By: Dean Gregory, to Museum Spotlight Europe (November 2021)
Explore the museums in Paris that Ellsworth Kelly visited and found formative in developing his artistic approach: The Louvre, Musée Guimet, the Musée National d’Art Moderne, and Musée Cernuschi.
Kelly in Paris: A Primer
Residing in Paris from 1948 to 1954, Kelly refined his artistic influences, which include: Romanesque and Byzantine art, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Eastern and Grecian civilizations, and Parisian architecture. Born in Newburgh, New York in 1923, the artist moved seamlessly between artistic circles within the United States and Europe during the 20th century. Living to the ripe age of 92, Kelly established an artistic legacy with a vast catalog of works such as Gauloise Blue with Red Curve (1954), Fourteen Projects (1955) and Sculpture for a Large Wall (1956-57).
The Louvre
Among the countless treasures of The Louvre, Kelly found particular inspiration in the galleries dedicated to the art from Ancient Greece. Beyond the seminal pieces in the museum’s collection like The Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, the halls of Greek antiquities feature a medley of statues, relics and figures. The Bronze Age room showcases a painted ceiling by the late American master Cy Twombly, a contemporary of Kelly, who found the mythology and art of Ancient Greece essential to his work as well.
Musée Guimet
The Guimet Museum features a robust collection of art from the East, primarily China and India. The Chinese collection contains approximately 20,000 pieces, spanning 7,000 years of history. This collection includes bronze, ceramic, and jade pieces. The art of India is exemplified with sculptures such as Torse de Buddha, Tête de Buddha, and Shiva Dansant. The selection of Indian art was donated from the personal collections of Jean and Krishna Riboud.
Musée National d’Art Moderne
During a visit at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kelly noticed a particular window. His piece Window, Museum of Modern Art, Paris (1949) highlights the artist’s focus on windows while living in the French capital. As the critic Laurie Hurwitz writes, “In museums, in cafés, everywhere in the city’s architecture, he found himself drawn to windows, fascinated by shadows and light, geometric shapes and patterns; in a matter of months, he made the shift from figuration to abstraction.”
Musée Cernuschi
At the Cernuschi Museum of Asian Art, Kelly became transfixed with Chinese calligraphy. He decided calligraphic patterns were intrinsically connected to creating abstract works of art. Specifically, he found the seals of Zhuan-Shu informative for his work. Henri Cernuschi, the namesake of the institution, was an Italian patriot, who helped liberate Milan from Austrian rule in the mid 19th century. After facing exile to Paris, Cernuschi amassed his collection of Asian art, principally through traveling in China and Japan. After bequeathing his collection to the city of Paris, the museum was established within the mansion of the benefactor.
More of Kelly’s Influences and Collections
In addition to the museums discussed above, several other institutions throughout Paris inspired Kelly, including the Musée National du Moyen Age, the Byzantine Institute and the Musee de l’Homme. Fondation Louis Vuitton and Pompidou Centre currently feature Kelly’s works. All of the institutions discussed above are located within the center of Paris and are easily accessible.
