Marais Walking Tour and Modern Art

May 19

We began this day in the Marais district of Paris. Marais actually means swamp in French. This area North of the Seine used to be a marshland and flooded frequently. You wouldn’t know that today. This area is home to some beautiful architecture dating back to the Middle Ages.  By the 1600’s this former swamp became home to aristocrats homes and private mansions. After the Revolution, this area became more of a working class neighborhood attracting artists and immigrants. Jewish people also moved into the area and it is still a center for Jewish families and synagogues. Today the area is very upscale and has a great atmosphere. The shops are unique and filled with jewelry and fashions. The Patisseries have beautiful artisanal treats that taste even better than they look!

Students peeking into choir loft

Dr. Luehrman with the students at Hotel Soubise

From there, we took the students to the National Museum of Modern Art (Pompidou Center) and set them loose to look at Contemporary Art. This museum houses works by Braque, Picasso, Matisse, Miro, Calder and Kandinsky. While we were there, there were some great temporary exhibits. One was a Matisse show and the other was Art Spiegelman. We were all pretty wiped out after that so we took a quick Metro ride home. Oh, in case you were wondering, Dr. Luehrman wears a pedometer and we average walking about 10 miles a day!   

One very tired Professor!