Passion For Art: Ingres

I am a lover of art and while living in Paris, took advantage of the Louvre, the d'Orsay and countless other exhibitions that quenched my thirst for taking as much of it in as I could.  I found myself at the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday, my first visit, and had a wonderful experience.  I was looking for some specific works that have been favorites of mine over the years while being surprised by breadth of the collections.  At times, I felt I was right back in my favorite museums in Paris as our fascination with French art was evident by the amount displayed.  

The painting above is Odalisque in Grisaille by Ingres.   This work is an unfinished repetition of the original that is displayed in the Louvre in front of which I have spent much time being inexplicably drawn into. For some reason, seeing it done in these muted gray tones was really moving--as though I was being witness to something I shouldn't.  It really took my breath away.  Maybe because I didn't know of its existence and was surprised to come across it stripped of all its color and several final elements.   

I love them both!

Photo credit:  personal collection, wikipedia