What About Sue and George: January 2014

Hello folks!
On the road for a quick weekend in the vicinity of Paris. But this time, albeit myself for a couple of hours, we did not set foot in the city limits.

While waiting for George to finish his work day and with little time on my hands, the Cartier: The Style and the History exhibition was on my to-do list. Jackie Kennedy's purse, Kate Middleton's bridal tiara, and Elizabeth Taylor's ruby necklace and matching earrings were, but a few of the highlights. It was mesmerizing the precious jewels on display and the super rich who commissioned these pieces.

And I popped into the Petite Palais for a quick peak with even less time on my hands. The Palais was built along with the Grand Palais for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It is a gorgeous architectural wonder and holds a variety of art from ancient to modern. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that admission is free except for temporary exhibitions. I would like to return when I have more time.

Petite Palais

Petite Palais - garden

Petite Palais

The next day we visited "The true home of kings, the house of ages", as Napoleon I described it; Chateau de Fontainebleau approximately 40 miles southeast of Paris, a Unesco World Heritage site since 1981. After our visit last summer to the Loire Valley where so many castles can be found, I was...you could say...less than excited about visiting another castle. Monumental as they are, Chateau de Fontainebleau has artifacts that are truly fascinating.

Original structures date the first fortification to 1137 and in 1528 under the rein of François I a significant part of the castle was developed. Through the following centuries apartments, new wings of the castle and gardens including a grand canal of approximately 3/4 mile in length were added according to the wishes of the king of the times. Henri IV, Louis, XIV, Louis XV, and Napoleon I all had a significant impact on the present day structure.

Because the Chateau was occupied continuously from the 12th century to the 19th century the tour felt like we were walking through time. Changing architectural styles and symbols of each king can be discovered throughout the castle. Symbols such as François I's personal emblem, the salamander and Napoleon I's, the golden bees. And the personal artifacts of Napoleon I were the most intriguing to both of us.

Napoleon was known for his personal grooming habits and he needed something compact and easily transportable that held it all.

Napoleon's personal grooming kit

A traveling bidet for the king

Close up of the vase in the photo above. Does the man on the right with the painters palette look familiar along with the figure seated on the left front with long hair. If you guessed Leonard da Vinci and the Mona Lisa, you are correct. François I was fond of da Vinci.

Library

Ornately carved door

Adjoining the palace is 284 acres of parkland dotted with fountains and includes an orange grove and French and English style gardens. A large diverse forest of 42,000 acres surrounds the palace property and the town of Fontainebleau.

Grand Canal

The hibernating gardens, but surely beautiful during warmer months

Rear of Chateau

On one edge of the forest is the village of Barbizon. Home of the Barbizon School of painters, French artists who rejected the academic traditions of art and wanted to paint a representation of life in the countryside. They were the forerunners of Impressionist painters. A one-lane main street cuts through this adorable town that is quaint as can be.

Along the main street are mosaics of famous works by artists who lived and worked in Barbizon. This mosaic is a copy of a work by Jean-François Millet depicting his famous painting, The Gleaners, that is housed at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.

The Gleaners, Musée d'Orsay

An inn, the Auberge Ganne once a place where artist came to live and paint, is now a museum. Here the artist of the day spent their time amongst their peers, leaving their mark on the door panels, furniture and walls of the inn.