Orsay Museum, Paris
Introduction for Orsay Museum
In May 2009 I stayed in Paris a few days to enjoy the gardens in spring as well as revisit the Orsay, a museum I had not been to for over 30 years. Once inside it is overwhelming and the presentation is always excellent, with the feel of a labyrinth. So much is so ingeniously organized in this one space! At any rate, I happened to stumble upon the wonderful works below. Wanting to offer names and dates, I visited the fine Orsay Museum website. I found only the first marble sculpture in the gallery below.
I recall several museums in several countries with the same problem over the decades. A sad statement about the present world. If it’s not part of reinforcing heterosexual brainwashing, then it somehow gets hidden from sight or downgraded. No doubt the French are the most advanced in many matters of aesthetics. I am thankful that museums haven’t done away with so many masterpieces from the past. But I always wonder what’s in storage in the basement. At the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston I recall crawling around on the floor and twisting my neck just to see the underside of a Greek plate. Recently at the Archeological Museum in Siracusa I strained (in vain) to see the other side of various vases with erotic themes.
When it comes to ancient Greek and Roman literature, much is missing and it cannot all be attributed to the torching of the Library at Alexandria. For the lay person interested in these ancient civilizations it is beyond depressing to see what man has done to many of his most profound and beautiful creations. What we see today are a few blocks of stone and bits of papyrus that somehow escaped destruction.