Among the hundreds of Impressionist paintings, the Floor Scrapers has always been one of my favorites. I’m not certain where I first viewed it in person, but I’ve never forgotten it. The neutral pallet ranging from bright sunlight to dark shadows combine to produce stark contrasts. An obvious variance to pastel impressionist paintings.
Autumn opening for the exhibition at the Musée d’Orsay focuses on Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) and his predilection for masculine forms and portraits of men and seeks to examine this artist’s profoundly radical modernity through the lens of art history’s changing perspective on 19th-century forms of masculinity.
In a desire to produce a new, authentic form of art, Caillebotte took his subjects from his surroundings (Haussmann’s Paris, the country houses around the capital), his male acquaintances (his brothers, the workers employed by his family, his boating friends) , and ultimately from his own life. In response to the realist movement, he introduced new figures into his paintings: an urban worker, a man on a balcony, a sportsman, and even an intimate portrait of a male nude at his ‘toilette’. In an era when virility and republican fraternity prevailed, but traditional masculinity was also in crisis for the first time, these new, powerful images challenged the established order, both social and sexual. Beyond his own identity – that of a young rich Parisian bachelor – Caillebotte also brought profound questions into the male condition at the heart of Impressionism and Modernism.
This project was inspired by the recent acquisition of two of Caillebotte’s major works, by the J.Paul Getty Museum ( Young Man at His Window ) and the Musée d’Orsay ( A Boating Party ), and centers around a masterpiece from this artist, Paris Street; Rainy Day, on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition, which presents around 70 pieces, includes Caillebotte’s most important paintings of people, as well as pastels, sketches, photographs, and documents.
This event is organized in the year of the 130th anniversary of the artist’s death (1894), which is also the date when his outstanding collection of Impressionist paintings was bequeathed to the French government. To mark the occasion, the entire bequest will be on show in a temporary exhibition in one of the museum’s permanent galleries, reproducing the 1897 opening of the “Caillebotte Gallery” at the Musée du Luxembourg.
Mostly active in the 1870s and 1880s, Caillebotte stands apart from the other Impressionists for being the one artist to frequently depict men, and often in ambiguous scenes where one is never entirely sure of the artist’s intention or the viewpoint of the male figures within.
This is one of a long series of exhibitions, beginning with a major retrospective in 1994-1995 (Paris, Chicago), which have allowed the public to reconnect with Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) and have shed light on certain aspects of his work: the Yerres period, the connection between his paintings and photography, and his passion for garden design, among others.
Paris: Musée d’Orsay – October 08th, 2024 to January 19th, 2025. The exhibition will be on display at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, from February 25 to May 25, 2025, and at the Art Institute of Chicago from June 29 to October 5, 2025.
Coming soon, a mini–Santa Fe Journey and hotel reports! Santa Fe Musings – The Spirit of Georgia O’Keeffe Retreat offered by one of our favorite small hotels, Inn of Five Graces.
A sneak peek at an offering by Inn of Five Graces: New Mexico, as seen through the eyes of Georgia O’Keeffe, offers a profound entry into the heart of the Southwest. This highly curated program presents some of the most intimate, off-the-beaten-path, and often privately accessed opportunities, guiding you through her private home and studio, the landscapes of some of her most famous works, and the archives at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
Georgia O’Keeffe Home
Combining this experience with a retreat at the Spa of The Five Graces creates the Ultimate Georgia O’Keeffe Artists Weekend.
Start the day with complimentary Yoga in the Meditation Room at Spa of the Five Graces. Breakfast on the Courtyard Patio. Relax and savor their complimentary à la carte dining with fresh fruits, bread, house-made granolas, and some of the best New Mexican dishes in the state.
Explore The O’Keeffe Museum Featuring one of the most extensive collections of O’Keeffe’s works. Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986), was devoted to creating imagery that expressed what she called “the wideness and wonder of the world as I live in it.”
ShopSanta Fe Vintage – Have our concierge book you an appointment at this unparalleled collection of vintage Levi’s, hats, and jackets. This is where the in the know glam stars shop for their looks!
Santa Fe Hat Company For the best selection of hats in the Southwest. A legend since 1976, offering custom, artisan and high end brands.
Lucchese Bootmaker if you have one more shopping stop in you, Lucchese boots is a short walk and offers the best you’re going to find.
Lunch at The Shed or La Choza; try a local’s favorite at one of these beloved New Mexican establishments.
Treatments at Spa of the Five Graces – Treat yourself our favorite, the “Scrub, Steam, and Massage Treatments” where you will receive cleansing, full-body exfoliation, a private aromatic steam shower, and restorative side-by-side massages.
Dinner at The Compound One of my favorite restaurants! Designed by O’Keeffe’s close friend, Alexander Girard, in the heart of the historic Canyon Road arts district and near O’Keeffe’s Santa Fe residence.
Inn of Five Graces, Santa Fe
Inn of Five Graces, Santa Fe
Inn of Five Graces, Santa Fe
Inn of Five Graces, Santa Fe
Take in a Show at the Lensic or The Santa Fe Opera. In the heart of summer experience Santa Fe Opera’s world-renowned performances or find some of the world’s most exciting performers at the Lensic, in their grand Pueblo Deco style structure on West San Francisco Street.
A day trip to Abiquiu. Breakfast on the Courtyard Patio – Have you tried their Chilliquillas or Juevos Motelenos yet? Always on my breakfast menu! Then depart for a day Journey, head North on your Five Graces Private Experience, one of our favorite day trips. The Essence of Take in a Show at the Lensic or The Santa Fe Opera. In the heart of summer experience Santa Fe Opera’s world-renowned performances or find some of the world’s most exciting performers at the Lensic, in their grand Pueblo Deco style structure on West San Francisco Street. via a Georgia O’Keeffe lens, which includes Plaza Blanca – only accessed via special permit. Plaza Blanca is a majestic landscape made up of beautiful white sandstone cliffs made famous by Georgia O’Keeffe through her series of paintings called The White Place.
Bosshard Gallery in the village of Abiquiu. This gallery was once the home of the original Bode’s Mercantile. Today, the gallery offers a fine representation of Northern New Mexican history with an extensive collection of Indigenous textiles, jewelry, and ceramics.
Lunch at Abiquiú Inn at Café Abiquiú: champagne lunch on the patio at the historic Café Abiquiú & The Terrace. The menu is comprised of fresh local ingredients featuring New Mexican specialties.
O’Keeffe Home Tour: Enter the private home of Georgia O’Keeffe, built into one of the oldest Northern New Mexico haciendas, offering a peak experience to an extremely small number of visitors each year.
Ghost Ranch: Finally, head to Ghost Ranch, a 21,000-acre retreat situated on the Colorado Plateau, to take in the afternoon light as it paints the colorful ribbons of Entrada sandstone and the timeless Morrison, Chinle, and Todilto formations.
Dinner & Drinks at The Dragon Room – Home in time for a reservation at The Pink Adobe’s Dragon Room, a historic bar and favorite of Georgia O’Keeffe and Robert Redford. Dine at the bar or in one of their booths enjoying seasonal fair, delicious craft cocktails and live music.
Saturday Spa Day Start the day with a private Tibetan Mindfulness Meditation session, designed to ease the mind, and prepare the ground for insight and wisdom.
Breakfast in Your Room – If it’s fall or winter, light a fire, featuring a farm-to-table menu with some great healthy options too.
Treatments at Spa of the Five Graces – Treat yourself our favorite, the “Scrub, Steam, and Massage Treatments” where you will receive cleansing, full-body exfoliation, a private aromatic steam shower, and restorative massage.
Relax & Read by the Soaking Pool – Accompanied by snacks and cold-pressed juices. *In colder months the warming pool is between 90-102 degrees.*
Explore Your Creativity with their captivating painting experience in this two-hour Santa Fe Painting Workshop with an amazing professional painting teacher and some great wines.
Take a Drive to Aspen Vista – This 7-mile drive into the Sangre De Cristo mountains for a stunning view of the region.
Dinner at Izanami – Along the Hyde Park Road (below Aspen Vista) you will find exceptional Japanese countryside style cuisine.
Lunch, Shopping & Coffee on Lena Street – Get a coffee and a Japanese Lunch in Santa Fe’s Arts district at Ikonik Coffee & Ozu Santa Fe.
One advantage of Inn of Five Graces is the walkability around town. Shop in town at: Living Threads – for photography, Oaxacan pottery, indigo kaftans and hand-carved Palo Santo vessels.
From Inn of Five Graces, walk to Canyon Road – filled with amazing art and galleries, including Morning Star, you can shop some of our favorites here;
Shop 4Kinship – This Navajo-owned (Diné) boutique for indigenous pieces, colorful up-cycled fashion, vintage denim, along with blankets courtesy and modern silver-turquoise jewelry
Cielo Handcrafted, a few doors down you can shop local New Mexico and Latin America wares; colorful pillows handmade from Cusco, espresso mugs planters and more.
Secret & Sons. I am transfixed in this exotic souk shop, transported across the world with their impeccable taste in carpets, hand painted furniture. You don’t need a passport to shop here!
Mediterrania Antiques, furniture, a significant collection of Uriarte Talavera pottery, and they are only 2 doors away from Seret & Sons.
Dinner at The Pink Adobe, their Signature New Mexican and Cajun-inspired restaurant.
Night Cap at Bar Analco for a Mezcal flight, margarita menu or craft cocktails.
Tucked into the inky blue mountains of Northern New Mexico, a week in the high desert Santa Fe, might not be long enough to enjoy all this town has to offer. The oldest state Capital in the United States, inhabited since 1607, by members of Native American pueblos. The city is brimming with creatives, eccentrics and solitude seekers. City Map 2025 published for locals and visitors.
Highly Recommend Inn of Five Graces and Santa Fe! Postcards soon on the new spa at Inn of Five Graces and other boutique properties.
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