Paris_ The Collected Traveler - Barrie Kerper [192]
Cézanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde, edited by Rebecca Rainbow and published in conjunction with an exhibit of the same name at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Musée d’Orsay (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006). Vollard (1866–1939), according to Philippe de Montebello in the foreword, “was without question the most influential art dealer in Paris at the turn of the twentieth century.” Vollard is also particularly interesting because he was an author and a publisher.
MUSEUM GUIDES AND COLLECTIONS
Art Treasures of the Louvre: One Hundred Reproductions in Full Color, René Huyghe with Milton Fox (Abrams, 1951). This is a volume in the Library of Great Museums series, which I love. While not meant to be comprehensive, it’s a special, selective collection of a variety of objects found at the Louvre. Though out of print, this and other editions in the series are readily found online and in used-book stores.
Artists in Residence: A Guide to the Homes and Studios of Eight 19th-Century Artists In and Around Paris, Dana Micucci with photographs by Marina Faust (Little Bookroom, 2001). This wonderful, must-have book comes in its own slipcase, but as it’s a slender paperback it can easily be packed and brought along. Micucci notes that to explore artists’ homes and studios is “to feel magically part of their history.… By visiting their homes, it is our privilege to meet them on terrain that nourishes a personal connection far beyond that afforded by an art museum.” In addition to the very informative summaries of each artist’s residence, Micucci has provided visitor information and suggestions for dining, accommodations, and short excursions.
A Fuller Understanding of the Paintings at Orsay, Françoise Bayle (Artlys, 2001). This great book, available at the Musée d’Orsay, is one of the best of its kind and I wish I had one just like it for about fifty other museums around the world. As Bayle states in the foreword, this publication “is not merely one more among the already numerous books” on the d’Orsay. “It takes a truly different, dual approach. It is a genuine guide that proposes both chronological pages and theme-based comparisons where the eyes of the various painters meet, sometimes glaringly.”
Knopf Guides: The Louvre (Knopf, 1995). This book is a little heavy, so it might not be a good candidate to bring along, but I definitely recommend taking a look at it before you depart. Sections include “The Louvre through Visitors’ Eyes” and “Origin of the Name Louvre” as well as many on the museum’s collections, which have made it the largest museum in the world. Useful chapters also include possible itineraries, maps, and other practical information such as tours, lectures, activities, shopping, and family-oriented options.
Little-Known Museums in and Around Paris, Rachel Kaplan (Harry N. Abrams, 1996). If you are a museumgoer, you’ll want and need this handy book. Some of the museums featured really are little known (and deserve to be better known) and the summaries are thorough and interesting. More than thirty museums—including six just outside of Paris, such as the wonderful Musée National de la Renaissance (Château d’Ecouen) and the Château de Monte Cristo—are highlighted and accompanied by ample color photographs.
Paintings in the Louvre, Lawrence Gowing (1994) and Paintings in the Musée d’Orsay, Robert Rosenblum (1989), both published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. These gigantic companion volumes have no rivals when it comes to viewing the museums’ paintings in a single volume.
GENERAL ART REFERENCE
There are of course dozens, if not hundreds, of resources for general art surveys, so I’ll just share with you some of my favorites. I have consulted all of these below on many