January 13, 2019               visit the Petit Palace - Musée Nissim de Camondo – Caravaggio Exhibition at the Jacquemart-Andre 

Sue pointed out that I forgot to mention that we went to church Saturday evening at St. Sulpice, and then out to dinner at The Académie de la bière.  

Sunday morning we went to breakfast at a place found on Trip Advisor.  The restaurant is Eggs & Company, and it just serves breakfast.  We each had Eggs Benedicit with bacon, coffee and a pancake.  It was very good and very expensive, 50€.  

After breakfast we went to the Petit Palace, an Art Museum we have never visited.  We haven’t visited it because it doesn’t have a painting on any of my lists.  It is a very nice museum, and free.  The collection includes many items other than paintings.

We had 17:45 tickets to the Caravaggio Exhibition at the Jacquemart-Andre Musee.  This is why we are here.  I’ve been on the pursuit of Caravaggio paintings, Sue not so much.  When we visited St. Petersburg in 2017 Caravaggio’s “The Lute Player” was not on display.  I think it was in conservation, so when I saw it was in this exhibition, we just had to go.  There were ten (?) Caravaggio’s on display.  The special feature of this exhibit is that there are two copies of the “Magdalene in Ecstasy” on display.  There are experts who believe both Magdalene’s are copies, and experts who think one or the other is an original.  Many of Caravaggio paintings where copied during and after his lifetime.  This was not an unusual practice in the early 17^th century.  As a result there are uncertainties about many paintings attributed to Caravaggio.  The various lists have from 66 to 90 paintings.  Some lists include paintings attributed and questionable.  I know this is more than you want, but it is fun for me, and Sue puts up with it.  We saw four or six new Caravaggio’s depending if we include the two Magdalene’s, and we have seen 52 t0 61 depending on which list I use.  The other benefit is that we don’t have to go back to St. Petersburg, or to Cremona or Genoa.

There were other paintings in the exhibit besides the Caravaggio’s and I only took a photo of Ribera’s “The Denial of St. Peter” because the rooms were small and very crowded.  I know I’m a grouch, but the folks who get the audio guides and then have to stand right in front of the painting to listen to the audio really irritate me.  The other paintings in the exhibit were by artists labeled Caravaggisti.  The Caravaggisti are stylistic followers of Caravaggio.  Caravaggio’s style was incredibly influential for its realism, use of space, and intense chiaroscuro style.  Chiaroscuro is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, enough of the art talk.  Works of another Caravaggisti that I’m tracking down is Georges de La Tour.  Just like Caravaggio there are not many works that are known, and questions about what are original and what are copies.  There are about +70 originals and copies and we have seen 37.  This is more than enough for now. Sue here reading this.  He’s killing me with the de La Tours.

January 13 Caravaggio Exhibit