March 22th, 23th, 24th, 25th

“O brave new world/ That has such people in’t!”—Act V, Scene 1, The Tempest, William Shakespeare.

My memorable Senior Project in Paris officially ended when I arrived at Philadelphia yesterday afternoon. I still can’t believe that three weeks went by so fast, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve seen and learned so much during my trip to Paris that I definitely have to have stayed there for more than three weeks.

Now looking back at the list of things I wanted to accomplish before I left for Paris, I’m really proud to say that I’ve done most of them and even went beyond. First of all, I used Paris public transport system to get around the city a lot. With its complex bus and metro network, Paris is definitely the most navigable city by public transport. This experience also helped me understand why public transport strikes in France are as common and effective as they are. Secondly, I’ve had an amazing experience with my host family in Paris. They are the most considerate people I’ve ever met and had interesting dinner conversations with.

Most importantly, I got to explore more amazing smaller museums and churches than I’ve originally expected. Since I was staying in Paris for three weeks and I only have free time during the afternoon, I thought it would be sensible to spend more of my time visiting smaller museums and temporary exhibitions. Going through many museums, I soon discovered that I’m particularly interested in Romanticism, Impressionism and post-Impressionism paintings, especially Renoir, Monet, Mary Cassatt etc. Thus, I went online to look for museums and art shows that focus especially on these artists. In fact, during my last two days in Paris, I was fortunate enough to see two more amazing temporary exhibitions in the Petit Palais: Dutch artists in Paris, 1789-1914 and The Art of pastel from Degas to Redon. I was so intrigued by my experiences with smaller private museums and temporary exhibitions that I’m starting to consider interning at private auction houses in the future.

Furthermore, I found myself really enjoying visiting churches during my stay at Paris. I am often drawn to the serenity and impressive art and architecture of the grande churches in Paris. I’ve found these visits to churches a pleasant temporary getaway from the busy city life and my busy traveling schedule.

Awesome as my Senior Project trip to Paris was, my stay was not without minor disappointments. First of all, several of the museums I’m really excited to visit were closed for renovation: Musée du Cluny and Musée de la vie romantique. Even though I was able to see part of Musée du Cluny in the Louvre Museum, I’m still a little disappointed to be unable to see this amazing museum of Middle Age at its full glory, especially the remains of the frigidarium of the Roman bath incorporated into the museum with its famous mosaic, Cupid riding a dolphin.

Secondly, I wished there were less rainy days at Paris so that I could have more time wandering in the numerous, gorgeous public gardens like Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardin des Tuileries and Les Jardins du Château de Versailles. On the same note, I hoped I’ve have stayed even longer at Paris so that I would have more free time to walk casually around the artistic neighborhood of Montmartre and Le Marais, to explore some boutiques, and to have more sit-down meals and afternoon tea at the local café, salon de thé and bistros.

All in all, I’d love to think that every successful trip should have highlights and some unfulfilled wishes so that one would want to return to the city again for more inspiring experiences. This is exactly what my trip to Paris has brought to me, amazing surprises, discoveries, and the strong wish to return someday!

Summer

March 19th, 20th, 21th

“Death must be so beautiful…to have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace.” Oscar Wilde

In the past few days, I ventured back in time. I visited to another world within Paris, the realm of the great deceased. On March 20th, I went to visit the most famous and most visited cemetery in Paris and in the world, Père Lachaise. Père Lachaise takes its name from the confessor of Louis XIV, Père François de la Chaise. A garden graveyard built on the side of a hill, Père Lachaise is not just any ordinary graveyard, but a city of the dead with its own winding streets named after famous people laid to rest there. Père Lachaise is the place set apart for all Parisiens dead or alive. To be buried Père Lachaise, one has to be either a citizen of Paris, or to have died in Paris. For the living Parisiens, Père Lachaise is their favorite location for a walk (the French really likes promenades in graveyards for some reason).

Given the numerous great spirits laid to rest in this cemetery, I decided to follow the guided tour laid out in Anna Erikssön and Mason Bendewald’s book Meet Me At Père Lachaise. As I walked down the winding roads following the instructions in the book, reading about the life stories of the famous deceased, I felt myself transferred into a much more peaceful world. I felt like if I was quiet enough I can almost Molière and La Fontaine discussing literature or Chopin playing music. I couldn’t help but be filled with great awe and respect for all who has given their lives to making our world as beautiful and rich as it is now.

some of the famous graves at Père Lachaise: Chopin, Abelard and Heloise, Jim Morrison, La Fontaine, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, and Molière.

Earlier on March 19th, I went to Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris and Sainte-Chapelle on the île de la Cité. 

Notre-Dame de Paris

Sainte-Chapelle

Finally, today I visited the Musée Jacquemart-André in the Belle-Epoch bourgeois townhouse of the art collector Edouard André and artist Nélie Jacquemart designed by famous architect Henri Parent. This museum is also one of my favorite smaller museums. Not only does it boast of a great collection of paintings, sculptures, artifacts, and decorative art collected by the couple through their travels around Europe and the world, the architecture of the house itself can be considered a masterpiece (in fact, I liked this townhouse better than Palais du Versailles, which is a little bit too ornamented for my taste). I was struck with awe by the amazing work the couple has done for the art collections in France, both acquiring important paintings themselves and helping French museums with their fund and donations. At the same time, I can’t help but admire at the design of the spiraling staircase positioned in one side of the house, the retractable walls of the reception room, and the exquisite winter garden.

Finally, I had the luck to enjoy the temporary exhibit of female French-American impressionist artist Mary Cassatt. She was a great friend of Edgar Degas, an important member of the impressionist movement, and spent part of her childhood in the Philadelphia area in Pennsylvania. She was a great advocate for presentation of women in paintings and particularly enjoyed depicting the subject of maternity and the tender relationship between mother and child.

Summer