A visit to the town house and studio of painter Gustave Moreau (1826-98), a high priest of the Symbolist movement, is one of the most unique experiences in Paris. Moreau had always planned to have his home made into a museum after his death, so he created a light-flooded gallery on the two top floors to best show off his dark paintings. Some of the works appear unfinished, such as the Unicorns, inspired by the medieval tapestries in the Musée Cluny: Moreau refused to work on it further, spurning the wishes of a wealthy would-be patron. His interpretation of Biblical scenes and Greek mythology combine flights of fantasy with a keen use of color, shadow, and tracings influenced by Persian and Indian miniatures. The Symbolists loved objects, and Moreau was no different. His cramped private apartment on the first floor is jam-packed with bric-a-brac, and artworks cover every inch of the walls. From Galeries Lafayette (or the Chaussée D'Antin métro stop), follow Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin up to the Trinité church, turn right on Rue St-Lazare, and left on Rue de la Rochefoucauld. The museum is a block up on the right.
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