February 13, 2008

Jardin du Ranelagh (3)

This is the last “chapter” referring to the Jardin du Ranelagh and La Muette. (It will be a bit long, but I wished to finish.)

I already mentioned that what remained of the old royal castle was destroyed in the beginning of the 20th century. The heirs (the family Franqueville) sold the land in different parcels and the area became full of bourgois apartment buildings and also, facing the park, a number of private residences. Some of these residences – “hotels particuliers” - are still occupied as private homes, some as embassy residences. This is one of the most expensive areas of Paris.
On part of what was sold from the old castle area, Henri de Rothschild, built a new castle, a new Château de La Muette, ready in 1922. Rothschild was an active person in many fields; he financed Pierre and Marie Curie, also wrote plays and novels under the name of André Pascal and gave a lot of elegant dinners and receptions here, until he was forced to move out due to the beginning of World War II. In 1940 the building became the headquarters for the German Naval Command and in 1945 the headquarters of the Allied Powers. In 1948 Rothschild sold the property to OEEC which originally was created to administer the Marshall Plan and later became OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) which still resides here. Thirty countries which are supposed to accept democracy and a free market economy are represented by delegations led by an ambassador. Important renovation work of the castle has been ongoing the last years, including also annexes (for a staff of about 2500).

Some of the buildings are older and were already neighbours to the royal garden. One of them, later owned by the family Marmottan, was in 1932 donated to the French State and became a museum, Le Musée Marmottan. . Different donations by e.g. the heirs of a major sponsor of the impressionists (their doctor) and by one of Claude Monet’s sons have contributed to make this museum to the world’s richest in Monet paintings.
It’s also here that you will find the perhaps most famous one, the one that gave the name to the impressionist movement, “Impression Soleil Levant”. (See my post mentioning the first impressionist exhibition - Grands Boulevards 3). You can also find a large number of works by Manet, Morisot, Renoir, Sisley, Degas, Pissarro… . The museum which too often is neglected has also one of the world’s most outstanding collections of illuminated manuscripts from the 12th to the 16th centuries as well a great collection of furniture, statues and paintings from the Napoleonic period.

Together with Paloma, I passed by the park again yesterday. The weather was much warmer than during my previous visit and a lot more kids were playing. A few of the pictures used in the three posts about the Jardin du Ranelagh can be found on my photo blog.

24 comments:

Shionge said...

Very very informative Peter and I'm surprised that it holds 2500 staff with its annex building being built. Looks like a pricey tag price for this building.

Thanks for sharing Paloma & the day with us :D

krystyna said...

A peace of haven on the earth!
Thank you Peter!
Excellent photos and informations!

Shammickite said...

The spring flowers on your previous post are a wonderful tonic! We are in the middle of yet another snowstorm tonight here in S Ontario, and the roads are bound to be slippery for the people going to work in the morning.
My grandbaby is 2 days late so I hope the roads will be cleared of snow when they make the drive to the hospital!

SusuPetal said...

In that museum Marmottan I haven't been. Seems interesting.

Well, off I go! Have a nice day, Peter, hope you'll find time to sit in a park!

hpy said...

Give me a call Susu when you come, and we'll visit it together. Maybe Peter will accept to guide us.

Olivier said...

la premiere photo est magnifique, j'aime cette lumiere et cette composition.
Je vois que Paloma a aimée aussi le parc ;o).

TORUŃ DAILY PHOTO said...

Very interesting Peter...imagine living in a grand house like that!!! Please do sign our BBC petition!

Greetings from TDP!

Azer Mantessa said...

nice paintings!

watching the kids play is really something :-)

di.di said...

Spring comes early.. hope it will continue

Anonymous said...

Very long indeed but worth the effort. It is a good read and the photos are excellent. Thanks for what you do.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

He Peter,
Don't remember this 'jardin' but as usual the buildings are master BIG and fantastic in archtecture, love to read the background information.

I Posted today some pic's of my dog..

have agood day

Noushy Syah said...

Excellent colorful pics and informative.Lovely! I remember those paintings form MONET and yes they are really nice.

Paloma and you really had a good time.That's really a good way on having a quality time with fmly!

p/s tehehhhe...take your time on the tagged, but heyy you actually have lot's to share with us, just find the one that you fava most and we will get to the archive of yours to read it!

They say..sharing is caring , remember?

Kunterbunt said...

I'm soooo astonished because I didn't know about Musée Marmotte and its impressionists. I only admired some in Musée d'Orsay. Next time in Paris I'll go there.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Great post, as always, Peter!

At first, LOVE the photos with Paloma! She is really beautiful!

Love also the first photo, the man reading the paper and his dog walking around... so expressive!

Peter said...

shionge:
The 2500 are sitting in different buildings in the immediate neighbourhood!

krystyna:
Parks are nice and needed in big cities. I read somewhere that Paris got 35 new parks last year (some of them quite small I guess).

ex-shammickite:
All the best for a safe arrival of your grandkid!

Peter said...

suspetal:
Already on yout way! I guess not only for the museum, but also for the spring weather!

hpy:
Of course I would be happy to be your guide. For the merry-go-round and the ponies, or for the museum?

olivier:
Oui, Paloma prend plaisir et moi avec elle!

Peter said...

glenn:
I could imagine living in such a house, but I manage also quite well in a smaller one!

azer:
Nice paintings, and many of them!

di.di:
I discovered who you really are - behind this new name! Spring continued at least today. Let's see tomorrow!

alice said...

Bon, les tableaux sont beaux mais moi, c'est Paloma qui me fait craquer!

Peter said...

oldmanlincoln:
Thanks for reading it all!

joann:
I guess hyou have to know about the park and the museum; it's not on the usual tourist track. Now you know for next time!

noushy:
Having more time for kids and grandkids is one great advantage after retirement!

Peter said...

april:
Do! Now you know the way!

sonia:
Glad you appreciate!

alice:
Je craque aussi! ... mais il ne faut quand' même pas négliger les impressionistes!

Anonymous said...

Lovely post.

Is the Rothschild place on the Seine? Seems I remember that in one of the bateau tours.

Cergie said...

Je ne pense pas que je retiendrai tout, mise à part la part active d'Henri de Rothschild (je n'ai pas vu : avait-il un titre de noblesse ?) et le mélange dans le Musée Marmottan des différents artiste. J'aime bien cela. Il me faudra y aller.

J'ai mis plus de trois heures pour aller chercher Pat à Roissy et je suis HS. Je vais aller au lit avec le n° de Géo consacré aux musées de Paris que j'ai acheté à l'aéroport en l'attendant

Si tu ne dors pas encore (cela m'étonnerait) je te souhaite une bonne nuit, Peter.

Peter said...

ruth:
This Rothschild one is not. There is one on Ile St. Louis, which I mentioned in a previous post. I guess that's the one you are referring to.

cergie:
Non,je ne dors pas encore. Bonne nuit à toi!

Chuckeroon said...

...and I'm reminded that in 1820 the Grand Junction pumping station was close to Ranelagh but then moved up river to Brentford. Moreover, Pissaro and other impressionists (I believe, also van Gough) were around the area. So they may well have enjoyed my river side scenes and certainly knew the site of the "world's biggest steam engine" !!!!!