There’s something joyful about looking at a photo of a painting on an iPad and seeing the real-life location over a century-and-a-half later. The artwork in question is Monet’s “Le Pont Neuf” (1872). Standing on the banks of the Seine on almost the exact spot where the Impressionist master would have painted it en plein air all those years ago, it’s fascinating to see how little has changed. Apart from the horse and carriage, and clouds of steam floating up from the boats below, Paris’ oldest bridge looks virtually the same.
I hopped on the Eurostar at St Pancras for the French capital to experience Le Meurice’s latest private art trail, “Monet – Revolutionary Brushstrokes”. The opulent hotel launched the walking tour last year to mark 150 years of Impressionism and celebrate the radical art movement’s founding father.
Versailles-inspired luxury
Breakfast is served in the two-Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant
(Image credit: Le Meurice)
Le Meurice has close ties to the Parisian art world. Since opening back in 1835, it has hosted an array of notable figures, including Salvador Dalí, who famously stayed for a month every year for over three decades, and Pablo Picasso, who held his wedding banquet in the hotel’s lavish Salon Pompadour. There are playful nods to this rich history dotted throughout – from the beckoning hand on the ceiling above the reception desk (a detail from Baron François Gérard’s portrait of Madame Regnaud de Saint Gene D’Ageny that is in the Louvre) to the winking eye of Dalí that you’ll spot peering at you from a corner of the wood-panelled bar.
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The walking tour includes an overnight stay at the hotel; we spent the night in a beautiful, spacious suite overlooking the Tuileries Garden with magnificent views across the Paris skyline. Expect serious luxury: esteemed French designer Philippe Starck is responsible for the elegant Versailles-inspired interiors. Rooms are decorated with rich fabrics and Louis XVI-style furnishings, while the generously sized bathrooms are clad entirely in Italian marble.
If you want to splash out on a gourmet meal, book a table at the two-Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant. Breakfast is also served here; you’ll feel like royalty nibbling freshly baked pastries and sipping orange juice beneath the crystal chandeliers and gold-leaf ceiling. We dined at the more laid-back Restaurant Le Dalí, which is also overseen by Ducasse, with executive head chef Amaury Bouhours at the helm. Dishes here are carefully built around seasonal ingredients, celebrating local cuisine. The hearty French onion soup, topped with a thick crust of Gruyère, was packed with flavour, as was the roast chicken, drizzled with a rich jus and served with buttery girolle mushrooms.
A bespoke tour
Monet painted the Seine many times in various weather conditions
(Image credit: Le Meurice)
After an excellent night’s sleep in the plush, king-size bed, I met my guide Marta in Le Meurice’s grand lobby. One of the best things about the experience was the charming art historian’s passion for her work; she carefully tailored the two-hour tour to my interests, sharing countless fascinating anecdotes about Monet’s rivalries and relationships as we strolled through the city.
We set out from the hotel across the immaculate Tuileries that Monet painted from the balcony of a nearby apartment in 1878. After making a quick stop at the Church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois for a crash course in French architecture, we ambled down to the Seine, pausing to marvel at more locations Monet had painted along the river (he was known to paint the same place over and over to capture it in various light and weather conditions).
As we crossed the Pont Neuf, Marta transported me back to 19th-century Paris, entertaining me with tales of Monet’s first defiant exhibition and the conservative art world’s horrified response to the new works, which they denounced for their unfinished and sketch-like quality.
Monet’s water lilies at Musée de l’Orangerie
(Image credit: Martin Bache / Alamy)
After stopping off for more breathtaking views of Paris that form the backdrop to many of Monet’s most iconic works, we made our way back to the Tuileries Garden for the last – and most exciting – stop of the tour at the Musée de l’Orangerie. The gallery has, since 1927, hosted a permanent collection of eight of the artist’s colossal water lily murals, and also contains works by Picasso, Cézanne and Matisse among others.
“Monet is only an eye – but my God what an eye!” Cézanne said, implying his friend and fellow artist’s work lacked emotional depth. But as I stood in front of the Impressionist master’s giant curving water lily panels, the famous back-handed compliment felt unfair. Monet was indeed remarkably skilled at capturing the ripples on the pond’s surface or the soft, hazy purples of twilight. He was also, however, able to evoke great emotion through his work. It’s hard to remember when I last felt so moved by a piece of art. I’ll remember that feeling – of awe, calm and a tinge of sadness – for many years to come.
