Paris at the Bruce Museum,
Greenwich, CT
The delightful Bruce Museum in located in Greenwich, Ct. Whenever I think about visiting the Bruce I always weigh the drive down I95 against the potential pleasure of the exhibition. When I saw the announcement of Electric Paris and the website video, I knew I have to take the drive south.
The exhibition displays 50 works by well known reflecting on how lights and lighting can be viewed in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. I have to admit that some of my favorite artists were on display. I suspect that there are many museum goers like myself who travel to shows such as this as an escape of the harshness of our contemporary culture. I am glad there are so many creative curators who can find themes to collect and display the art I find so pleasing.
The show opens with a work by one of my favorite artist John Singer Sargent. His Luxembourg Garden at Twilight captures the theme of the show.
Electric Paris also included more than painting. There were a number of black and white photographs of lamp posts located thoughout Paris which gave one the feeling of the actually walking on the streets.
The exhibition displays 50 works by well known reflecting on how lights and lighting can be viewed in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. I have to admit that some of my favorite artists were on display. I suspect that there are many museum goers like myself who travel to shows such as this as an escape of the harshness of our contemporary culture. I am glad there are so many creative curators who can find themes to collect and display the art I find so pleasing.
The show opens with a work by one of my favorite artist John Singer Sargent. His Luxembourg Garden at Twilight captures the theme of the show.
Ever since I saw a large exhibition on Prendergast at Williams College, he has become one of my favorites. He had one small picture of display but I couldn't find a image of that picture to share. But I can share the work by Alfred Mauer who I discovered in a glorious show at the Addison Galley of American Art on the Phillips Academy campus. Since that experience, I am always pleased when I see yet another of his paintings on display.
Of course, the joy of going to a museum to visit with old friends is not the only reason to seek out various collections. It is always a treat to discover new artists that one is not familiar with. The following are several works that truly capture the spirit of Electric Paris as well as introducing me to new friends.
 |
| Theodore Butler |
 |
| Charles Coutney Curran, Paris at Night |
 |
| Jean-Louis Forain |
While many of the art on the walls were of street scenes, not all. Several that particularly caught my attention and made me applaud the curator's ability to gather a variety of scenes and artists within her topic are shown below.
 |
| Alexandre Lunois |
Electric Paris also included more than painting. There were a number of black and white photographs of lamp posts located thoughout Paris which gave one the feeling of the actually walking on the streets.
The show concluded with a wonderful film clip of Loie Fuller 's Danse Serpertine. This was truly amazing footage which was all the more impressive because Loie designed the lighting with its innovative use of color. After watching Loie dance several times, I left that gallery very glad I came to The Bruce once again and I look forward to my next visit.
Danse Serpentine
