111op

Hi, has anyone seen this?

I understand the exhibition at GP is sold out for the next couple of weeks, and there are long lines. Is there someone here who actually queued? If so, how long did you wait? Or do you know what a good time to go is?

How about the Louvre and Orsay? Are people noticing any extra long lines because of the Picasso exhibitions taking place there?

How about Mantegna at the Louvre? I bet this is not that popular, but I'm quite interested in this.

Thanks!

Christina

I'm not that interested in Picasso, so didn't pay attention to that when I was in Paris at end of September. I mean, I don't know if that exhibit was on at the GP or not, but I know the Mantegna was at the Louvre, where I did go. There weren't any waits in line at all, so I'm sure that exhibit had not dramatic effect. I went on a weekday morning, entering at the carrousel de Louvre entrance from the metro exit, underground. The lines at the Louvre aren't really any problem now that they have all those automatic ticket machines, as far as I've noticed in the last few years. I never enter from the courtyard where that pyramid is, there was some kind of line up there.

111op

Thanks. Here's a review if people are interested:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main...picasso109.xml

There's a companion article about the "cancer at the Louvre" due to the exhibition:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ris-elite.html

"But the move has upset some members of the Paris arts scene who have accused organisers of dumbing-down to attract the plebs."

nancy1652

I saw the Picasso exhibit at the Orsay and I liked it very much. About a 10 minute wait one weekday afternoon. It also got the best reviews of the three Picasso shows. The Nolde show at the Grand Palais is quite wonderful and there were no lines last month. I also saw the Mantegna at the Louvre one morning and it was not crowded, while the rest of the museum was mobbed. The Picasso Museum is now open again after being closed for a while. Don't miss the Marmottan-Monet museum in the 16th if you're an art lover.

111op

Thanks -- just topping in case someone missed this the first time around.

I'm wondering about the lines at Grand Palais, the wait times, and if there's a preferred time I should go.

MademoiselleFifi

There are still a few time slots left for the next couple of weeks. I just bought my ticket for December 4 -- 21 euros combined ticket for Picasso and Nolde at the Grand Palais. (I only had to pick a time slot for the Picasso show; the Nolde part of the ticket can be used any day at any time).

Nancy 1652, how big are these exhibits-- about how much time did you spend at the Orsay and at the Nolde show? Was it you who saw the Demarchelier show at Petit Palais, and if so, how long did that take?

Have any of you gone to the Raoul Dufy show at the Musee d'Art Moderne?

I'm trying to work out my itinerary-- there are way to many things on my list and it's so hard to decide what to drop!

MademoiselleFifi

111op, I got my ticket on digitick.com. They have some time slots that aren't available on Fnac, and vice versa, so check both.

111op

Thanks Mlle Fifi, I don't see anything before Dec. 1 (the website says a partir du 01/12/2008 -- I'm there next week). I'll have to take my chances.

Nolde should be interesting, but I don't know if I have the time.

I'm thinking maybe Van Dyck at Jacquemart-Andre.

Don't know who Raoul Dufy is, but will look him up when I have time.

Nikki

I had tried to get tickets for the Grand Palais Picasso exhibit on line but all the time slots were sold out during my visit. I did go to the Nolde exhibit, but there was indeed a wait, about 20-30 minutes, so if anyone is interested in this exhibit I would advise getting tickets ahead of time. I was envious of those walking right in.

111op

Hey Nikki, I assume there were walkins too for Picasso but you just chose not to wait? What time of the day were you there? Based on your actual wait time for Nolde, how long do you think the wait was for Picasso based on the lines you saw?

Thanks!

colonna

I saw the Dufy show (which is called "Le Plaisir") and it was huge and gorgeous, included textiles and ceramics. It was so big that I was tired by the time I got to the good stuff and had to go back again. Mantegna was also a beautiful show, but for me its most interesting paintings are usually on display at the Louvre anyway. Two weeks ago, nothing was crowded, except that "Picasso and the Masters" was sold out till December.

Nikki

I didn't see the line for Picasso, it was at a different entrance. But I heard somebody say that they waited in line, got to the ticket office, and there was nothing left for that day. Just hearsay, however.

111op

That would be unpleasant.

I think that I waited once at Grand Palais and got in, but I can't remember which exhibition it was and how long I waited. Could be Turner-Whistler-Monet.

111op

Yeah, I checked my notes. It was Turner-Whistler-Monet. Maybe I'll adopt this strategy again. Or maybe get there before the time slot of the day, which I guess is 10 am.

"I saw this exhibition the day before it closed in Paris. During the last week, the exhibition was open until 11 at night. However, since I didn't have an advanced ticket, I had to make it in before 7:15. When I arrived around 6:30, there were probably 100-200 people ahead of me, and the line barely moved. But the crowd controllers must have taken pity on us, so I made it in shortly after 7."

MademoiselleFifi

colonna,

Thanks for the Dufy info. I as going to try to squeeze it into the same day as the Picasso since the 2 museums are not to far from each other, but if it's so big I better do it on a separate day.

111op,

The longest I've waited at Grand Palais was for the Klimt show in Dec 2005-- don't remember exactly now but I think I waited over 1 3/4 hours. Nearly froze my toes off-- it had been raining, my shoes were soaked through, and the ground was ice cold-- literally painful! This Picasso show seems to be getting a lot more attention that the Klimt one had, so expect a very long wait.

111op

Thanks. If I can't make it in, I'll rationalize and just tell myself that it's not supposed to be great show anyway.

111op

The wait for the Picasso was about 1h 45 minutes. I got in a little after 10 am.

When I left (after 1 pm or so), the lines seemed shorter. Maybe early afternoon would be better.

While some critics didn't like this, I still enjoyed it. It was interesting seeing Old Masters next to Picasso paintings. You get the sense that there really is a dialogue among artists and that art doesn't just spring out from a vacuum.

I also went to Louvre and Orsay. Mantegna crowds were manageable (I took advantage of the late-night opening at the Louvre on Wednesdays).

I decided to skip the Emil Nolde show, as I figured that I had waited enough at GP. I went to Jacquemart-Andre instead since I'd never been and there's a show on Van Dyck. Not a big fan of J-A or the Van Dyck show. But surprisingly there's a Uccello painting at J-A that I found interesting. Much smaller than the Battle for San Romano series.

French_Escapade

Just wanted to inform Picasso's lovers that in 2009, the cathedral of Images in Les Baux de Provence will be dedicated to Picasso ( it is Van Gogh this year). It is a wonderful experience to walk in this previous quarry where the paintings are projected on the walls and on the floor, with music for the ambiance.It is magic.

Valerie
Local rep. for French Escapade,
the specialist of travel in France
www.frenchescapade.com

Cries_Van_Notebook

Well for all you Picasso lovers, there is a Picasso mural (also a mural by Joan Miro and an Alexander Calder sculpture) at Unesco Paris. You have to have an appointment for a tour--every Wednesday at 2:30 for English speakers--to see the art.

The Noguchi Japanese rock garden is tres fabulous. More fabulous than a new Louis Vuitton bag. Snap.

Miss Thang au Lait de Gin

MademoiselleFifi

For anyone who's going to be there at the end of January, additional time slots have just been added for the last 3 days of the Picasso exhibit at Grand Palais-- it will be open 24 hours from Jan 30 through Feb 2.

http://news.fr.msn.com/culture/artic...entid=12118275

http://www.fnacspectacles.com/place-...x=x&m=0&a=2009