ated different versions of the same subject in different media.
Rodin lived and worked in this mansion, renting rooms alongside Henri Matisse, the
poetRainerMariaRilke(Rodin'ssecretary),andthedancerIsadoraDuncan.Thewell-dis-
played exhibits trace Rodin's artistic development, explain how his bronze statues were
cast, and show some of the studies he created to work up to his masterpiece (the unfin-
ished Gates of Hell ). Learn about Rodin's tumultuous relationship with his apprentice and
lover, Camille Claudel. Mull over what makes his sculptures some of the most evocative
since the Renaissance. And stroll the gardens, packed with many of his greatest works (in-
cluding The Thinker, Balzac, the Burghers of Calais, and the Gates of Hell ). The beautiful
gardens are ideal for artistic reflection.
Cost and Hours: €9, free for those under age 18, free on first Sun of the month,
€1 for garden only (possibly Paris' best deal, as many works are on display there), both
museum and garden covered by Museum Pass; Tue-Sun 10:00-17:45, Wed until 20:45,
closedMon;gardenscloseat18:00,Oct-Marchat17:00;lastentry30minutesbeforeclos-
ing; audioguide-€6, mandatory baggage check, self-service café in garden, near the Army
Museum and Napoleon's Tomb at 79 Rue de Varenne, Mo: Varenne, tel. 01 44 18 61 10,
www.musee-rodin.fr .
▲▲▲ Marmottan Museum (Musée Marmottan Monet)
This intimate, less-touristed mansion on the southwest fringe of urban Paris has the best
collection of works by the father of Impressionism, Claude Monet (1840-1926). Fiercely
independent and dedicated to his craft, Monet gave courage to the other Impressionists in
the face of harsh criticism.
The museum traces Monet's life chronologically, but in a way that's as rough and
fragmented as a Monet canvas. You'll see black-and-white sketches from his youth, his
discovery of open-air painting, and the canvas— Impression: Sunrise —that gave Impres-
sionism its name. There are portraits of his wives and kids, and his well-known “series”
paintings (doneat different times ofday)ofLondon,Gare St.Lazare, andthe Cathedral of
Rouen. The museum's highlights are scenes of his garden at Giverny—the rose trellis, the
Japanese bridge, and the larger-than-life water lilies.
You'll likely see paintings by Monet's predecessors (Corot, Boudin, Sisley) who pi-
oneered the open-air landscape style that Monet would perfect, and by fellow Impression-
ists Degas, Pissarro, Gauguin, and Renoir, including a world-class collection of works by
Berthe Morisot. There's also an eclectic collection of non-Monet objects (furniture, illu-
minated manuscript drawings); and temporary exhibits.
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