From Medieval religious art to Roy Lichtenstein -- in one day

This morning I headed off to visit the Cluny Museum, an incredible collection of art from the middle ages housed in a 15th century mansion attached to ancient Roman baths.  Sadly the famous tapestries of the Lady with the Unicorn are in Japan being restored, but the rest of the collection was stunning.  Here are a few pieces that caught my eye.

Mary from an Annunciation sculpture on the left and an unknown angel from a glowing tapestry on below.

After a quick visit to see the Eiffel Tower we headed over to the Marais district and visited the Pompidou Centre, the largest collection of contemporary art in Europe.  It was featuring a show of Roy Lichtenstein's work featuring blown up comic figures complete with the dots.  I wasn't able to photograph any of these but you  probably know them.  Quite a ccontrast to the very realistic and finely wrought medieval imagery. Compare this piece of contemporary figurative work. It's completely in a different realm.

Don't get me wrong.  I love contemporary art but the contrast is startling. The older works show technical skill and sensitivity, while the current material is more conceptual.

It's kind of like this photograph of the skyline of Paris taken from one of the escalators at the Pompidou.  

A contrast of old and new that boggles your mind and reminds you of the incredible variety of energy and ways of being in this world.  It symbolizes Paris for me.