Bohémes in the Autumn

Sunday:  The rain had stopped...at last!

It was a glorious Autumn morning....so we headed out fast, before it turned again.

I wanted to see the new exhibition at the Grand Palais....the one on the theme of the "Bohémes"....you know the myth about wandering, exotic gypsies....I first saw gypsy caravans in the south of France in 2001...but they didn't look that exotic back then....more impoverished.

The free-spirited gypsy (or bohemian)....certainly inspired many of the great artists....painters, writers, poets, composers....and dare I say it, many of our current celebrities.  In one painting, and I kid you not, there was Keith Richards (in head-scarf, earring and torn jeans), Johhny Depp was there too in a voluminous, open-necked gypsy/pirate shirt, as was Michael Jackson in studded boots....incredible!  It was a fabulous painting.

It was the first time I'd ever seen Van Gogh's little gypsy caravans...what a magnificent painting this is....how did he do it?  And to be able to stand so close to this wonderful art....if I reached out I could have touched it.  And you should have seen the painting that Renoir did of his wife as a gypsy girl against a green Summer background....he must have loved her dearly to have painted her so tenderly...the painting is exquisite (even her eyebrows were superb!)

I really liked the exhibition http://www.grandpalais.fr/grandformat/bohemes-le-vernissage/ and afterwards we lingered in the Champs-Elysées area and noticed (and felt) how Autumn is now upon us.

Just as glorious as Spring really.....the golden, russet leaves being the blossoms of Autumn.

There was a fab Van Gogh painting of a pair of weathered old boots in the exhibition too....possibly symbolising the bohemian artist's difficult path through life.....http://www.grandpalais.fr/grandformat/bohemes-la-bande-annonce/....so just for fun, he's a trés jolie clip of the boots.

And with the cool, crisp Autumn air all around us, Pierre and I decided to duck over to the Marais for an early dinner at one of our favourite little cafés....Café des Musées....good honest French cooking at honest prices....and cosy!

You can see that Autumn was on the menu too....duck with quince and creamy pumpkin, aubergine dip, watercress soup, plum tart, warm chanterelle mushroom salad....seriously yummy!

Yes...it was another trés bon day in Gaye Paree.

A bientot.

You may also like my post on:
http://parisallons-y.blogspot.fr/2012/09/parisan-artistic-cornucopia.html