{"id":416,"date":"2015-03-18T19:29:18","date_gmt":"2015-03-18T19:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/delladrees.com\/wordpress\/?p=416"},"modified":"2015-12-22T13:54:31","modified_gmt":"2015-12-22T13:54:31","slug":"lacademie-de-la-grande-chaumiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/delladrees.com\/wordpress\/?p=416","title":{"rendered":"L’Acad\u00e9mie de la Grande Chaumi\u00e8re"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GCsign\"As a reaction against the constricting teaching of the Parisienne \u00c9cole des Beaux Arts, the Grande Chaumi\u00e8re (academy of the large thatched cottage) was founded on the left bank of Paris in 1902, which at the time was the heart of forward thinking intellectual and artistic life.<\/p>\n

\"GC1943\"<\/a>
Exhibition of professors and students 1943<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I feel that it\u00a0is a mythical place with Delacroix, Manet, Cezanne and Picasso participating in its creation. All that was provided was a model and warmth in the winter from the iron stove. Today, the heating is electric, but that seems to be the only change. Atmospheric and inspirational, the light filters in from the large, north facing windows that extend along an entire wall. The Grande Chaumi\u00e8re still offers\u00a0ateliers libres<\/em>\u00a0each day, where there is no teaching, just excellent models. I go there as often as I can. They have a weekly one model, one pose, for each week day\u00a0from 9 to 12. Then in the afternoons there are two sessions with both long and shorter poses for sketching and drawing. There are also session on Wednesday evenings\u00a0and Saturday afternoons and occasionally on Sunday they have special sessions and workshops, like portrait painting. I have been known to stay for all three sessions, one memorable day there was a tremendous thunderstorm after the first session, so I\u00a0stayed as it seemed the only\u00a0place to be. The light dimmed and the rain started to\u00a0beat a refrain on the large windows. The occasions flash of sharp lightening only heighten the concentration\u00a0in the room as\u00a0people worked silently to try and\u00a0represent the model in a truthful way. A mythical place.<\/p>\n