Paris: Musée National Picasso. HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!

Did I see a Rembrandt, a Michelangelo?

Why no, I did not.

Every building in France has the most spectacular visage ever conceived.

Perhaps you cast your eyes on a Renoir or Cezanne?

Nope, not one.

So I’m in the world’s most famous “Musee” and not even one Henri Matisse or Gauguin?

Munch?

Not one god damn Van Gogh?

Sorry sir wrong place, silly American, that’s over there at the “Musee d’Orsay”

Where?

NOT THE d’ORSAY

Could be the best photo ever taken, sorry “Brick”

Well hell, didn’t get to see a single Botticelli at the so called world’s best, blah,blah. Top it all off you can’t get out of the place without being stuck right in the middle of a 1980’s mall.

They have a moat! A moat for Christ sake.

Did I see a moat built somewhere around 1200 AD?

No, I saw some stores where you can buy fancy overpriced purses, ugly shoes and horrible fast food.

Where the hell is the “Sortie”?

Mmm STAIRS

How can you call yourself the world’s greatest museum without a single Dali?

Well?

Nary one Picasso?

Nu Dans un Jardin   1934

Excuse me voice from above what did you say?

The Louvre has nothing past 1870, I saw a couple of statues outside but certainly nothing inside.

Well that explains a lot, never mind.

I have an idea, how about we try for a more intimate museum experience.

Welcome to “Musee National Picasso”

Nu de Faceaux Bras   1906    

Great title idea sumptuous use of paint.

Now I’ve seen several Pablo Picasso’s in Memphis, Chicago, San Diego and at the LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, for you non L.A. folks) including some during his “Blue Period” a most dubious and somber point in his career. The years between 1901-1904 following a suicide of a close friend.

Lots of stygian drawings including some small paintings and a mind bending moment but nothing really blowing me away.

Autoportrait 3   1901

The eyes are alive. They follow no matter where you go.

Portrait of Gustave Coquiot  1901

Certainly looks pervy 

Homme E la guitare   1911

CUBIST MUCH?

What’s happening to my mind?

This is most certainly not the Renaissance that I seek.

Lartiste et son modkle    1914

Right here one of those moments happened.

Les Amoureux  1919

Paul en pierrot    1925

His son in a funny costume. Yes it is. They told me.

La danse villageoise   1921

Every single time I see this perfection I’m happy. Go on, smile with me.

If you’re seeing this on your phone you’re really not seeing it at all.

Peintre E la palette et au chevalet   1928

The minimalist line work?

Incredible, and It only gets better from here.

La Flute de Pan    1923

I’ll have none of your Greek nudity

The Race   1922

Perhaps a touch.

That right there is a God Damn masterpiece I don’t care era, artist or technique.

The Swimmer   1929

Tell me that’s not a knife in its hand or a leg cutting God’s face?

Figures at the seaside   1931

Here’s as good a time as any to try and explain the horrible glare. The lighting was tricky as it was suspended from the ceiling thus creating the unnatural luminescence. Terribly hard to avoid. Let’s not forget the bullet proof glass that protects these one of a kind treasures. You will see odd angles as I try to circumvent this dilemma.

Who’s the old fat guy who reflects very ghost like through several of these rare beauties?

Couldn’t find the name of this magnificence!

La Crucifixion  1930   BEST JESUS EVER!

BY FAR ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITES

Portrait of Young Girl    1936

There was a story about the wood in this door but I’ll be damned if I remember it. Too may beers yo!

La liseuse    1953

Jacqueline nue au bonnet turc      1955

He created more than 1500 works. Let’s not forget he was also an extraordinary sculptor.

Top Right:  Jacqueline with Hands Crossed    1954

You might be asking yourself. I wonder how many works Caravaggio did?

Less than 40 exist.

Nature morte E la tnte de taureau     1958

TOLD YOU

Jacqueline E Loreiller   1969

Le Baiser   1969

These are all from the end of his career, well, life really.

Seated Girl   1970

Absolutely wondrous. Eyes?

Perfect.

One of the great things was the pace of the place. You could (sit) stand and take in the works from all sides for as long as you cared to view.

Cavalier with Pipe The Matador    1970

Nobody saying we have to move on or bumping into one without a word of regret spoken.

Le Peintre et l’enfant    1969

I love this painting. Capturing the simple joys late in life.

Nu couche et homme jouant de le guitare    1970

Now you may not believe me when I say this but he was a fan of the female form, no, I sense your skepticism, but he really was.

I know this to be true because I read it in a book!

His last known work. A self portrait wearing his homelands headwear.  

Let me try to excavate myself from this self dug hole. I did not hate the Louvre. I just didn’t get to see everything it holds. When I go (which I will) back I will spend at least 4 days in a row doing nothing but going through every inch. What I am saying is, the Picasso museum might have been the best museum experience of my life and I have done a few! The pictures you see were certainly not all that there was to behold. In fact we didn’t even get to see the third floor due to renovations. Since it’s me doing the escapade I tend to shoot the stuff I like. I find paints more than sculpture to my liking.

These are just the ones that caught my eyes. Certainly you would have seen it through your eyes as well.

How can a dream like this end?

Chateau Noir by Paul Cezanne  1903

I have to go to the Picasso museum to see Cezanne?

Turns out they were friends.

Don’t know but it’s by Pierre Auguste Renoir

Holy shit that’s a Renoir! Not at the Louvre but here?

As I stated up there somewhere I have seen a few paintings in my day. Some good some not so much. To be moved by art has happened from time to time but seldom anymore because I am terribly jaded at this point in my almost over life.

Then I saw this

Portrait of Marguerite by Henri Matisse  1906

I don’t know what hit me, but it felt like a thunderbolt. I stood and stared breathlessly (from every possible angle) for at least 30 minutes. Unable to break it’s magic spell. Why do I like Black Sabbath and Uriah Heep but not Led Zeppelin?

Why do I HATE Robin Williams?

This was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I was at the Louvre just the other day. I’m staring in wonder at her perfection as I write this and it’s a real thing. It’s happening right now as I look into her eyes.

The power of art is undeniable.

Just to make my point. This is another Matisse:

Nature Morte Aux Oranges by Henri Matisse  1913

Beautiful but it does not make me cry.

The reason that I wake up, the reason I search for magical beauty in all things. The desire to understand this power draws me on.

I’ve seen this construct before, probably from a movie that never was.

DJ STPUID

04/06 2026