Monet Exhibition at the Galeries Nationales, Grand Palais, Paris

One of the best exhibitions in town is the assembly of Claude Monet's retrospective work from 1860-1926, at the Galeries Nationales, Grand Palais, Paris. The exhibit takes you back to his student days when he began to paint in the tradition of realism, through his journey through-out his life to paint the the outdoor scenes, capturing the same subject matter at different times of the day, and moved on to be one of the most prolific impressionist painters. With close to 200 canvasses to view, coming from different corners of the world, one is transported to familiar or faraway places, in different seasons.

http://www.grandpalais.fr/en/Homepage/p-617-lg1-Homepage.htm

I liked the wintry scenes he painted, especially on when the Seine River froze.




On a wintry day, I took my daughter to the Grand Palais to see this exhibition with me.


The online reservations for the tickets to this show were fully sold out sometime in September, I was told. The only way to get them now was by lining up for several hours.


For the annual subscribers to the Galeries Nationales, the Sesame card holders, there is no wait, as there is a special entrance for the supporters of the museum.


Come rain or shine, wind or snow, the people persevere in coming to see the Monet exhibition.


There was a "NO PHOTO" policy for the exhibition, until we got to this point.


The bookstore was the next stop for those who enjoyed this grand exhibition...


looking for gifts, souvenirs, or coffee table items. There was a section dedicated to books on Monet, with pictures of some of the featured works.

Here are a few links about Monet and his works:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet
http://www.monetpainting.net/chronology.php
http://www.culturevulture.net/ArtandArch/MonetinNormandy.htm
http://www.monetpainting.net/paintings/forest.php?search_by=1850
http://www.suite101.com/content/claude-monet-and-his-impressionist-paintings-of-the-river-thames-a260339
http://www.intermonet.com/oeuvre/nature.htm

This exhibition is slated to go on for another month, as it is scheduled to close in late January, 2011. As this magnificent exhibition features works from national museums and private collections from all over the world, people are wondering about the likelihood of it being brought to, say, the Metropolitan Museum in New York or the Art Institute of Chicago. That still remains to be the question. Your best option is to come to Paris, and get in line to buy your tickets. Be sure to come all bundled up, as that would be at the height of winter.