Thursday, September 03, 2009

Les Beaux Arts de Paris


Last evening (Wednesday) I passed by L'Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (the National Fine arts school) located in the heart of Saint Germain des Pré, and, for the first time in my life, I went inside (I think I was not supposed to be there, but what the hell...) The place is absolutely amazing : enormous (especially for this area, very very dense), full of art (they obviously don't know what to do with their sculptures ;-) and full of history too (it was created in 1863). Unfortunately, it's also very very damaged. You can tell some buildings have been restored (including a magnificent glass roof top), but most of them are in very bad condition - and I don't suppose our culture ministry can now afford to repair them...

22 comments:

  1. I've always wanted to go in there, but never had the guts to brazen it out and try to sneak in. It looks amazing. Do they sometimes have exhibits that are open to the public, when one can enter without risking a trip to the Paris hoosegow?

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  2. Looks like conditions are so bad that the poor guy in front got beheaded just for being kind. ;-)

    If you weren't supposed to be inside, Eric, then how did you get in? Do you have a key? hmmm...

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  3. A "few" years back you could easily just walk in. It's a school, so people walk in and out all the time.

    I sat in a couple of classes there a looooooooooooong time ago (long story) for a very, very short time. This post takes me way back! ;)

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  4. Has that poor fellow been beheaded AND castrated? My my, what a shame.

    This sounds like a great place to sneak around, Eric! If they want to make some money for the school, they should sell some of those random pieces of art.

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  5. I'm very impressed, Eric. First you trespassed, then you took pictures! They must have recognized the artist in you and just assumed you belonged there.

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  6. I just walked in, too. No one tried to stop me. So, I think it was ok, Eric! The conditions were the same when I was there. Sadly. Perhaps some wealthy lover of the arts can make a great big donation!!

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  7. PS. I love this picture, too. The light and composition are lovely. My PDP slideshow is going to be 6 hours long soon!! ; )

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  8. By not reparing some of the art works & antiquities, the Culture Ministry is instead giving away a great number of scholarships to students from Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Hopefully, they will become policy makers with an eye for Art in the decades to come. We so need more artists & visionaries to grace the stage of Paris & her vicinities.

    I wonder if Délégation aux Arts Plastiques has anything to say...

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  9. Their sculpture collection is amazing even though most are copies.

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  10. I passed this when I was there in December. I really like this area and will be close to it next month.. I plan to try to go inside many of the buildings I just looked at from the outside and now I know I will try this one. Great photo.

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  11. And, je pense, the birthplace of Eduard Manet is right down the street from the main entrance of L'Ecole des beaux-arts. I thought that was wonderful.

    Thanks for the vicarious visit inside. I always wondered...

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  12. So I was right about me not supped to be there... Ed sent me an email to let me know he found the English version of the web site. He noticed that: ""Access to the Ensba is reserved for students, professors, staff, and visitors. Studios are strictly closed to the public, except during the annual open house in June. Tourist visits are forbidden, however, the Ensba can be visited with an Ensba tour-guide on Monday afternoons, except during school holidays. Please contact the office of communication and exhibitions.""

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  13. How meaningful to dive into our History through the Arts. Wonder how/why this statue lost his head... Was it accidentally or what?
    I smiled at Wren's explanation : "Looks like conditions are so bad that the poor guy in front got beheaded just for being kind ;-)" : LOL! how do you know (from his posture, I guess ??).

    Thanks a lot for this photo, éric, and all the context of this school that obviously I already heard of before but didn't know there were so many treasures inside, even in bad conditions. They remain beautiful.
    I so wish I could take a History of the Arts class or at least learn from an expert in all this.

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  14. I have to make this a destination in my future trip to Paris. Restored or not, it must be out of this world!

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  15. I know I may sound crazy, but the condition of the buildings almost adds to this scene....the pantina of age is not easily replicated.



    Sean

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  16. Oh, yes, school days. I had a boyfriend when I was in art college in NYC, Pissarro; the great great grand son of the famous artist Camille Pissarro. Anyway, Pissarro the younger did a sculpture of me for his semester assignment. He made me into a Sphinx. It was me except for the half that was a lion. It was such a beautiful work of art. I wonder what happened to it at the end of the semester. Pissarro asked me to marry him, and leave NYC as he was going back to Portugal. He said that the Pissarro family had a farm on the beach. I declined -- I just could not picture myself living on a farm. My guru said, in order to achieve something, you must be able to perceive it.

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  17. One thing Margaux(BTW I love your wine) is that all sculptures as well as architecture were covered in realistic paint jobs. Learned that in Art History.

    Ms. Vandertramp, congrats again for weighing in first!
    ET Suzy, a big LOL.

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  18. Lois -- you probably made the right decision. You know how temperamental these artists can be. Oh, wait—you're an artist. So, are you temperamental?
    I never saw the finished sculptures that I posed for in Venice. I keep thinking I'm going to come across one some day.

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  19. Phx, yes agree witoutou concerning 'my' wine !!! LOL !! If only it could be true!! Mine!!
    Thank you for the information you gave about realistic paints. Interesting. Reading (yesterday) you had a History of Rock music class, 4 years ago, sounds really pretty to me and I thought of that today with this post, an Art history could be fine too :) hmm
    Sean, I know what you mean. There is a need for a restoration time. Not all in a day but starting by a real bit and more...until a fine work's done.

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  20. Sorry for the typos...!!!!
    * with you *
    :)

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  21. Eric

    I see you've added investigative journalism to PDP! Great stuff.

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  22. je crois que j'étais là à mai, c'est fantastique! we were allowed to visit in the main area....or maybe because i am of student-age people simply thought i attended class there? great place full of surprises!

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