Petit Palais

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I tried to go here when I first arrived, but it was closed.  I'm so glad I returned.  I loved this place!
The Petit Palais and it's grand neighbor the Grande Palais were built (along with many other grand buildings) for the World Exposition of 1900. Since it was actually built as a place of exposition, in the Beaux-Arts style of the time, it is the perfect museum in my opinion.  It's exposition halls are wide and full of light.  When they built it they brought the best Italian mosaic artists to do the marble work on the floors and walls and fountains.  It is built around a smallish inner courtyard that is exquisite.  Later on in the summer I'm sure that garden will be full of flowers and the fountains will be burbling.

In one of the spaces they had an exhibit of Art Nouveau glass.  Notice, through the glass cases, the mosaic floors......

Here are just some of the things I enjoyed.

It's kind of hard to see what this is.  It was a big clock which I assume was animated when the clock was functioning.  All the little orchestra members are moneys.  Imagine the site, if they were all moving when the clock struck the hour.

                                              ......and the mosaic floors......

The garden courtyard outside was lovely.  Too bad it was dark and raining....  This is the ceiling of the area, like a covered promenade, called a paristyle, that goes around the edge of the courtyard.

     This is the mosaic that decorates the edges of the fountains...these tiles are actually gold.

                   The Courtyard.....

This necklace made me swoon.  I could not get a really good picture, as the lighting in the case was weird.