Impressions from the Fragonard

Well lets just say that after my visit to the Musee Fragonard I do not see verternairan school, nor anything to do with becoming a doctor happening for me in the near future. I would have to agree with my Professor, that it was one of the strangest museums I have ever been too. Not only for its content, but also for the way it was structured. Starting with the entrance way the museum was located in a grand building that was constructed I believe the guide said sometime around the 1700's. It was very classically french and had a Louvre esque sort of feeling to it.

The size of the space was actually quite small, but packed with content. Which ranged from skeltons to flesh eating viruses...delightful. The large cabinets in which the specimens were held complimented the space and sort of provided more room for different objects to be held. Without them, I personally feel that the viewer could have gotten lost in the room. There would have been too many things to look at and it would feel more like walking through a garage sale instead of one of Paris's oldest museums.

This museum is difficult to understand from just one visit. Hard to believe, but some of the original uses for these bizzare objects were for curiosity cabinets. These were cabinets that the aristocatic, and rich kept to amuse their guests and family members. The transformation from narrative to history and science is a complicated transition. For some objects they can be seen as pure science or history, but for most there is such a detailed history behind them, that going through the museum once you will never get the full understanding of all the stories. This is also true for the actual school, and historical building that the musueum is found it.

It is an unusual space, and an unusual museum. However, I do recommend giving it a try and seeing if your stomach can handle it.