Tuesday, back to the Musee d'Orsay

"Bad art might be defined as a series of bad choices about what to show and what to leave out." -- Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel

Susie went back to work at Pascal's early Tuesday morning, her final week of interning and one which would bring some sadness by late Saturday night. More of that later in the week.

Anyway I decided to return a third time to the Musee d'Orsay. My primary goal was to not have a goal at all! Just wander around the museum, spend some serious time on the upper level among the Impressionists and try and understand, in my small, dense way exactly what it was they were getting at. On a smaller note, I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison of Rick Steves' podcast audio tour of the d'Orsay with the official museum audio guide. (photo: central hall of the d'Orsay.)

I left the apartment about half-past ten in the morning, walked to the no. 10 at Jussieu, switched to the no. 12 at Sevres-Babylone and got off two stops later at Solferino. The museum is just two blocks away down (or rather up) rue Bellechasse.

Susie and I had been to the d'Orsay twice before and each time there was always a long line waiting to get it. We always thought it was because of the magical "Free First Sunday of the Month." Well the line this past Tuesday morning for paying guests was nearly as long. Impressive I thought. Still the queue moved quickly and before long I was past security, paid my €7.50 and walked into the museum. Right away I walked over to the audio guide desk and paid another €5 for a guide (in English of course) and then sat down to get myself in order. (For a short movie of my walk through the d'Orsay scroll to the end of this entry.)

I had the iPod ready to go with the podcast queued up, the accompanying map in hand -- available as a PDF download with the podcast, hung the audio guide around my neck and off I went on an adventure of sorts, feeling good about not having to be anywhere else anytime soon. The day was mine and I was determined to spend most of it right here.

First the comparison. It is unfair to compare apples and watermelons here but hey this is my blog and I can do pretty much what I want. Anyway for the tourist using Rick Steves -- the new Baedeker for the New World Traveler -- it can be a real temptation. Rick is often funny, smack on in his analysis of travel issues, down-to-earth in his language and usually right to the point. And of course he is very successful. Naturally I was determined to trash his tour.

First the good news. If you only have an hour or so in the museum (the tour is under 50 minutes) you can't beat his podcast tour. The accompanying PDF map is quite well done and follows the tour nicely, and as usual Rick does a very good job of providing a lucid overview of the general schools of artwork presented in the d'Orsay. You can definitely learn one or two things believe me.

Aside from the obvious glitches such as certain paintings having been moved or even removed -- something which the podcast warns about -- I found little to complain about here.

Two points about the podcast are worth noting though.

The first is a tendency to focus on the upper level of Impressionism and give shorter shrift to the first level of Realism and Conservatism -- although Rick did seem to hold Millet in great esteem. (Also early on in the podcast, when Rick is introducing the beautiful sculpture in the central artery of the d'Orsay, he says something to the effect that he "will be badmouthing it later on," yet I must have missed that because I don't think he ever returned to the theme.) In any case, this is a purely subjective call.

Anyway the other point, and I think the most important to bear in mind is that the tour is simply far too short. If one is going to visit the d'Orsay chances are pretty good they are planning on spending at least a couple of hours to enjoy the artwork -- it will take you 15 minutes just to stop gaping at the beauty of the building's interior! The tour does have some value as an introduction I suppose, something to listen to on the plane coming over. But when you get to the museum leave the iPod at the hotel and spring for the audio guide.

Moreover the map is fine as a part of the podcast, for which it is designed, but woefully inadequate in compared to the free guide map available at the museum.

My favorites at the d'Orsay so far: "Jane Avril" by Toulouse-Lautrec, "Woman Reading" and "Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette" both by Renoir, and "Olimpia" by Manet.

All-in-all I spent about five hours at the d'Orsay and would go back again before we leave if time permits. But as is often the case in life, time has it's own schedule.

Wish you were here,

Steve


If you're interested here's a short movie from my latest stroll through the d'Orsay: