“Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together.”

My thoughts as I stood in line to get into the Musée d’Orsay were, “Wow, this used to be a train station?! The paintings in here are going to be epic!” And boy, were my expectations fulfilled! As I wondered the halls, my heart was beating with excitement as my eyes darted from one painting to another. “OMG, there’s Bouguereau’s “Birth of Venus”…and Millet’s “The Gleaners”…and Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait”…and Manet’s “Luncheon on the Grass”…and Whistler’s “Arrangement in Grey and Black”…and Monet’s “Rouen Cathedral Series!”” Everywhere I looked I saw paintings that I had grown up knowing or learned about in Professor Dreiss’s art history classes.

As a lover of art, my allegiance has been with Rubens’, Vermeer’s, Van Dyke’s, Turner’s, and Gainsborough’s. I had always appreciated 19th and 20th century art, but my appreciation has turned into a full blown love affair after visiting the Musée d’Orsay.

During our visit, Professor Smith assigned us with the task of finding one piece of decorative art and one painting that spoke to us. At first I thought this was going to be piece of cake, but the task was more difficult because there are so many beautiful and emotional pieces contained in one space.

For my decorative arts piece, I chose a set of Art Nouveau chairs. I was initially drawn to these chairs because the look like a set of stadium chairs that are At home. When I started to observe the chairs, I noticed the look like the metro entrances here in Paris designed by Hector Guimard. That is because he also designed these chairs! The chairs have soft, round, curvilinear lines. The chairs show truth to materials through their wood, leather, and iron; I find all of the materials to be quite beautiful in their natural form. I like these chairs because they are reference to nature; bringing nature into homes make people happy and the home beautiful, which ultimately improves people’s well-being.

The painting I was most drawn to was Renoir’s “Dance at the Moulin de la Galette.” When I walked into the gallery where the painting was housed, I was instantly drawn to it. It reminded me a lot of Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party.” When I was observing it, I felt like I had been transported back into time; the painting is a snapshot into history. I felt like I knew the people and they knew me. I could feel their excitement as I imagined myself dancing with all the people! I left this painting feeling energized, just like the paintings subjects!

Link for where I got Renoir’s “Dancing at the Moulin de la Galette.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pierre-Auguste_Renoir,_Le_Moulin_de_la_Galette.jpg