For quite a while, we had been meaning to visit the Musee Zadkine housed in the former home and studio of Ossip Zadkine and featuring many of his sculptures. In fact, it had been on our list since Augusut, when our friend Pierre Azoulay suggested it. Sunday was the perfect day. The museum is located essentially across the Luxembourg Gardens from our apartment, so we would just need to walk through the gardens to get there, a happy chore given the weather. Furthermore, some of the pieces are in a small courtyard adjacent to the home, another chance to make the most of the sunny day.
I was not familiar with Zadkine's work, but I very much enjoyed seeing it, learning about his life and work, and walking through the bright and beautiful spaces they had constructed to display the sculptures. (I learned that he moved to Paris in the early part of the 20th century and interacted with many of the famous expats in Paris at the time: Picasso, Modigliani, Arthur Miller.) I especially liked the rather large collection of busts, with the varied styles, influences, and materials he used for them. Some looked like worn ancient Greek carvings rescued from an archaeological site. Others had very strong primitive or Cycladic influences. Still others looked cubist and very modern. My phone battery ran out before I could take photos of all of my favorites, but here are a few. By the way, the museum is free, so I could certainly imagine going back sometime soon. It is also small, easily seen in 45 minutes.
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