Camille Pissarro

It was cool and rainy yesterday morning. I took half a day off to visit National Palace Museum for Camillo Pissarro's exhibit.

Very very quiet when I was there. Was surprised I did not have to wait in line to get tickets, and when I went in, it was like my private museum. Maybe National Palace Museum has not done a very good job at promotion or keeping the public informed, at least I've heard so many media talking about Jean-François Millet's exhibit at the National Museum of History. Not that I'm complaining to feel like owning the portraits for 2 hours, but I love impressionism, and do hope everyone would enjoy it too.

They provide very good audio tour. Because I carry headset for my cell phone all the times, so I rent a cell phone SIM card to access the audio service. All I had to do was to replace the SIM card on my cell phone, and punch in the numbers by the paintings to get the audio. It is a lot more personal and lighter than the regular humongous machine we normally get at the museums. That 100NT (around 3.3 USD) is so well spent, as they provide lots of useful information of the background the artist, the Barbizon, the Impressionism, and Pisarro's family.

I bought the book as souvenir. I never like replica of paintings very much, as I can always remember how much nicer the original looks like, and the replicas are just not the same. It's good that I go to this exhibit early, as I can always go back. Few weeks ago, I was just considering if I wanted to make a trip to New York before I start my new job, and the only firm agenda was to visit Metropolitan Museum. I did not make it to New York, but come on, Pissarro is just within reach, 20 minutes from where I live by taxi. And we have Millet's Gleaners and Angelus in Taipei now. I can't be more happier.

This exhibit also shows many of Pissarro's etchings, Jean-Francois Millet's etchings, letters, and paintings from Pissarro's family. It is so profound and, just simply amazing.