Has anyone shopped for art in Paris? Any particular art galleries worth checking out? Is Montmartre where I should go to find artwork by local artists (not just street art)? I am not looking to spend much (up to 500 EUR) but would love to bring a piece or two back with me. I am particularly interested in watercolor.

Try the many art galleries in the Saint Germain des Pres area. Not cheap, but they have a wide selection.

I may take heat for saying this, but most of the stuff in the Montmartre area looked tacky and over-priced. But maybe I looked in the wrong places.

I am interested in finding prints of Bouguereau's. Does anyone know where the largest variety/supply might be in Paris?
I assume I can find some at the Louvre, but not really sure.

Thanks for any help.

www.galerie-breheret.com

we love going to art galleries in Paris and try to bring something home each trip. So far our favorites are this gallery above, and the Maeght on rue de Bac.

The Left Bank is a treasure trove of galleries..just walk and that is all you see. On rue de Seine is a little shop owned by a lady who used to model for Jean Cocteau, she sells his works, not too bad a price either. Of course, the one I wanted was way too dear.
But they are fun to browse through.
Have fun!

klondike, a search on google gives many sources for Bouguereau prints in the US.

PBT, I recall a number of galleries on Rue Quincampoix near Centre Pompidou.

Another gallery in Rue de Bac is a source for Andre Brasilier:
http://www.officieldesarts.com/bac-s...n/indexgb.html

This site will give you lots of places to check:
http://www.officieldesarts.com/base/rapidegb.html

Scarlet, are you talking about Galerie Benezit, around 21-23 rue de Seine? It was a tiny place with a tiny older woman , dramatically dressed,running it who looked as though she might have been a model at one time. Anyway, on 2 different trips I bought some watercolors of cats by Juliette Ramade, and my last time in Paris (5/'02), I went, and the little gallery is no longer there. I was so disappointed; it was such fun to go in there. I ran a post about it soon afterwards, and no one responded. I knew someone else on here had to have known about it.

Thanks for all your helpful responses.

I have purchased several pieces in Montmartre & I don't think I've ever spent over $100. Earlier this year we had our daughter drawn in charcoal for $40. (Of course the artist was from San Francisco). Most of the artists work in oil though, not too many watercolors. I only buy from the artists on the square, not any of the galleries, which are rife w/mass produced garbage (in my opinion). There are many galleries but it depends on what you are looking for & your budget. We particularly like several galleries on the Ile St. Louis also.

It is the Galerie Anne Julien, with a permanent exposition of Jean Cocteau
14 rue de Seine

Her name is Madame Berger~

There is an outdoor art market on Sundays at the Edgar Quinet metro stop in Montparnasse; there are potters, watercolorists, oil painters, fabric artists, etc., all selling directly to the public so that the costs do not include gallery fees.

My favorite is a watercolorist, a young man originally from Singapore named Maurice Tan; I have several of his paintings; he also has worked in NY and San Francisco but lives in Paris.

Please steer clear of the artists in the square in Montmartre; very few of them have real talent and the pressure is horrendous. I was there with a grandchild and had to literally push my way through the paths.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...062026713.html (for hours of the art market)

http://www.warmgray.com/drawingsA.htm (Maurice's site)

We also like the Maeght on the Rue du Bac, very nice selection and a wide range of prices.

Don't avoid Montmartre. It's a kick. It's lots of fun to wander through looking at people having their pictures drawn. We spent a very fun hour there waiting for the little train tour. The artists were pleasant, informative and not pushy at all. They did tell us about a couple major exhibits in town that we might have missed, and one fellow steered us to several nice galleries. Most of them love art and are excited about it.

You may or may not want to buy anything but you will have a grand time. We actually bought something there once. It was a neat little oil of a place we had stayed in Brittany and it brought back happy memories.

It's a Paris experience. Have fun.