Jardins (Gardens) Exhibition at the Grand Palais and Spring Flowers

We walk over to the Jardins (Gardens) exhibition at the Grand Palais (that we would have waited two hours to enter over the weekend) on Monday and breeze right in.  Everyone is back at work and there is no line.  We're not quite sure what to expect, but know it will be interesting.  The exhibition focuses on the French passion for gardens and is organized as a multidisciplinary assembly of paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, drawings, and more, a journey through the garden as a botanical collection and an artistic creation.

The exhibition is spread out over several levels and halls and starts slowly with garden plants.  We remind ourselves that we're in the Grand Palais in Paris and the hall itself is incredible, not to mention the memorable events it hosts, starting with the Universal Exhibition of 1900.  We start our journey through the Grand Palais and through the Gardens.

Plants

Following the real plants are depictions of plants, including sculpture and Tiffany and Van Cleef jewelry (yes, multi-carat jewelry in the shape of garden plants).

 Depictions of plants

Followed by garden art and garden designs.

 Garden art

Garden designs

Monet, Picasso

Monet, Renoir

The combination of mediums and messages to depict the love of gardens finally comes together for us and makes great sense once we get past the initial dried plants and start to understand the adventure that is being shared with us.

One of the closing remarks of the exhibition is, "...the gardens of a period speak volumes of the spirit that drives it, which could be its sculpture, its paintings, or the works of its writers.  The garden was always the confidant of dreams and ambitions, the companion of moments of sincerity and abandon."

Wow!

Meanwhile, outside, spring is coming in strong and the trees and flower (planted in beds and in the markets) are beautiful.

 Spring is here!

 Flowers in the street markets

And, as we wander back to Galeries Lafayette on Boulevard Haussmann, the paper coverings have come off the store windows and spring is on display.

 Spring windows at Galeries Lafayette

Green plants cover the storefront
(more gardens in spring)

We've come to Paris in the spring and we are getting the full dose!   We will keep returning to enjoy and support this beautiful, exciting, enticing city.  Recent and past terrorism events have led to increased security in the city and a heightened awareness of our surroundings, but have not affected the spirit and the charm of Paris and its people.