Catherine Futter, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, commented to me once, “All art is decorative.”  And, indeed, most artists create for personal buyers.

One of my favorite spaces in Paris was the Musee de l’Orangerie.  The Waterlilies, yes, the waterliles.

But more so for the remarkable collection of Paul Guillame.  Guillame was a dealer and collector in Paris in the early part of the century – a great supporter of the arts.  He amassed a remarkable collection that his widow, Domenica, donated upon his death.  Cezanne, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, Rousseau. (My youngest son studied the Impressionists in second grade and since he will say things like, “That is so Rousseau,” and “That’s definitely a Matisse.”  His voice was in my head the whole visit.)

There are small dioramas depicting Guillame’s home, its walls graced with the art now in the galleries.

It was so personal.

The collection is actually the Jean Walter and Paul Guillame Collection.  Domenica named the collection for both her husbands, Guillame and Jean Walter who followed him.  This seems a little wacky to me, but women do all kinds of crazy things when it comes to men.  All images my own, some tragically blurry, but I could not leave them out so charming were the “rooms.”