Arts Adventures in Paris

At first thought in regards to art, the city of Paris brings to mind the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay with its fantastic collection of Gustav Courbet masterpieces as well as a treasure trove of Impressionism, the Monet Waterlilies at Musée de l'Orangerie, contemporary art at the Pompidou, and all of the other fantastic museums that could keep me busy (and very happy) for days on end. But that doesn’t really fit with the theme of The Arts Adventurer, which is "looking for art that doesn’t come with white walls and an audio guide."

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Fortunately, I was able to enjoy the best of both worlds: I took in as many museums as I could, and reveled in seeing all of those masterpieces of art history right before my eyes, but I was pleasantly surprised by the incredible amount of art in the streets throughout the city. Everywhere I turned, there was something to see, something to distract me from wherever I was going. Whether it was a sculptural element on the side of a building, a funky mosaic on the floor of the cafe where I bought my morning coffee, or street art and graffiti, there was always something enthralling to see.

Below are a selection of my arts adventures in Paris; make sure to check back again, as I'm in still in the process of adding more.

Le Bateau Lavoir: Birthplace of Cubism

Picasso studio Le Bateau Lavoir, home of cubism

Le Bateau Lavoir, Picasso's former studio in the Montmartre neighborhood in Paris where he invented cubism - seen then and now. Read more ...

Art Amongst the Dead and Buried

view of the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris

Exploring the Cimetiére du Montparnasse in Paris and seeing amazing sculptures alongside the gravestones. Read more ...

Graffiti and Street Art in Montparnasse

graffiti seen in the Montparnasse neighborhood of Paris

Exploring the neighborhood of Montparnasse in Paris and seeing street art and graffiti. Read more ...

The Industrial Church

Exploring Notre Dame du Travail, also known as The Industrial Church of Montparnasse. Read more ...

The Hanging Gardens of Montparnasse

The Hanging Gardens in the Montparnasse neighborhood of Paris

Searching for the "futuristic" Hanging Gardens of Montparnasse, guarded by concrete sentinels. Read more ...

Torn posters and billboards in the Metro

torn posters on a billboard in the Republique Metro Station

Seeing torn posters on all of the billboards at the République Metro Station and making a comparison to the work of Jacques de la Villeglé. Read more ...

The unusual grave of Gerard Barthelemy

view of Gerard Barthelemy's grave in Paris

Researching for an explanation behind the bird sculpture on top of artist Gerard Barthelemy's grave at the Cimetiére du Montparnasse in Paris. Read more ...

Street Art on Street Signs in Paris

street art depicting a bent Eiffel Tower in Paris

Street artists using street signs as their "canvas" in Paris. See more ...

Street Art Faces in Montmartre

street art faces seen throughout Montmartre in Paris

See the street art faces mounted to walls all over Montmartre. See more ...