La Tour Eiffel the most iconic monument of our time
Every time I think of Paris or even France for that matter I think of the Eiffel Tower and I believe I am not the only one who does that. In my opinion followed by the baguettes and the striped shirts the Eiffel Tower is France's number one icon. As I came to know the history behind the tower I learned that not many people were fascinated by it when it was first built. Many French people disliked the tower not only for its rough shape but for what it represented, science and technology; The French Revolution. France separation of the Monarchy and the Church. After I was informed about that I began to observe the tower and thought to myself "is it really beautiful or is it just a cliché?" I believe is a mixture of both. Personally I love the Eiffel Tower, its structure, the beautiful view you see when you climb the stairs, Champs de Mars, L'Arc du Triomphe, Le Musee du Louvre and all the narrow "rues" in the middle of one of the most visited city in the world if not the most visited city. For me it represents modernism, freedom romance and most of all France. I loved how if you paid close attention you could hear all the different languages being spoken at the same time. All those cultures brought together by a same purpose, admire the monument and the city of light. Once I was up in the second level I sat down on the floor and ate a “baguette jambon fromage" it was one meal I will never forget. I just sat there admiring the city and watching the people pass by. Everybody was taking pictures of themselves or the city, all captivated by Paris. After countless pictures of the city view from the second level it was time to go to the top. I must say I enjoyed the view better from the second level, I don’t know if it was because I can’t really see form far away or my acrophobia. One thing I really enjoyed in the third level was drinking champagne at the very top of the tower, a very thoughtful detail I believe.
Musee de Cluny
When visiting Musee de Cluny and admiring the medieval art work could not help to notice a strong religious influence in every piece. After reading about the history behind the museum it’s when I realized the reason of this influence. The now muse de Cluny was first an “hotel” (town house) of the abbots of Cluny who were the center of religious awakening during the medieval age. They focus on art and letters to fight paganism. Art was also a way to discover God. Since they used art to get close to God or fight against evil it is now obvious to me way it is so inclined into religion. One of the main attractions in the museum is “La Dame à la licorne », the Lady and the unicorn in English, tapestries. This series of 6 tapestries represent the 5 senses; taste, hearing, sight, smell and touch. The sixth tapestry has written “A Mon Seul Desir” which can be translated into: to my desire or my only desire. There have been many interpretations to this last tapestry one of them being that it represents the sixth sense, desire and/ or free will. I am not really sure what the author meant by it but I do agree with the theory I mentioned above. With the jewelry and gold I think desire is what it most represents, vanity, or parsimony maybe. Observing the sculptures I could not help to notice how most of the stone sculptures are either heads or decapitated bodies. Aside from the tapestries and the sculptures there were also the remains of the Baths of cluny which were distroyed by invading barbarians and beautiful stained glass which was my favorite part of the museum.
14 Juillet la Fête Nationale
July 14 is a National holiday for France celebrating their freedom thanks to the French Revolution. Nonetheless I believe this holiday not only commemorates the French revolution but the freedom and equality France has acquired in all of her years as a Republic. Visiting the Arc de Triomphe I began to question: Is this monument celebrating only the Unknown Soldier or every single soldier that lost his live defending the country in all of the terrible wars France has suffered. In my opinion L’Arc de Triomphe represents « le triomphe de liberté » that was made possible by millions of soldiers giving their lives protecting their country, their people. In comparison with France, Mexico also owns a monument that commemorates the freedom of its people and the Republic. El Angel de la Independencia it’s a national monument located in the heart of Mexico City honoring Mexico’s independence from Spain. This angel represents the freedom of Mexicans from the tyranny of its colonist. Also in Mexico City there is the monument of Los Niños Heroes, honoring 6 brave teenagers who died defending Mexico’s Flag in a war against, ironically, France. Although this monument is for those six kids it is a remembrance of all the brave soldiers who died protecting their country. Comparing the celebration of the Earth that takes palce during the month of May along the Champs Elysees with July 14th is kind of difficult for me because I believe they are two completely different celebrations. One celebrates the beauty of the Earth and is a way of showing gratitude for all it offers. The other celebrates the people who fought for equal rights and free education for a country. They are both equally important and it would be really amazing that the rest of the world would celebrate the Earth the same way they celebrate their country. Because in the end aren’t we all citizens of this planet?í para modificar.
Versailles: Wealth, Power and Extravaganza
During my visit to Le Chateau de Versailles I noticed the wealth and power reflected in this palace. With a little understanding of the history of the palace I became aware that it mirrored no more than King Louis XIV. Louis XIV, his obsessions with power and control as well as showing it to the world are imprinted in the palace. It is noticed even in the gardens, every tree had to be in place, perfectly trimmed, just to show who was in control, because not even nature could disobey King Louis XIV. The arts were also controlled by him, bringing cultural projects to be propaganda that the very best worked for him, the State. He invested so much money into art to show his power not only through France but also through Europe. That is the reason French became the Lingua Franca in Europe during his time. Many believed that his obsession to control were due because he sensed the revolution coming close. The palace kept its extravagant style with Louis XV and Mme Pampadour and what is to say with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The (in) famous vain Louis XVI, the palace was just a mirror in to which he could admire himself. Once I entered the palace and began my excursion it was breath taking the attention that was put into every detail. The wealth in every chair, bed, doors it is just amazing.
Musée du Louvre
It is impossible to admire the entire collection of art in le musee du Louvre in just one day, it is needless to say that is one of the biggest museums in the world. Visiting the fortress turned palace turned museum is just “un plaisir” (a pleasure). With three years already since I visited the museum I might not remember all of what I saw but I can remember my anxiety and the joy I felt when discovering the world’s treasures, many brought together by Napoleon Bonaparte’s greedy which I found to be a fun fact. What I do remember as if it was yesterday was starting by admiring Winged Victory of Samothrace. It was the first sculpture I saw and I stayed there for nearly 20 minutes admiring the work and how beautiful it still looked after so many years since it was first made. I had already seen it in movies but this time I was actually in front of it, I was so close I could literally touch it! I cannot describe how beautiful and impressive everything is. It is unnecessary for me to say the beauty of the Greek sculptures. To have a look through art work of the ancient civilizations, Egyptians, Mesopotamia, etc… is a privilege I would never forget. One sculpture that really caught my attention is the sited scribe, it is astounding the life in the eyes of this sculpture, I could almost feel he was looking at me. Islamic art caught my attention for many reasons, first it is so different from our civilization, the colors and shapes of this rich culture is simply inspiring. The paintings are striking not only in size, because there were some almost as tall as my house! But the work and talent of these artists is something I would never have. Starting with la Gioconda, Mona Lisa, it is a must see; it is so famous it would have been a sin if I did not go and see it. After a good ten minutes I got to be in front of one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s master pieces. The mystery lays not in the model, Lisa Giocondo, but in Da Vinci’s talent the soul’s insinuation he captured in this painting leaved me speechless. Admiring Johannes Vermeer’s paintings in specific the astronomer and the lace-maker I noticed the author’s love for domestic life. The Lace-Maker being one of the smallest one in his collection has different effects in texture throughout the painting and what can I say about the light in this painting, it is simply amazing. As the Emperor’s official artist Jacques –Louis David painted Emperor Napoleon’s consecration. The details in this master piece make you believe you are not looking at a painting but a gigantic picture. My favorite when Napoleon is putting the crown on Josefina. I feel like my brief description does no justice to the magnificent Musee du Louvre it is just a 5 minute talk about the work that impressed me the most, well some of what impressed me the most.
Notre Dame de París
As it has been through all history a divine power “God” was very important during the middle ages. While admiring the Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals of Paris I noticed how important it was in their time the church and the relationship it had with the arts. Taking into account that the power the church had in the Middle Ages it is impossible not to think that they would get the best architects and artists to build the Cathedrals. They had almost unlimited resources to build a church that reflected the beauty and power of God but I believe it was not only a matter of money the reason these cathedrals were so beautiful. Architects were also religious so they wanted to build something worthy of their God but also it was a way for them to show their talent and leave a mark in history. The church was the only way they could afford to make such beautiful monument and they had to take advantage in that. Comparing the Romanesque and Gothic architecture styles there are some very obvious differences such as the higher ceilings and more and bigger windows in the Gothic Cathedrals because architects in the gothic era would experiment with engineering and architecture, they wanted to defy nature. Due to more windows the gothic cathedrals had more light and were more colorful, for example the 3 rose windows in Notre Dame de Paris. The gothic architecture represented a more terrestrial God rather than the Romanesque which laid more in the divine aspect of God. The three west portals represent scenes from the life of the virgin Mary, the Last Judgement, and the life of St. Anne (the mother of the virgin Mary). Starting from the Left the portal is dedicated to the Virgin Mary the Patroness of the Cathedral. It was the second one to be sculpted and the only one to be surrounded by a gable. This one is usually the exit of the visitors. The Center Portal is the Last Judgement, it portraits Christ more as a savior of humanity than a Judge. This portal was the last one to be built. Finally in the right is the Life of St. Anne, this portal was the first one to be sculpted. Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary’s mother is never mentioned in the Bible.
Le Panthéon: Centre des monuments nationaux
I believe the reason Church is so severely attacked and criticized during the French revolution is that because the oppression it created. The Pope and the Kings had oppressed the people for so long and so harshly backing it up with what the Church said was the “right” thing to do it created resentment amongst them. It was not God who was oppressing the nation, it was the authority, and since the Church was the authority at that time people were just sicken by it. In the French revolution the people began to think, to question everything that is why they began to be suspicious about the so called “authority” and noticed the corruption in it. Before, they worshiped the church, pope and everyone around them but in the revolution when they began to question they noticed the big fraud the institution was. I am not saying everyone in it but as a whole. The purpose of the Pantheon in my opinion is to celebrate the intellect, there were Churches for the saints, Palaces for the kings but what about all of those who began to question and help the nation into a more enlightened era. Foucault’s pendulum showed how the earth rotates. While it had been known that the Earth rotated, Leon Foucault demonstrated the Earth’s rotation. This pendulum was the first proof of the rotation of the Earth in 1851.
MontMartre home of the new artists.
Inside the Sacre Coeur Basilica there is the giant apse mosaic of Christ in Majesty and the sacre couer worshipped by the Virgin Mary, Joan d’arc and Saint Michel archangel. To my seeing the majestic basilica first, then entering to see the beautiful enormous mosaic represents for one the majesty of God and his immense love for humanity. Taking also into consideration the fact that this basilica was built in the tallest point of Paris for everyone to see it is more than obvious that they took the same connotation into the inside of the basilica. Not only was the outside was going to be noticeable but the inside had to be just as colossal. Joan d’Arc is along with other one of the patron saints of France. She was very important in the leadership the 100 years war. Her death at only 19 years of age transformed her into a martyr. I believe that the statute of Joan d’arc is in front of the basilica because not only was she an important leader but a Catholic leader. Looking at the art in the Montmartre neighborhood and comparing it to the classical art seen in other museums in France is like looking at two different worlds. For me the classical art is all about perfection, which is beautiful don’t get me wrong but the bohemian art in the streets of Montmartre take you into a whole other level. First, is a “revolution” to the art of that time, but what draws my attention is the unrestrained radical views of the bohemian art.
Auguste Rodin: Le Père de la Sculpture Moderne
While visiting the Musée de Rodin one cannot help but to admire the emotion this artist put into all of his work. Looking and comparing his Walking Man to the Winged Victory of Samothrace, one of my favorite sculptures, I noticed the way he gives his sculpture the feeling that it is on the move. The way the torso is leaning forward and the athletic pace of his lower body give the viewer an impression that the walking man is actually “walking”. Rodin is referred to as the father of modern sculpture and I believe that is because changed the way sculpture was being done. Rodin decided to move away from sculpting gods and muses to sculpt figures in a more human and modern attitude of love, though, and emotion. Rodin inspired many young artists and created a new way of sculpting that is the reason he is considered the father of modern sculpture. The Kiss (1898) is, in my opinion, the most romantic sculpture in the museum. Representing two lovers Paolo and Francesca borrowed from Dante’s divine comedy, who were killed by her husband after surprising them together. The Eternal Springtime is not far behind in romanticism, this sculpture shows the happiness and passion of these two lovers. Rodin’s sculpture is so full of life and passion a give a feeling to the viewer of actual presence of the sculpture of being “alive”. Compared to classical paintings Rodin’s sculpture has life in front of the viewer.
Impressionism at the Quai d'Orsay
The Museum of Impressionism, Quai d’Orsay, is full of art that was considered distasteful at the time. Starting by the fact that this new technique broke with the tradition of classical artwork and also because these artists painted what they felt in their heart, not what the church or aristocracy told them to. Another reason why this artwork was considered distasteful was because it portrayed mundane subjects and critical messages to the public. The Bathers (1890) by Paul Cezanne, in my opinion could have been one of those painting that was refuse display. Cezanne’s abstraction of the human bodies and his focus and attachment to impressionism in the clouds could have been objected by the art critics of his time. Dance at le Moulin de Galette (1876) by Auguste Renoir also has something to make me think it was not liked very much. The blurred impression of his work, the moving crowed bathed in light both natural and artificial give me the feeling that it was too radical for the critics. What also helps me to believe this is the fact that the scene is pictured in Montmartre, which was not a very likeable place. I believe the message the impressionist artists gave to the public was that of free spirit. One, by not painting anymore religious themes. Also by painting mundane activities like Edgar Degas painting a picture of his father August de Gas and the tenor Lorenzo Pangas. The self-portraits show self-revelation, how the artist saw himself. I believe Impressionism is considered a truly creative movement because it broke apart from the traditional technique of painting and also what their artwork portrayed. Impressionism was in the time of the revolution, and I feel that is what everyone looks forward to, freedom. In my opinion that is the reason why it is so valuable around the world. I do not wish to take away the beauty of the paintings but it is more the message in the work what makes it a beauty.
Museum of French Cinema
Inside the museum of French cinema I began to question is cinema art or science. As I went through the museum I discovered that is a mixture of both. It is a science because it would have never been possible without technology improvement. It is also an art just like the theatre; the only difference is that this performance you can play it over and over again with the help of a DVD player. Cinema tells a story; it shows emotion and transports us to the place the director wanted us to be. The message it conveys depends on the producer, director and screen writer. Aristotle view art as a process for learning while Plato thought that it was a way of self-dupery, we only see what want to see. In my opinion, yes sometimes we are drawn by movies into believing some things that are not necessarily the brightest but I believe that depends on the viewer. The viewer has to be smart enough, to first be able to depict a good movie and second to understand that what happens in movies is not always real. The quote that sites “we see things as we are not as they are” is a good example of this. If a person wants to believe in something they are going to see it everywhere, that is the reason we all find different meaning in situations. Compared to the movies in the US of A the movies organized by the museum are just that, art, art that borrowed technology just for the mere purpose of being shown. While the movies in the USA are technology that borrowed art just to be acted. Most movies here in the USA are science fiction and they are so unrealistic. Yes, it is good once in a while to watch batman beat all the bad guys, but not all movies have to be like that. Amelie for example, shows the thoughts and emotions of a young lady with barely any talking. Cyrano de Bererac by Jean-Paul Rappeneau, a great classic by the way, portraits the love and passion of one man for his loved one that he is willing to help the other man she wanted, or thought she wanted. Mexican films I believe resemble more French films, they also have and portrait the common situations that people have.
Centre George Pompidou, Musée National d'Art Moderne "Modernism, Post-Modernism and Post-Post
Why modern art was consider so radical? What aspect of it makes that way? And is it truly so radical? Those were some of the questions I asked myself while visiting the Musée National d’Art Moderne. Taking well in to account the time period in which this term or fashion of expression originated, late 19th early 20th century, I could not help but associate it with the oppression the world or more specific, the Western society was living. Marked by the civil wars, The Soviet Union, and the Nazis society in the modern era was being oppressed and judge in a different way than previous society. This theme paid attention to the individual, inner growth; it focused on the progressive approach of human power to reshape the environment with help of science and technology. Modernism considered outdated the traditional forms of art it questioned the starting point of the previous age and focus on individual growth. It was radical because it questioned it all and was a more selfish era. Greatly influenced by Charles Darwin and Karl Marx Modern society was curious, experimental and innovative. Avant-garde represents pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable or considered normal. Therefore I believe the beginnings of all new eras are avant-garde. An avant-garde artist is what it takes to create a new form, way of thinking. Is like the saying “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” I believe everything that goes against the normal way of thinking will be considered radical at the time. We believe modernism was radical and maybe it will not be considered like that in a decade, it just depends on the eye of the beholder.
Natural History Museum
In a visit to the Natural History Museum I contemplated the history and evolution of not only the humans but also the flora and fauna of our planet. Comparing us, the human race, with all the other animals on Earth it is difficult to not take into account the saying that the only difference between humans and other animals is our obsession to distinguish ourselves from other animals. We are always trying to prove our superiority as the only intelligent race in the planet, but are it really that way? And as the superior race don’t we have a responsibility towards all the other living species? It is funny but I strongly agree with biologist E.O. Wilson’s claim that humans are the greatest meteorite to have hit the planet. Humans having the “privilege” of being the most intelligent race on the planet have built, transform, deforest and extinguished a good amount of species ranging from plants to animals. What most humans don’t understand is that as in all with great power comes great responsibility. That is why we have the obligation of taking care of our fellow earth habitants, because that would not only preserve them but us as well. We are obliged to nurture and nurse the earth because after all it is our home. In contrast humans have, in the name of progress, done the complete opposite; we have diminished other animals and used them or killed them in our advantage. I’m not saying that we should be vegetarian or anything I just feel that we need to take care of them, give them a decent life not only because they are a live, which should be enough, but we depend on them. What would happen if one animal race extinguishes? It affects another because it is a cycle and little by little they are all affected including us. In my opinion leaders of great nations should pay more attention to what is going on earth than trying to produce wealth. If we trash the earth all the money they produced will never buy them another “home”. It is a popular believe that to have power (wealth) you have to be intelligent but it is also smart to think that the power they have would be worthless with our food (plants or animals) and our home (Earth). It is what Dalai Lama once said when asked what surprised him the most about humanity: “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” And it is also true with our planet. We are wasting it to create money, killing animals to sell their skin, getting oil from the ground and so on, that when we realize the damage we are causing our planet we are going to spend all the money to try and save it.
Peindre Un Monde Heureux
Taking the world as our workshop we are the actors/directors of our own movie, the painter of our dreams and the sculptor of our destiny. The last question of this class asks about my role as artist in the world and I simply don’t know where to begin. I believe my role is to create, it may not be the greatest invention the world has ever seen but if I put my two cents it will make a better place. I have always believed one should act with integrity even if the world is going the opposite direction. That will not only leave you with a feeling that you did your best, but if you are lucky enough, you can influence someone else and he/her can influence another and so on. It always has to start somewhere and if it is me who has to do the hard work then the faster you start the faster you will finish. Hopefully I get to leave a good mark on the world because it is not enough with just living but doing something with my life. It does not matter if it’s helping with the environment or with men the point is to help one another into becoming a better person or leaving a better world to the following generations. It does not matter what I do as long as I create something that I believe in and has a possitive effect on the world. With this short comment I finish my French culture Class summer 2012.