Monet Exhibition in Paris

Yesterday I went out of work later than what I had expected. 

But I run in the streets to the nearest tube station.

I had just two hours and a half before the doors would close.

I was going to the Monet Exhibition at the Grand Palais (near the Champs Elysées), which was closing definitely its doors at 9 p.m.

I finally arrived.

But I had no ticket.

People had been waiting for hours and hours to buy them.

Others had bought tickets earlier on the internet.

The guard confirmed that it was too late, that the waiting line was closed.

Surprisingly I did not feel sad.

Maybe I already knew.

And I was right.

Near me, there was a woman. 

My Angel !!

She had an extra ticket, which a friend of hers had given to her earlier that day. 

And she offered it to me, telling me that it would be useful.

So I was LUCKY enough to meet her and spend the next three hours inside the museum with her.

She was a journalist.

She liked art, culture, literature... just like me. 

This meeting was so unpredictable.

Yes, miracles DO happen.

The Exhibition was fantastic.

There were many paintings, coming from all over the world, including amazing and "famous" ones.

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

 (c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

The scenography was well-done.

Many similar paitings had been hung side by side, so that we could see Monet's genius and detail-orientation : he could catch the "instantaneity" of things. At the same time, those paintings were so different, that no one could have said they were copies with only different colours.

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

This latest painting stroke me so much, that I stayed at least 3 minutes without saying nothing in front of it.

How is it possible to paint such a delicate, pure, evanescent, foggy landscape with a focus on details and at the same time evanescence... and without ANY brush trace on the painting ?

How did he succeed in finding and showing the extraordinary in the most daily, ordinary, "flat" landscape ?

Claude Monet was definitely a genius.

At this exhibition three points stroke me, which I never heard anybody to talk about :

- The extraordinary light inside Monet paintings.

- The overwhelming presence of nature, sea, landscapes and the tiny, discreete place of characters, which shows evidence the humility of the painter towards nature.

- The proficiency in painting foggy and snowy landscapes.

(c) Claude Monet

(c) Claude Monet

913.000 people attended this exhibition.

Many others had not the chance to have tickets.

Sometimes fate is unfair, when we think that Claude Monet was so poor that he had not enough money to by drugs for his wife, when she was ill.

But to me, yesterday was a very good day. Without this French woman, I would not have had the amazing priviledge to see all those paintings.

So, even if you won't probably never read this,

Dear Madam,

Wherever and whoever you are, THANK YOU so much for your kindness and generosity.
I will never forget this.

Frenchy Baguette