American art and more in Paris

It's hard to imagine the gigantic Louvre lacking anything, but apparently American art has been under-represented. This exhibit aims to begin correcting that situation.

There's a long history of association between American artists and Paris. Here's an article that describes some of the adventures of Whistler, Sargent, Eakins, Cassatt and many others. It's not as if there's no American art in Paris, of course, at the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay. Here's the iconic Whistler's Mother at the d'Orsay:

 

We've spent more time in the d'Orsay than the Louvre, both because we like Impressionism and because the Louvre is so overwhelmingly large. One way to make it manageable is to buy a Paris Museum Pass, which allows an unlimited number of visits over its term of 2, 4 or 6 days. Don't confuse this with the Paris Pass, which is a resale that is packaged with other offers and marked up.

You can buy the Museum Pass in advance, but mailing will cost quite a few euros. It's easy to get one once there, at the airport, tourism offices or any of the participating museums. We usually get ours at our first stop and after that breeze in.

This photo gives some idea of the enormity of the Louvre; it's one of many rooms in the Sully Gallery.

The Centre Pompidou is unmistakeably modern, inside and out. It was quite controversial when built and still is a jarring contrast to the traditional buildings nearby.

Here's a basic, affordable apartment that's about 10 minutes on foot from both the Louvre and Pompidou and perhaps twice that from the d'Orsay.

To see other apartments in Paris or Barcelona, visit www.likelivingthere.com