Claude Monet at the Parc Monceau.

I wanted to see where Claude Monet stood as he painted a series of three paintings of Park Monceau in the spring of 1876. So, 134 years after Monet, I walked to Park Monceau (which is not too far from my apartment).

The beautiful park was established by Phillippe d'Orléans, Duke of Chartres. He bought the land in 1769 and employed Louis Carrogis Carmontelle to design the gardens in the informal style of the English Gardens, which he apparently loved. He also added statues and ancient ruin designs, including the columns and a pyramid.

In 1793, during the French Revolution, the Duke was executed by guillotine and the garden was taken into public ownership. 83 years later, Claude Monet painted the oil on canvas landscape below.

Claude Monet
Title: Landscape: Parc Monceau, Paris 1876
Location of Original: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA

I wonder Claude Monet he put his easel and canvas to paint the landscape? I asked the park security ladies if they knew where the painting was made. They looked at the print and replied sympathetically in French, "Alot has changed since the painting was made." They did not know the exact location.

Hmm, was Claude Monet here?

...or was he here?

I gave up quickly on finding Claude Monet's inspiration, and instead, found my own. Just before I "clicked", a small child ran into my "masterpiece photo".

(double click the image to see the little cutie...)

Pyramid in Park Moncuau...including "lovers on the side".

Beauty.

Parc Monceau. Parisian's "Just Livin".

The Children of Parc Monceau...were Everywhere.

Children in the Trees of Parc Monceau.

Beautiful private homes that boarder the parc.

Leaving the park, I can still hear the laughter and screaming of the children echoing in my ears.

Doing Nothing in Paris.

It is possible to "just be" and do nothing with a friend on a Saturday afternoon, and that's what we did today in Paris.

After a nice lunch, and strolling through the streets with a friend, we found a park to do nothing...along with others.

Even Nature was doing nothing.

The flowers...doing nothing...

Later we strolled to Canal Saint-Martin do more of nothing while the bridge turned to allow the cruise boats to pass through the canal locks.

(click to enlarge and see others doing nothing along the edge of the canal)

The Canal Saint-Martin was dug and built from 1802 to 1825 after Napoleon ordered a water supply into Paris for health and other reasons. It was funded by a new tax placed on wine.

Even the boat seemed to do nothing, while waiting for the locks to fill with water.

A wonderful Saturday afternoon of doing nothing in Paris...