Art Touched by God

People often ask me if I believe in God.

Aside from it being an extraordinarily personal question, there is never a simple answer to deliver. I have spoken in this space about finding God in the natural beauty around us. I see God in my granddaughters' faces. But today, I remembered that there is something in a talented genius that makes me believe they had been touched by something divine.

We have spent most of the last two days here immersed in the power of artistic inspiration. We were awestruck by our visit to the Eiffel Tower. The intricacies of this engineering marvel had us wondering how somebody came up with an idea like this. Designed initially as an artistic icon, a gigantic piece of street art, if you will, there is really no other possible use for the tower. And yet it has become the cultural touchstone of this city. The interlocking beams and gears made me think of those K'nex sets my boys used to play with. As we ascended to the top and looked over the thriving city, I understood what Monsieur Eiffel was going for. He wanted the citizens of Paris to look upon their home and remember how they all fit together as one community. When they see the tower, they know that they are home.

It is difficult to imagine Paris without its historic and thriving art scene. Visitors come from around the world to observe some of civilization's most significant pieces and works. During our visit to the Rodin gallery, I posed the question, "Am I moved by his masterpiece Le Penseur because it is iconic, or is it iconic because I am moved by it?" In other words, has pop culture so profoundly appropriated some of these works that we have misplaced our sense of awe when we see them? I felt the same way when we squeezed in at the Louvre to view the Mona Lisa this afternoon. Does she deserve her status as the "world's most famous painting?" Carinne, the private guide we hired for our afternoon at the Louvre, posited a theory. She believes that Mona has become so famous not because she is Da Vinci's best painting but because she was stolen in 1913 and disappeared for more than three years. When she was finally recovered, her story was widely covered in the press, making her far more famous than she deserved. Carinne steered us to a few other of Leonardo's works, and when she pointed out his use of brush strokes and light, it was far easier to imagine how his gift might have been divinely inspired. And while I loved Rodin's Thinker, I was far more captivated by his busts of Victor Hugo and Clemenceau. It is fascinating to realize that what we think we love isn't that which is most popular.

I never doubted how I would feel at Musée de L'Orangerie. This is the place that houses Monet's Water Lilies. It is difficult to articulate how I felt sitting in the two rooms accommodating the eight massive canvases. Offered to the French state by Monet following the Armistice in November of 1918 as a symbol of peace, the Water Lilies are considered to be one of the seminal works of the twentieth century. The rooms were designed to Monet's specifications so that the viewers would have a contemplative environment to view the work. I could have spent days there. Every time I looked at a different part of the painting, I saw something different. I was drawn into his colours and natural beauties with a soothing calm that almost frightened me. I have always been drawn to the Impressionists and have seen many works in person, but this experience was life-affirming. There is beauty in the world, and God certainly touched the hand of Claude Monet. 

A few random thoughts.

* We have walked our feet off in these first four days. According to my wildly inaccurate Apple Watch, we have logged about 45KM on foot. After hours in the Louvre this afternoon, I thought I might require a foot transplant.

* I have still not gotten over the thrill of sitting in an outdoor cafe on the streets of this city. I don't suppose that I ever will.

* Quiche, crepes, and clafoutis taste better when eaten in Paris.

* I was shocked at the mall at the base of the Louvre. There were times when it felt like Yorkdale. Welcome to the twenty-first century. 

* Nobody does public space and green space like the Parisians. Watching people sitting in properly maintained parks, reading newspapers, having coffees, and just generally enjoying the outside makes me long for what Toronto has yet to discover. 

* I love the multiculturalism of Paris. People from all over have made this place their home. I have heard many languages. I know that France has had issues integrating immigrants, but it makes me happy to see them try. 

Venus de Milo

Le Penseur