Cozy Ateliers of an Artist, a Sculptor, and a Novelist
Paris is gray and rainy during winter – and perfect for exploring cozy, quiet museums. By luck, I discovered three small ateliers of those who contributed to the rich fabric of Paris culture with their art, each in a different neighborhood. The first, a female artist and her son living the bohemian life, the second, a sculptor, and the final, a larger-than-life novelist, sometimes in debt.
Musée de Montmartre, located very close to Sacré-Coeur, is the museum of the art and history of Montmartre. The museum includes the atelier of artists Suzanne Valadon and, her son, Maurice Utrillo, featuring a reconstructed wooden studio with a large window overlooking the neighborhood. (Spoiler alert: huge family drama.) The permanent collection is located across the courtyard in the oldest house in Montmartre, built in the 17th century, and there is also a small terrace next to a tiny vineyard.
(Left to right) Top row: Musée de Montmartre, Suzanne Valadon and Maurice Utrillo studio, and bust by Antoine Bourdelle. Bottom row: bust of Honoré de Balzac, Bourdelle studio, and desk of Honoré de Balzac.
Musée Bourdelle in Montparnasse features the works of sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. I enjoyed his studio particularly, which has remained in its original state, displays an array of his sculptures, and is bathed in northern light. The interior garden showcases his bronze statues under large trees and surrounded by ivy. Bourdelle bequeathed his works in order to create this museum in his name “as Rodin did”.
La Maison de Balzac is nestled in the hills of Passy and is the only remaining home of the novelist Honoré de Balzac. He wrote The Human Comedy and other works at the desk in his study, often during the dead of night and fueled by black coffee. His life was turbulent (he was sometimes in debt) and his attire was eccentric (he wore the dress of a Carthusian monk and the shirt of a manual laborer to establish his image of a hard worker, toiling in silence). I will leave it there…
À bientôt,
Priss
MY FAVORITE THINGS
Musée de Montmartre – museum of the art and history of Montmartre. There is a funicular from hill, base to top. Very close to Sacré-Coeur and Place du Tertre. .
Musée Bourdelle – Enjoy seeing the sculptor’s works in the garden, museum, and his atelier. Close to Montparnasse metro station. Entrance free.
Maison de Balzac – Balzac lived in this home for seven years. It now has a modern café across the small garden with a view of the Eiffel Tower.
STAY IN TOUCH
Let me know when you are in town! You can reach me via email or leave a phone message
Thanks for highlighting this trio of gems .
Mary