MUSEUMS 2019 THE GUIDE


The Musée de la Gendarmerie tells the history of France’s military police


literary icons, which is why we can’t recommend the Maison de Balzac enough. It was in this building that he wrote most of his famous compendium, La Comédie humaine, and where bookworms today can admire various manuscripts, original editions and illustrations. www.maisondebalzac.paris.fr


Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris 16th arrondissement, Paris MaM (as it’s fondly known) is among the crème de la crème of Paris museums, which is perhaps why it’s stationed just a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower. Nestled in the east wing of the Palais de Tokyo, this prestigious space is devoted entirely to contemporary art in all its glory: paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs and films are showcased against the sort of stark white setting you’d expect from one of the world’s most stylish galleries. Drop by before September 15 to catch a special temporary exhibition on artists from Henri Matisse through to Louise Bourgeois. www.mam.paris.fr


Musée de la Gendarmerie Nationale Melun, Seine-et-Marne Dive headfirst into France’s military history with a trip to Melun’s astonishing Gendarmerie Museum, less than an hour’s drive from Paris. Children and


adults alike will marvel at the immense display cases lined with the usual suspects (uniforms, weapons and badges) plus some extraordinary paintings and photos spanning the centuries. Even if you’re dragging along a reluctant plus-one (or if that’s you), buck up! Military history isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but who can resist dramatic displays, a trendy gift shop and year- round exhibitions? The latest, ‘Des Animaux et des Gendarmes’, runs until September 22. www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/ musee


Musée d’Orsay 7th arrondissement, Paris If there’s a holy trinity of classic French museums, the Musée d’Orsay is surely bedfellows with its Parisian peers, the Louvre and the Musée d’Art Moderne. Filling the former Gare d’Orsay, this ode to 19th- and 20th- century art is seriously top- drawer, with a collection that runs the gamut of mediums, art movements and celebrated painters. There’s plenty here to indulge the art connoisseur, but admirers of architecture will enjoy the station’s arched ceiling and ornate gold clock. Don’t miss the Berthe Morisot exhibition; running until September 22, it’s an essential retrospective on this pioneering female Impressionist. www.musee-orsay.fr


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Williamstown, Massachusetts clarkart.edu


Renoir: The Body, The Senses is organized by the Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. The Clark’s summer 2019 exhibitions and programs are made possible in part by generous support from Denise Littlefield Sobel. Major contributors to the presentation of Renoir: The Body, The Senses at the Clark are Robert and Martha Berman Lipp, Acquavella Galleries, and the Robert Lehman Foundation.


Architectes : Albert Baert, 1932 Jean-Paul Philippon, 2001 et 2018 Photos : Alain Leprince


roubaix-lapiscine.com @MuseeLaPiscine


23, rue de l’Espérance 59100 Roubaix T. +33 (0)3 20 69 23 60


La Piscine est un service de la Ville de Roubaix. Elle est soutenue par la Région Hauts-de-France et la Métropole Européenne de Lille.


IMAGE © MUSÉE DE LA GENDARMERIE


Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Boy with a Cat (detail), 1868. Musée d’Orsay. Photo credit: © RMN-Grand Palais / Patrice Schmidt / Art Resource, NY


RENOIR


THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22


THE BODY, THE SENSES


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