SHARING WITH ME

For me, the name Canaletto conjures up Venice. Most of us may stop there for this very prolific artist. Laurent asked me if I would join him to see the exhibition «Canaletto in Venice» and as this is a period, the 18th century, we are studying at the Louvre I thought it would perhaps help me to look at the artist a little better. We have been to Venice a couple of times together but I have no memory of actually seeing paintings there by this Master. Seeing them in the Maillol museum was like being there and thank goodness without the huge 10 story ships which turn around the bay so tourists can say «I have seen Venise». I wonder when they will stop that nonsense which must be lucrative for the city even so. Taller than a building Seeing Venice If the city survives it will not really have changed so much over the centuries. If it doesn’t I suppose those born in the next century will say that such a place could never have existed...I wonder? Thanks to Laurent I saw Canaletto

No sooner back from Switzerland and  I was, off again. This trip had been scheduled since April as a retrospective of Bosch and Bruegel was programmed at the Beaux Arts in Lille in October. Who better to go with than Marielle? She never ceases to amaze me when we see such a collection (Madrid, Como, Rotterdam, Paris....) - her knowledge of  dates, where the pictures can be seen and the intricate detail in a Jerôme Bosch painting is amazing. Viewing art this way automatically means other details are seen. Of course Bosch is an excellent example. Born around 1450 and he died in 1516. This is the same period of Leonard Da Vinci (1452) but you certainly could not compare the two Masters. Their art is radically different. The 15/16 centuries are full of artists which we are now «following» (once more should I add?) at the Ecole du Louvre. Albrecht Dürer , Lucas Cranach, Copernic, Michel-Ange, Raphaël, Botticelli and of course, dozens more....some I know and most I don’t. Of course the B