Use these navigation links to move between the Year 2025 pages.  Specific pages can be accessed at the bottom of this page

May 2025 (Part 31)

France Trip: Day 13: Musee Marmottan-Monet

We took an Uber to the Musee Marmottan-Monet, which as the largest single collection of Monet paintings in the world, with over three hundred of his Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, as a result of a donation in 1966 by Michel Monet, Claude's second son and only heir

Despite knowing this, the layout of the museum got us confused when we entered.  The main building was originally a hunting lodge for the Duke of Valmy, and was later bequeathed along with their art collection by Paul Marmottan as a museum.  The entrance is through the house and we spent some time wandering through that. more than we should have

They had several pieces by Berthe Morisot, including this image she painted on her palette titled Palette: tete d'enfant.  Next is her portrait of Eugene Manet a l'ile de wight (1875), Eugene Manet et sa fille dans le Jardin de Bougival (1881), and Bergere Couchee (1891) (Reclining Shepherdess)

Here is Berte Morisots work is Au Bal (1875) and Le Cerisier (1891) (The Cherry Tree)

We then made our way through a temporary exhibit of the works of Eugene Boudin titled Father of Impressionism: A Private Collection.  The first image is his La plage de Deuville (1893) (the beach at Deuville), next is Camaret, la pointe du Tolinquet (1873).  To the left in the final image is Etretat, la falaise d'Aval au soilel couchant (1890) (Etretat, the Aval cliff at sunset).

Here is Trouville, l'appareillages des sardiniers (1894) (Trouville, the sardine boats setting sail), while on the top in the next image is La Havre, l'avant port (1885), and the next image is fleurs dans un vase (1860). 

Next is Boudin's fete dans le bassin de Honfleur (1862) (party in the Honfleur basin) petite metairie aux environs de Honfleur (1860) (small farm near Honfleur), paysage aux environs de Deuville (1865) (landscape around Deauville), and Maree basse a Sainte-Adresse (1856) (Low tide at Sainte-Adresse).

Here is Boudin's Portrieux, rivage et bateau a l'ancre (1872) (Portrieux, shore and boat at anchor), Vaches au paturage (1885) (Cows in the pasture), and Voiliers, marre basse (1865) (Sailboats, low tide).

We then headed downstairs and discovered that the entire basement galleries were dedicated to Claude Monet.

 On one of the first walls (on the left below) was Claude Monet's 1872 painting Impression, Sunrise.  This painting of the port of Le Havre, Monet's hometown, was first shown at what would become known as the "Exhibition of the Impressionists" in Paris in April, 1874.  The painting is credited with inspiring the name of the Impressionist movement.

Next is Le Train dans la Neige, la locomotive (1875) (The Train in the Snow, the locomotive), followed by  Trouville, scene de plage (Trouville beach scene) (1870)

is en Promenade pres d'Argenteuil (1875) (on a walk near Argenteuil),

Here is la Plage a Pourville, soleil couchant (1882) (the beach at Pourville, sunset). while the last two images below are En Norvegienne (1887) (En Norvegienne) and Paysage de Norvege, les Maisons blues (1895) (Norwegian landscape, the Blue Houses).

Les Roses (1826), Bras de Seine a Giverny (1885) (Branch of the Seine at Giverny), and Champ de Tulipes en Hollande (1886), and Champ d'Iris Jaunes a Giverny (1887) (Field of Yellow Irises in Giverny).

The outside pictures are Cathedrale de Rouen, effets de soleil, fin de journee (1892) (Rouen Cathedral, sun effects, end of day). followed by Clematites Blanches (1887)

They had Monet's palette and several pictures of his studio showing the enormous Water Lily panels.

They also had several of the Water Lily series.  Such amazing masterpieces.  What was delightful was how uncrowded this gallery became.  They announced the museum was closing in 15 minutes and suddenly we had the gallery to ourselves, with a rooms lines with Monets.  We hurried to take pictures in front of as many as we could, along with videoing a trip around each wall.  This was truly memorable.