Ceramics!

Again with the fog.... For all we know they have taken the Eiffel Tower away entirely and replaced it with a Lego elephant.  

But I digress...

 Ceramics, of every shape, color and expression.  An exposition at the Maison Rouge, in cooperation with the Musee Ceramique de Sevres, which trust me, will be featured later. 

 Rodin. 

 Picasso above and below. 

 "Current Events" by Robert Arneson. 

 We think this is a self-portrait. 

 We're sure this is a self-portrait.

This is the answer to what you do when you had planned to go to Vaux-le-Vicomte, and had studied the train schedule to a fare-thee-well, and then...the fog and the forecast for "heavy thundershowers" scared you away.  And Anne said, I'm going to see ceramics.  And you said, why not?  We'll see a few mugs, a couple bowls, maybe a folded vase or two. 

Little did you know you would visit two museums, and two extensive exhibitions, replete with great artists like Rodin, Picasso and Derain.  Or that you would learn that the hotbed of ceramics artistry was (and possibly still is) Oakland California.

At the end of museum #1, almost as a throwaway, I noticed this clock, wedged between the cafe and the door to the restrooms.

 The figure inside moved. 

 A hand erased the minute hand of the clock face, and redrew it a few minutes later.  

Clearly, it was time to take our leave and lead to museum number 2, the national museum of ceramics at Sevres.  But first, a walk along the Seine for more examples of flooding. 

 "The Seine in flood, risk of falling trees, access forbidden."

 We got to cross the Seine again when we got to Sevres.

Notice the horizontal stairs.

 I'm wondering, does the US have a national museum of ceramics? 

Inside our exposition continued.

 Miro above, Derain below. 

 Matisse.  Of course. 

 A box made entirely of ceramic. 

 A non-ceramic husband resting quietly.

 Then we did a very quick viewing of the permanent collection, made all the mosre interesting by the juxtaposition of the modern with the ancient and just plain old. 

 I was thinking of a new teapot but the boutique was closed. 

 More Picassos.  And those plates above?  Calder. 

 Below is a royal tea service from Fontainebleau.  Imagine even picking up one of those cups. 

In front of the museum is a stature of Palissy, who Anne told us was a 16th Century ceramicist who demonstrated what could be done with this "lowly material."  Inside she found us two iconic examples of his work.

And that was enough for the day.