Art

ETHICALLY CONCERNING: I feel that these masks with the paintings on them are ethically concerning pieces of merchandise. I find it cheesy and insensitive to use Monet’s artworks to create a product that stems from something as serious and negative as a face mask in today’s day and age. The world is still recovering from a global pandemic, and using Monet’s artwork as a way to sell a product that has not only made such an impact on global health but has also caused so much political unrest seems extremely wrong and stems from all of the wrong motivations. I don’t believe that Monet would have wanted his paintings used in this way.

ETHICALLY CREATED: This is a coloring book designed to look like some of Monet’s artworks. I think that this is an ethical form of merchandise because it honors the integrity of the pieces that Monet created without being exploitative. It also is a fun way for people to interact with the artworks and to become more familiar with all of the details and colors within the paintings. I bought the book and tried it for myself, and just to color a painting that was already made took so much time and effort and it really made me appreciate the effort and attention to detail that went into the original while also giving me something fun to do.

At the Musée de l’Orangerie gift shop, I found two interpretations of Claude Monet as figurines. The first, I would classify as ethically created. The felt figurine does not mimic any of the artist’s features but includes thoughtful details of his work. Including a felt waterlily held in Monet’s hand. The second figurine of Claude Monet was a ‘bobble-head’. At first, I did not find anything wrong with the bobble head. Then I thought, “what if someone made this of me?”. Honestly, I would be a little offended. I think a bobble-head is not a good representation of the artist or the art. However, the figurine was also had a waterlily in hand, a nod to Monet’s art. It did raise a flag to be ethically concerning due to the mimicking manner of ‘bobbleheads’. Figurine #2 Figurine #1

I thought the Orsay was beautiful in the way the actual design and layout of the museum as well as the artworks. This is not to say the Louvre wasn’t beautiful as well, although the sheer amount of works at the Louvre makes it overwhelming, I felt like we were rushed through the museum to try and see it all but could not connect to fully experience these masterful pieces. That being said, seeing these ancient Greek, Napoleonic era works and more is a truly unreal experience seeing how much care was put into these pieces and what they could create with the resources they had. Something about the Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir pieces at the Orsay just stuck with me more, and maybe the smaller crowd had something to do with that. I also was introduced to more artists that I enjoyed at the Orsay, such as Odilon Redon who had some beautiful works which were some of my favorite from the whole trip.

Visiting the Musée de l’Orangerie was a very special and unique experience for me. I thought it was a super simple and calm museum which made the whole experience even better. It really allowed the waterlilies to have their own moment. I thought they were so beautiful and special, which is why I believe they should be honored in the right way. After going through the museum, we headed into the gift shop to see what they did for the waterlilies. I had two experiences in the gift shop. First, I was able to admire an artwork book by Pierre Georgel that was filled with pages of just the waterlily paintings. I thought this was a beautiful way to honor the artwork. It was ethical and beautifully done and did not take away from the art. On the other hand, I encountered many trinkets that did not do the waterlilies justice. This pair of socks that I saw made the waterlilies look cheap and you could not even admire the art. It took away from the real beauty that these paintings have. I did not feel the socks and little trinkets were ethical because they cheapen the art.IMG_8665 IMG_8671

I was far more impressed with the Orsay than the Louvre. In fact, I was actually quite disappointed in the Louvre. The Orsay’s sculpture collection was insanely beautiful. It was almost as if the sculptures themselves were there to view the art as well, and we the viewers collectively moved through the museum with them. In contrast, going to the Louvre was like swimming against a school of fish as I go upcurrent and they go down. The mass amount of people there took away from the entire experience. I did not feel connected to the art at the Louvre. I felt like I was a part of the art at the Orsay. I liked how the Orsay also had smaller rooms with larger paintings versus the Louvre’s long vast halls with many paintings. I believe this comes from my wanting to be encompassed by the art — a feeling that the Louvre just simply cannot supply.

There were quite a few pieces in the Musee de l’Orangerie gift shop that were interesting. In particular, I find post cards to typically be the most ethically created because there is little malicious intenet being put into the piece. They help celebrate the art and get its image around by connecting people across the world. Also, they are sold at small prices and therefore not benefitting off of someone else’s work. On the other hand, I find fans to be somewhat ethically concerning. It may seem like a very small detail, but I can not help but find it displeasing to see someone utilizing a piece of art to quite literally fan themselves. It is a piece of folded paper and typically costs about ten euros. It does not seem right to me because it is not portraying any positive message. It is somewhat demeaning to the piece itself. I would love to know the opinions of artists or ultra fans when it comes to this topic.

I really enjoyed both of the museums that we visited. I learned a lot about how different artists and art periods influenced each other and got to see the development of art techniques over time. It was incredible to see the details and methodical tactics up close and in person. On an emotional level, it was so intriguing to learn about the different life periods that the artists were going through when they created their artworks and how that influenced the colors and methods they chose. One detail that I liked to pay attention to was the framing of the different pieces. It was interesting to see different artworks in such different frames and to compare the ones that had similar frames yet very different pieces of art. I also enjoyed being able to experience the different rooms that the museum had laid out and to be able to view different pieces from different artists in a more thought-provoking way than it would have been if the museum had just put all of an artist’s pieces together.

I really enjoyed my experience at both of these museums and all of the artwork inside of them. At the Orsay, my favorite painting was the one of the two girls playing the piano. I really loves the colors and innocence of this painting, it really stood out to me and I even got a postcard of the painting. I thought the Orsay was absolutely beautiful and the views from the building were stunning as well. The big clock in the window was a piece of art on its own. The artwork was simply and beautifully displayed and it was amazing to see how the simplicity could elevate the art. The Louvre was one of my favorite museums that we visited. I thought it was absolutely iconic. I really appreciate watching the Beyonce video beforehand as well because it brought a sense of modern connection to the viewing process which I really enjoyed. I thought seeing the Mona Lisa was a really cool experience. It can be hard with all the lines and cell phones to feel a very calm and independent experience but that is part of our world. I overall felt really connected to the art and the artists and I loved every minute of both museums.

At the Musée de l’Orangerie I was moved by a painting of a cow in “Boeuf et tête de veau” by Chaïm Soutine. Soutine was obsessed with depictions of beef carcasses and had several jarring paintings of them within the museum. But, what I found most interesting is that Soutine would have the actual animal carcasses delivered to his home/studio, where he would then paint them abstractly. After doing an internet search on Soutine’s obsession, I was able to find this quote where he dives into his relationship with slaughter: “…once I saw the village butcher slice the neck of a goose and drain the blood out of it. I wanted to cry out, but his joyful expression caught the sound in my throat….. When I painted the beef carcass it was still this cry that I wanted to liberate. I have still not succeeded.”

Granted the highly emotional and deeper nature of these paintings, I was very surprised to find the paintings on greeting/post cards. I think that by commercializing these paintings, museums are taking away from the important social and emotional message that Soutine is attempting. This being said, I don’t neccessarily find it unethical, as from a PR persepctive the museum does not break any of the values in the PR society of America code of ethics values.