Museums in Paris: Musée de la Vie Romantique

Recently, we visited yet another atelier-musée in Paris, the Musée de la Vie Romantique in the 9th arrondissement.  

The museum was once the home of a Dutch-born painter Ary Scheffer who moved to Paris in the early 1800's.  Scheffer had a distinguished career as a painter of the Romantic movement, a teacher, and the host of a weekly salon.  Among his pupils were the children of future French King Loius-Philippe 1st and Auguste Bartholdi (sculptor of Statue of Liberty), among others.  His weekly salon included George Sand, Chopin, Delacroix, Gericault and others.  

Eventually, his home and studio were converted into a museum dedicated to the life and art of the Romantic period in France.  According to Britannic.com, "Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental".

The museums's collection is displayed in Ary Scheffer's former house and studio.

Ary Scheffer's house (built in 1830)

The collection includes a painting depicting the house.

Lamme was a cousin of Ary Scheffer

The museum has a collection of Ary Scheffer's works.  Jean-Claude especially a painting of John Calvin.  

The museum's collection includes works by various artists of the Romantic period, plus some artifacts.  Below is a cast of Frederic Chopin's left hand.  Chopin, along with George Sand, was a frequent visitor at Scheffer's home. 

Another frequent visitor was Delacroix.

The collection has a sizable collection of works about and by Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, better known as George Sand.  In addition to being a great writer, Sand was an accomplished painter.

A drawing room in Scheffer's house

Below is a lovely water color painting by George Sand.  Sand used an interesting technique to create her works.  

The painters of the Romantic period took inspiration from literature and music.  As Victor Hugo explained, the Romantic movement started with poetry, moved to music, and then painting, rejecting classical rules and defending liberty in the arts.  

Below is one example of painting based on Lord Byron's poem Manfred (1816-1817).

One gallery in the museum was devoted to the theme of Faust, popular during the period.  The sculpture below is especially well executed.

The museum also includes many works by Ary Scheffer's students, including a small sculpture by Auguste Bartholdi.

Perhaps the best feature of the museum is the large, well-lit atelier, or studio, where Ary Scheffer worked and taught.  Below, the description tells us that Scheffer actually built two studios, one for creating art and teaching his students, and the other for exhibiting finished works and receiving visitors.  When we visited, only one studio was open.

Below are then (1851) and now depictions of Scheffer's atelier.

The atelier includes some artifacts from the period, including Scheffer's watercolor paint box and another device most important during winter.  

Thanks for visiting the Musée de la Vie Romantique with us.