L'Abomination

It was to be another big day. From our lunchtime visit to the Botticelli exhibit, we walked to the Champs Elysees to pick up some mail held for us at the rental agency and then to the "wrapped" Arc de Triomphe. After that we strolled back along the great boulevard, gawking at all the flagship stores and other curiosities, and then took the wrong bus back home, discovering another neighborhood and restaurant of interest. 

Yup, must be the Champs Elysees

Every few feet, a stand or kiosk or cart selling souvenirs...12€

for the flimsiest of small book bags...

Voila! In a heavy shimmering bluish white drape, roped in red...

Can't believe we're doing this

Kissing the flag, showing my deep respect for the

great stunt

Us, there

The Eiffel Tower looks on, uneasily

Brisk business

By no means was it the only building wrapped on
Champs Elysees 

Of course practically any building undergoing renovation, or a
new paint job, or termite control, goes under wraps

Line to get into the big LV

Apple staking its claim to fashion greatness...note it is a golden

apple; I doubt any mythological allusions are intended

Still processing this one

Dutch tourist who has just navigated the Etoile (the Arc de Triomphe
is at the center of the Etoile, the "star," the roundabout joining 12
different roads; "Etoile" sure sounds better that "malfunction junction,"
as we would have called it back in Missoula; or maybe "mega
malfunction junction"; this is the only RV we've seen in Paris in a
month; I've driven our campers in Paris in former years, but only in the
double digit arrondisements; he's probably having a double genever
to steady his nerves

Botticelli At The Musee Jacquemart Andre

The exhibition began in the mansion's atelier, with a trio of short videos, in French, but with English subtitles, and from there moved through four or five rooms. As expected, none of Botticelli's greatest hits were there...the Uffizi, the Vatican, and others are not likely to part with their most popular and valuable paintings. But there were plenty of others to look at, particularly supporting the exhibition's themes concerning Botticelli's "multivalent" workshop and his wider work in design. We found ourselves enlightened particularly by the curators' take on the later Botticelli, after Savanarola. Lots to think about. Mostly we'd like to be beamed down to the Uffizi for a few hours.

Helpful map of Florence back when

The exhibition included a number of paintings

by Botticelli's associates; this by his teacher

Filippo Lippi; Botticelli did a very similar one,

now in Moscow, I believe

Botticelli, Madonna of the Book, 1460s

Botticelli, The Madonna Campana, late 1460s

Slice of a wall length chronology

Andrea del Verocchio, another associate, Virgin
and Infant with Two Angels, late 1460s

Tapestry designed by Botticelli, French manufacture

Priestly vestment designed by Botticelli, made in
Florence

Well, everyone was masked, and in France, everyone's been vaccinated

Botticelli portrait of Julian Medici

Portrait of Michelle Marullo

Botticelli, Judgement of Paris, early 1480s

Venus Pudica is the title, but it's Simonetta
Vespucci, the love of his life, great beauty of her
age; two versions here

One of the most famous images in all art

Click to enlarge and see how Botticelli made a cameo of the
brooch

One of the later tondi

Judith and Holophernes (head only); early 1490s

Among the last, attributed to Botticelli and his
workshop, early 1500s

Musee Jacquemart Andre: Botticelli In Paris

The Musee Jacquemart Andre is a small formerly independent museum, originally the home of an interesting Paris couple, Eduard Andre and Nelie Jacquemart. She was a painter, he the scion of an enormous banking fortune. Together they shared a love of art, particularly Italian, and pretty much devoted themselves to their mansion on Boulevard Haussmann and filling it with the treasures they acquired on annual trips beyond the Alps. They left the mansion and its contents to the Institute of France. The museum this fall is doing a special exhibition on "Botticelli: Artist and Designer," and, Botticelli being one of our two or three favorite painters, we had to go. The Musee Jacquemart Andre is worth a post by itself. I'll do the Botticelli exhibit separately.

Standing in line outside (timed tickets, etc.)

Entry view

She did a portrait of him; that's how their relationship
began

Fragonard, Head of an Old Guy, 1769

Gorgeous staircase, etc.

Medici "pills"

Among the salons

Warin bust of Richelieu, 1643; when the Cardinal was a young man 

Atop the staircase, the enormous fresco by Tiepolo, Arrival of
Henry III at the Villa Contarini, 1745; trompe l'oeil illusionism,
etc.

Guide to the atelier

Thus; part of it; art history clutter

Personal favorite

Beautiful choir seating, marquetry, Pantelone, 1510

Mantegna, Virgin, Infant and Three Saints, 1485

Mantegna again, Ecce Homo, 1500

Workshop of Mantegna, Virgin, Infant, and Two Saints, 15th century

Luca Signorelli, Virgin, Infant, St. John, and Old
Guy, 1491

Nice ceilings throughout

Exiting the gift shop

Sadly, for me, the one item in the regular collection I really wanted
to see, Uccello's St. George and the Dragon, 1430, was out on loan,
probably in order to get one of the Botticellis; this from the museum's
website