Lately, in Aix- en -Provence and in Paris on friday afternoon, I saw nature, still life, women, children, love, sex, and death through their eyesights.
It was a kind of revival, rediscovering some emotions I had buried long ago. Through their respective colours, curves or angles, life looked different and was more significant than in the past years. Probably because life is at a standstill, personal worries being numbed for a while.
Cézanne's sceneries and colours are familiar to me, and Picasso's vision is nearly
understandable now, though I have always been moved by the curves of his women's nudes and the weeping Dora Maar.
Friday afternoon with Renoir at the Grand Palais was pleasant, but not really moving.
I admired the huge decorative nudes, the quiet beauties of the flesh, and above all these blue, blurred eyes, giving very soft looks in almost all the chubby women's faces he painted.
He seemed so keen on depicting quiet familiar life, which seemed somehow a little boring. No tragic vision, just decorative flesh and splendid impressions of silky, fluffy material of elegant women's dresses. Peaceful children as well, playing the piano, reading, practising writing, gorgeous babes being breast-fed. Too idealised family life ? Why not? It is a happy vision withouth Picasso's meaningful double take.
A quiet and pleasant journey before the thunderstorm which was ahead of me with the night at Bastille opera house and the last performance of Wozzeck.
Thank you for sharing those viewings with us. I have always loved Cézanne and must admit went through a Picasso period that has since faded. And that's a spot on analysis of Renoir - not excitement but pleasant.
ReplyDeleteWant to hear all about the Wozzeck.