Record crowds are dashing to a must-see Exhibition in Paris!
"Picasso and the Masters" is a fascinating foray into the world of painting because the dynamic show hangs the Spanish Maestro's paintings up-close and alongside a number of classical painters who inspired the creative genius.
The exquisite display - which cost a staggering five million dollars to mount - houses over two hundred masterpieces which includes works by mentors such as Goya, Velazquez, Ingres, El Greco, Courbet, Manet, Rembrandt, Renoir, Degas, and Delacroix.
The bulk of the gems are grandstanding at the Grand Palais, but portions of the comprehensive collection are also featured in cozier settings in mini-shows in two other museums in Paris proper.
The organizers of the eclectic event - which is attracting frenzied art lovers from around the globe - describe the exhibit at the ultra-classy "Musee d'Orsay" as a riff on Picasso's many interpretations of Manet's "Dejeuner sur l'Herbe".
In another bombastic setting - ten paintings and a handful of black and white Picasso drawings normally housed at the "Salon Denon" at the Louvre - have been artfully placed astride Delacroix's remarkable masterpiece, "Femmes d'Alger".
With stunning results!Because tickets have been in such great demand - without one, an art connoisseur may have to stand in a queue for three hours to gain attendance - the Museums have extended their hours to accommodate the droves of lookie-loos arriving en masse daily in the eternal City of Lights.
For those interested in all the detailed background scuttlebutt on the artwork, an audio guide is available, which I understand tends to be a bit talky and artsy-fartsy in an over-the-top intellectual way.
Personally, I'd just go for the visuals.
And, a reminder.
Hands off the paintings, no matter how textured they may be.
Years ago when I visited the Louvre for the first time, I started to reach out to stroke a piece of enticing organic sculpture, when an excited voice screeched at me from across the exhibit hall.
"Ne Touche Pas, Monsieur!"
I half-turned to catch the alarming sight of an armed guard headed in my direction at a rather fast clip.
I was so embarrassed by the incident, that I was half-inclined to climb under the carpet to avoid further scrutiny.
"Yes, those brazen Americans, they're everywhere," I could almost hear those snooty Frenchies whisper under their stinky breath, as I slunk away shame-faced.
By the way, did you know that the "Mona Lisa" is actually quite a small painting with magical forests in the background which are rarely ever fully appreciated in a simple print or rendering in a magazine or book?
Info: click on the "Noteworthy" link for the Louvre (above right)
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