This is a revised post from nearly twelve years ago. Visiting a museum like the one we saw the day before I posted this was a real privilege. I would never have done these things if Charles-Henry, who was approaching age 90 back then, hadn't asked me to be his driver on such trips.
In June of 2011, Charles-Henry and I drove down to the village of Varzy (pop. 1350) in Burgundy. We had been in Péronne for another few days. At the museum in Varzy there was a painting by Charles-Henry's grandfather, Charles-Henri Michel (b.1817–d.1905). The curator of the museum had agreed to show it to us, even though the painting was not on display right then.
Mass on a Friday morning in the church at Varzy
We arrived in Varzy in a steady, chilly rain, and we were about 45 minutes early. We decided to go look around in the church, a gothic structure built between 1230 and 1280. There was a priest officiating at mass for about six people, all women. They weren't in the main part of the church, but up front in a little chapel off to one side. We could walk around and look at the rest of the building, quietly, without disturbing the service.
Two closer views of the priest holding mass
A few minutes later, we went and found the museum, after a little bit of searching. It was still raining. We arrived at the museum 15 minutes early for the appointment Charles-Henry had agreed to, and it wasn't yet open for the day. We found a place where we we were protected from the cold rain and stood and waited. I took a couple of pictures of the Hôtel de Ville, which is on the same square as the museum.
The town hall and library at Varzy
The curator drove in from Nevers, a larger town nearby, arriving right at the appointed hour. After some small talk, he went into the museum storeroom, brought out the unframed painting, and unrolled it on the floor for us to be able to see it. It's big, nearly 2.5 meters tall and 1.75 meters wide. The figures depicted are perhaps not quite life-size, but very close.
CHM's grandfather's 1867 painting titled Le Renoncement
The museum director didn't fit my stereotype at all. He was probably 45 or 50 years old and dressed in rumpled and faded blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a faded red zippered jacket of some kind. His head was shaved, and both his head and his face were covered in a three-day growth of stubble. There was nothing stuffy about him at all.
A scale model of the Varzy churchWe didn't stay very long, and then we headed off for the three-hour drive back to Saint-Aignan.
Another masterful work by Monsieur Michel. The flesh tones are particularly impressive, such as the slightly tanned forearms and face and neck of the supplicant. I suppose this represents someone who is renouncing all their worldly goods (and fine clothing?) to dedicate himself to God? A pity this painting was not framed and on display. Perhaps it is by now.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting photo and beautiful. The museums everywhere probably have unseen treasures. My attic is like that lol. CHM's grandfather's paintings ended up in many spots around France.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you two got to take this trip :)
ReplyDeleteThe painting is wonderful and that model of the church is really incredible.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't comment on CHM's reactions to the painting or to the museum's director. It was interesting to imagine what the director looked like with your detailed description. I imagined he had other plans for the day and perhaps it was his day off...on his way to play tennis, perhaps. Models fascinate me. Thanks for sharing this.
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