Dante's Divine Comedy in Art

Dante’s Divine Comedy would be published in 1472. Dante spent more than 12 years writing the narrative poem and finished it in 1320 less than a year before he would die. Recanting the three levels of afterlife, Inferno (hell), Purgatory and Paradise (heaven) he follows the characters as they navigate their destined ending. Many have been moved by Dante’s piece including many artists. In Paris you can find him in the museums and even on the streets. Around 1307, for two years Dante attended the University of Paris living in the 5th, not far from the street that now holds his name. Walk a few blocks towards the school and in the Place Marcellin Berthelot you will find the bronze statue of him by Jean-Paul Aubé complete with his signature laurel wreath. 

In 1822, Eugene Delacroix completed his first major painting. Dante et Virgile, that now hangs in the Louvre, shows the poet and his trusty guide Virgile on a boat crossing the River Styx while the City of the Dead burns behind them. Dante stands in the boat while Virgile holds him as the waves and the wind are crashing around them. At their feet the damned can be seen fighting for life or resigning to their fate. Pulling the story from the 8 canto of Inferno it would appear at the Salon of 1822 where the French State would buy it and it would hang in the Musée du Luxembourg, later in the Louvre. 

William Bouguereau in 1850 also depicted a scene from the Inferno in one of the most thought provoking paintings in the Orsay. Dante et Virgile captures the moment in the 8th circle of hell that was for the falsifiers and counterfeiters. Dante and Virgil look on while Capocchio, a heretic, attacks Gianni Schiecchi who had taken on the identity of a man in hopes to steal his inheritance. The incredible forceful nature of the scene is intense. You can almost feel his knee in your own back. Get close enough to really take in this amazing painting. The way Bourguereau captures their bodies and muscles is astounding and adds to the dimensions of feelings you get when looking at it. 

One of the best paintings Ary Scheffer ever did could be his Les Ombres de Francesca de Rimini et de Paolo Malatesta Appraissent a Dante a Virgile. From the 2nd level of Hell reserved for the lustful he captures the moment after the death of the two lovers, Francesca and Paolo. Francesca was married to Giovanni Malatesta but fell in love with his brother Paola. Giovanni caught the two together and killed them. In this painting you can see a wound on his chest and her back a reminder of the horrific crime. The two are seen floating as Dante and Virgil look on, it is almost too beautiful looking to be hell. Scheffer’s piece was also displayed at the Salon of 1822, in the same room as Delacroix’s painting which received all the accolades. However today, they both hang in the Louvre for millions of people to appreciate each year. 

Perhaps the most famous piece of art based on Dante’s Divine Comedy would be that of Rodin’s Porte de l’Enfer  and all the pieces that accompany it. You may have recognized the story of Francesca and Paolo as they are the subject of La Baiser. Paolo and Francesca are locked in their embrace holding a copy of Lancelot and Guinevere in his hand. Carved from sparkling white marble it appears to be the perfect image of love, but evil awaits them. Just as they lean in, Giovanni kills them.  

It was to be a part of August Rodin’s monumental work The Gates of Hell, commissioned for the Decorative Arts Museum in 1880. He would work on it for 37 years, until his death and the museum for which it was intended would never be finished. Today a plaster copy sits in the Orsay and a large bronze model at the Musée Rodin.

At the Rodin as you stand and admire his stunning piece filled with the chaos of the moments he so perfectly captured lurking over your shoulder is what Rodin originally called  "the poet". The Thinker was imagined to be Dante himself, holding the characteristics of Adam and Prometheus. He wanted a grand figure reminiscent of Michelangelo and one that would reflect the intelligence of the subject. At first the statue was to be a standing full length Dante, but he changed to the crouching and tense figure we know today. The Gates of Hell based on Dante's Inferno would never fully come to fruition, but the Thinker and the Kiss would go on to become two of the most famous statues in the world.

Re-opening of Paris Museums and Monuments

Slowly Paris is beginning to reopen and one more wonderful step to get to back to the Paris we love is the openings of the museums and monuments. Many of the fantastic temporary exhibits have been extended into the winter and even start of 2021. So if you are like me and were dying to see the Christian Louboutin at the Palais de la Porte Dorée you are in luck!

I will be updating this list daily when new announcements come in

Musée du Louvre opening July 6 **Reservations online need to be made in advance

• Figure d’Artiste - until the end of summer

• Soleils Noirs - until January 25, 2021

• Albrecht Altdorfer, Maitre de la Renaissance Allemands - tbd

• Le Corps et l’Ame, Donatello a Michel-Ange - tbd 

Musée d’Orsay opening June 23 

• James Tissot. L’Ambigu Moderne - until September 13

• Léopold Chauveau - until September 13

Grand Palais, opening July 1 

• Pompei until September 28 

Atelier des Lumières, open NOW 

Musée des arts décoratifs (MAD Paris) opening June 23 for special exhibit, July 7 for perm. collection

• Harper's Bazaar exhibit extended  to January 4, 2021 

Musée national Eugène Delacroix, opening June 22 

Musée de l’Orangerie, opening June 22 (Water Lilies only) 

• Giorgio de Chirico September 16 - December 14

Petit Palais opening June 16

• La Force du dessin, Prat collection until October 4 

Musée de la Vie romantique opening June 16

• Coeurs du romantisme dans l’art contemporain until September 13 

Musée national Picasso opening 3rd week in July 

• Picasso Poet & Picasso and Comics until January 3, 2021 

Musée Rodin opening July 7 

Musée du Luxembourg opening September 23 

• Man Ray et la Mode September 23 - January 17, 2021

Musée Jacquemart-André open NOW 

• Turner, paintings and watercolors until January 11, 2021 

Musée Marmottan Monet opening June 2 

• Cézanne et les maîtres. Rêves d’Italie until January 3, 2021  

Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme opening June 6

• Chagall, Modigliani, Soutine moved to Spring 2021

Musée Maillol opening June 10 

• Spirits, are you there? Until November 1 

Musée de Montmartre Open NOW

• Otto Freundlicj, la revelation de l’abstraction until January 31, 2021

Musée de la Libération de Paris opening June 16 

Musée Bourdelle opening June 16

Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac opening June 9 

Musée Gustave Moreau opening 3rd week in June 

Musée Nissim de Camondo opening June 17

• Le 61 rue de Monceau, l’autre hotel Camondo until September 13 

Centre Pompidou opening July 1

• Christo et Jeanne-Claude until October 19

• Global resistance until January 2021

• Jeremy Shaw until July 27 

• Matisse October 21 - February 22, 2021

Musée de l’Armée opening june 29 

Musée d’Art moderne  TBD 

Palais de la Porte Dorée – musée national de l’Histoire de l’immigration opening June 16

• Christian Louboutin : L’Exhibition[niste] until January 4, 2021 

Maison de Balzac opening June 16 

Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine opening June 17 

Fluctuart opening June 2 

Musée Grévin  opening June 18

National Natural History Museum  opening June 24th

Espace Lafayette-Drouot World of Banksy until December 31

 Catacombes opening June 16 

Versailles opening June 6 

Chateau de Chantilly open NOW 

Chateau Vaux le Vicomte opening June 13

Château de Fontainebleau gardens opening June 2, Chateau opening July 1 

Musée de la Monnaie de Paris , free entry the entire month of June

Museums that were under construction at the start of the pandemic will open later into the year 

Musée Carnavalet 

Maison Victor Hugo 

Palais Galliera opening Fall 

Musee Zadkine opening in the Fall with the Chagall exhibition 

Monuments

La Grande Arche de la Défense  NOW

Tour Eiffel opening June 25, stairs only

Domaine de Saint Cloud NOW

Conciergerie opening June 15

Arc de Triomphe opening June 15

Basilique Saint Denis opening June 15

Pantheon opening June 15

Chateau de Vincennes opening June 15

Sainte Chapelle opening June 23

Chapelle Expiatoire reopening June 17

My Favorite Paris History and Research Books, part une

I’m often asked where  all the information about these wonderful tales I share of Paris come from. It’s hard to answer because I dig deep for some of the info online, in the libraries of Paris but mostly in the many books that fill my office.  Many people go to Paris to shop the latest trends at the fancy boutiques on Rue Saint Honore, but I am happiest digging through the bouquinistes and the many bookstores in Paris to find the treasured pages of French history.  Many days my walks back to my apartment are weighed down with the books I find in the Louvre bookstore convinced I couldn’t possibly leave without that huge book about the Sacre de Napoleon although I have yet to buy the large book I want so badly about Delacroix. I can show some restraint, but barely. Every trip I leave with an extra suitcase  filled with books and also ship 2-3 boxes back. Once you master being able to read in French then the whole game takes a giant leap forward and why I leave with so many. However inside these treasures is where I find the answers to questions I have been dying to know and what makes me giddy with excitement every single time. 

There are many lists out there of the favorite books about Paris and they all have the same titles on them every time, I may have one or two of those on here but this list is for all you lovers of Paris that want to dig deeper and learn just a little bit more. When I sat down to gather my favorite titles it was almost impossible to stop at only 5 or 6. So, I will break them out for you a bit over time, first up my favorite books I use for research and history of Paris books. 

These first three books, all in French, I grab anytime I need to find out anything about a certain street or address. The first is Jean-Marie Cassagne’s Paris Dictionnaire du Nom des Rues. Every single street, square and passage is in this book. From Rue de l’Abbaye to Boulevard de la Zone complete with the history of who or what it was named for. It is fascinating and you will never walk down a street in Paris the same again.  Oscar Lambert’s Rue des Salauds is another great book for the street hunters. Focusing on a few specific streets like Rue de Richelieu and Rue Mazarine, the pages are filled with the history and stories of some of my favorite streets in Paris. 

Jacques Hillairet’s Connaissance du Vieux Paris, this gem of a book digs even deeper into the streets and addresses of Paris, originally published in 1951. I saw this book in the stores many times and had a small bit of self control and then one day while walking along the Quai de Mégisserie there it was at one of the iconic bouquinistes, all wrapped up and waiting for me. Broken out by areas, this book will go into the smallest detail noting architectural features as well as the history of the address sometimes going as far back as what stood there before. It is a fascinating view of old Paris. 

It is almost impossible for me to narrow down history books focused on Paris, but these are some of the best that stay with you long after you read that final page.  How Paris Became Paris by Joan DeJean. Focusing on a few specific events in the history of Paris that made her what she is today. The very first chapter of this book is about the Pont Neuf, I read this book years ago and I still remember every detail I learned in this chapter alone. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you have ever walked across the oldest bridge in Paris and fallen in love with it, this chapter and book is for you. Filled with historical etchings and photos you will learn about everything from the Place des Vosges to Haussmann, I now need to read this goodie again. 

Alistair Horne’s Seven Ages of Paris, much like How Paris Became Paris takes a few specific slices out of the moments in Paris history and the men that left their mark on it. Starting with Philippe Auguste and his great wall it also includes the time of Henri IV, Louis XIV, Napoleon, The Commune, Treaty of Versailles and De Gaulle. Very well done and researched but not overly technical you will learn a lot at the same time as being entertained. 

Susan Cahill wrote two wonderful books for the Paris explorer Hidden Gardens of Paris  and The Streets of Paris. I love the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Tuileries but there are countless number of small green treasures with their vert wagon benches just waiting for you to come sit on a sunny day. Her book highlights a few of the details in the park, what you can find nearby and even a great place for lunch.  The Streets of Paris take you on a stroll to some beautiful streets in the stories of the people that shaped them. Filled with tips on the best time to visit and the details to look out for. Both books are also filled with gorgeous photos of each street and garden.

Ina Caro’s Paris to the Past, Traveling Through French History By Train, is another one of my favorites I have read a few times. Ina takes a fascinating trip through French history through its many chateaux and palaces. Beginning with the Basilique Saint Denis, the birth of French Gothic and chronologically traveling the ages until Napoleon. Her descriptions are mouth watering for the armchair history and architectural buff. I have even downloaded this book and listened to it as I walked through Fontainebleau. Another I want to reread again now. 

Paris the Secret History by Andrew Hussey tells its tale through the people that left their mark on the city from the lowest to the nobilist. Palaces, brothels, cemeteries and churches and the lurid tales that sprang from each of them. From Lutecia to the riots of 1968, this book will give you a taste of the “other” Paris. 

Eric Hazen’s The Invention of Paris takes you on a romp through history by way of its many quarters and villages in the eyes of its many writers and artists. Victor Hugo, Manet, Balzac, Baudelaire and Doisneau. Paris wasn’t much bigger than the Ile de la Cité when it first began, over time it began to swallow up the small areas that sat “outside” each with their own exciting tale to tell.

Find all of these books in my La Boutique, I do make a tiny bit of wine money if you buy it through my website.

https://www.claudinehemingway.com/la-boutique

Déjeuner sur l'herbe par Pablo Picasso

Towards the final years of Picasso’s life, he spent a lot of his time re imagining some famous pieces by other artists. In 1958 Picasso was discouraged by the building up around his beloved La Californie home in Cannes and one night after being with some friends he set his sights on a new home and bought it the next day. The Château de Vauvenargues near Aix-en-Provence, would be where he and his second wife Jacqueline would live from 1959-1962. He fell out of love with it as fast as he fell into it and they moved onto a home in Mougins. However, while he was at Vauvenargues he spent the bulk of his time from 1959 to 1961 on 140 drawings and 27 paintings, lino-cuts and cardboard models all on the theme of Manet’s Le  Déjeuner sur l’herbe. 

When Manet painted this monumental piece in 1862, much like his painting Olympia, this one also was met with much controversy. Rejected from the Salon and displayed at the Salon des Refusés with his other Impressionist friends in 1863, the subject of a nude woman sitting between two fully clothed men was a scandal for the time. Although, Émile Zola proclaimed it “the greatest work of Édouard Manet”.

In 1932 Picasso said "When I see Manet's Luncheon on the Grass I tell myself there is pain ahead". On August 1, 1959 he began his dive into Manet’s masterpiece with a small drawing. The subject and structure of the painting was a bit out of the box for Picasso. He normally focused on one subject or model. Manet’s painting with four people was not what he was used to doing. His first drawing was the closest to Manet’s with all four subjects, but he quickly moved away from Manet’s original structure.

Picasso was known to be an extremely fast painter, when he would tackle this theme he would work in torrents of activity for months at a time before putting them down to come back to them later. He would play with the theme and the amount of people in the landscape, sometimes with three women in the back. Picasso would add the woman washing her feet that he would continue into other paintings. Removing the men all together at times, making the trees larger than life, but most of the time staying with the blue and green palette. He had never spent so much time devoted to one theme in his entire life.   

In March 1960, Picasso painted his first larger version of Déjeuner. Mostly green with a bit of blue focusing on the main figure, Victorine. Later versions included the men who Picasso decided needed to be nude as well. In the Musée National Picasso-Paris on the upper floor is a room dedicated to his Déjeuner paintings. They do change them out during the year and is one of my favorite rooms of this well done museum. Every time I walk into this room it brings a huge smile to my face. Hanging on the walls are just a few of his paintings, drawings and even a cardboard model. I usually spend a half an hour in this one small room, listening to the people as they walk in and comment on the paintings. Some even see the resemblance to Manet which pleases me to no end. I love how Picasso dated his paintings and drawings, knowing now when he started this series you can see how the paintings displayed fit into his timeline. 

On this date in 1973, the great Spanish painter would take his last breath in Mougins. He would be laid to rest at the Château de Vauvenargues, high above the hill in Provence. 

Portrait of Émile Zola by Manet

Emile Zola was born on this day, April 2, 1840. The French writer who is known for his famous headline J’ACCUSE in defense of Alfred Dreyfus but did you know he was also a marketing genius. It was Zola who while working for  Librairie Hachette in 1862 where he spent his days packing books, until one day they recognized a hidden talent. He told them they should paint signs to sit outside the doors of shops that people would see as they walked by, and with that the sandwich board was born.  

There are so many tales that can be told of Zola but this one I have been waiting months to share. Inside the Musée d’Orsay off of the main lower gallery in a small room are a few of Manet’s most amazing pieces.  In 1865 when Manet presented his painting Olympia to the jury it did not go over well. They hated it, they hated what she represented and how she was positionioned and rejected it from the Salon. However one day, the young writer Emile Zola heard about the painting and wanted to see it. A friend of Cézanne, he was already a great fan of the arts and the artists. He thought Olympia was a masterpiece by an artist that was a master of the future, deserving to hang in the Louvre. 

Zola did what he did best and took pen to paper. At the time he was enthralled with what was happening in Paris with the artists that were being turned away from the hallowed Salon and being forced to build their own exhibition. He wrote a pamphlet in defense of Manet titled “La Revue du XXe Siecle”. He would write another one the next year when Manet went out on his own to set up his very own exhibit during the Universal Exposition that many other artists mocked him for. 

In a way of thanking his new friend, Manet offered to paint him. He invited him to his studio on Rue Guyot in 1868. Manet set the scene on the desk with elements of Zola's personality and himself. You can see the blue pamphlet that started their friendship on his desk while the quill and inkwell remind us of Zola’s life as a writer. 

Zola is reading “L’Histoire des Peintres” by Charles Blanc, a book both men loved. Although, it is what hangs above the desk that makes me love this painting so much. The print of the Japanese wrestler by Utagawa Kuniaki II suggesting the influence the Japanese woodblock paintings had on the art style at the time. The screen behind Zola is another nod to the influence of the East on the artists. 

To the left of that is an engraving by Velazquez of Bacchus hints at their shared love for Spanish art peaks out from the top of Olympia. 

I have a fascination anytime there is a painting within a painting. So many questions come to mind, why is it there, what does it mean to the artist and what are they trying to tell us. For this one, it is quite simple.  Olympia represents not only the way the two men met and a painting Zola loved, but it was also Manet’s way of righting the wrong of the Salon of 1865. 

Adding Olympia into the painting of the man that in a way legitimized her meant so much to Manet.  He made one small adjustment in this version, he changed the direction of her eyes away from the viewer and onto Zola himself. 

In May of 1868, he entered the painting of Zola into the Salon. This time they welcomed it with open arms. Was it Manet’s work or was it that they were more afraid of what the pen of Zola would say about them? Hanging in room M of the 1868 Salon there was Zola high up on the wall, but even more so, there was Olympia hanging above the same people that rejected her so vehemently just a few years before. 

The painting remained in the personal collection of Emile Zola, hanging in his home until 1925, twenty three years after his death, when his wife Alexandrine left it in her will to the Musée du Louvre. It would hang in the Louvre until 1986 and then move over to the newly opened Musée d’Orsay. 

And in the end Zola was correct, Manet was an artist that would become a master and hang in the Louvre.  

Saint Catherine de Laboure and the Miraculous Medals

Saint Catherine Labouré was born in 1806 at Fainles-Moutiers a lovely village in the Cote d’Or of Burgundy. At the age of 9 her mother died, at her funeral she picked up a statue of the Virgin Mary, kissed her and said “Now you will be my mother”. In July 1830, in the convent of the Daughters of Charity on the Rue de Bac, she was awoken by a voice asking her to come to the chapel. The Virgin Mary came to her in a vision, telling her that she was about to head onto a mission and will be contradicted but to hold her belief. Catherine had visions since she was a young child, many involving St. Vincent de Paul, however this one was much different.

On November 27, 1830 the Virgin came to her again. This time she was in an oval frame standing on a globe while the rays of light radiated from her hands back down to the globe. The Virgin told her to use this image and place it on medallions, to help heal and bring grace to all that wear them. Today in Paris on the Rue de Bac, you can visit the chapel where she saw the vision in the Notre-Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse. The chapel itself is beautiful with its mosaic tile work over the side altars by Joseph & Charles Maumejean finished in 1930 that radiates warmth and light. Above the altar André Mériel-Bussy painted the stunning fresco of angels, medals, musical instruments and white lilies.

Inside you will also find the chair that the Virgin sat in as she sat for two hours guiding Catherine is on display, the heart of St Vincent de Paul, and the “incorruptible remains” of Catherine in a glass case. Dying in 1876, her body was exhumed 57 years later in almost perfect condition. Covered in wax, you can see for yourself. In the courtyard is a long relief telling the story of Catherine, her visions and the medals. Catherine was canonized in 1947 by Pope Pius XII and is the patron saint of the infirmed and the elderly.

The small church draws millions of people each year to visit as a pilgrimage they all leave with a few medals from the gift shop inside the courtyard. Hours are limited, be sure to check before you arrive they are open.

Arc de Triomphe, Les Invaldies and the Emperor

This is a tale of two historic structures in Paris and an Emperor, the Arc de Triomphe and Les Invalides. It starts back in 1806 when Napoleon Bonaparte fresh off his victory at Austerlitz and wanted to erect a monument as "men are only as great as the monuments they leave behind". He had promised his soldiers on 2 December 1805, "you will return home under triumphal arches".  Upon his return to Paris he instructed a grand arc to be built. It was originally going to be placed where the Bastille prison was torn down, but was later decided to build it on top of what was once the muddy hill of Chaillot just outside of Paris but looking down the Champs Elysees toward the Palais des Tuileries. Thanks to the great garden designer Andre Le Notre It would later be known as the Place l'Etoile (star) for the 12 avenues that radiate out. 

After a 15-year break, it would take until 1836 to finish after the urging of King Louis-Philippe, and long after Napoleon would die in 1821.  Upon his death on 5 May 1821, he would be buried on the island of St Helena where he had been held captive, but had stated 3 weeks before that he wanted to be buried "On the banks of the Seine, in the midst of the French people whom I loved so much".

Engraving "On the banks of the Seine, in the midst of the French people whom I loved so much" above the entry to his crypt.

 In 1830 as Louis-Philippe came to power he vowed to return "all the glories of France", and requested the return of the Emperor from the British government.  It was approved on the 10 May, and 7 months later on the 15 December with much fanfare, "les retour des cendres" was underway.  A funeral carriage draped in fabric pulled by sixteen black horses carrying a mausoleum designed by Henri Labrouste. Complete with 14 caryatids, one for each of his victories held up the coffin that was topped with an imperial mantle complete with crown, sword and scepter and weighed 14 tons and stood more than 32 feet high.

The hospital built in 1671 by Louis XIV for injured soldiers and take over 30 years to finish. His architect Louvois put a special focus on the royal chapel where the King and soldiers could attend mass but in separate areas. It would be later separated for the creation of the tomb of Napoleon, but the beautiful Eglise des Soldats can still be seen today.  It would take many years for the final construction of his crypt to be completed and would be finally interred into his final resting place  in 1861. 

As you enter the crypt a huge gate greets you at the entrance, with two bronze statues representing Justice on the left holding a crown and sword and on the right Imperial Power,  with a sword and sphere topped with a crowd, an emblem of the world. Above it is inscribed in French his final wishes of being buried on the edge of the Seine.  

He is watched over by the twelve allegories representing his many victories standing tall. Along the outer walls are ten bas-reliefs that depict his many achievements including civil peace, the Civil Code and the Legion of Honour. Complete with scrolls listing all the things he implemented in France. As you make your way back up the stairs you can stand in the center and look back down at his tomb, it really is an amazing place.

Today Les Invalides is still a hospital and retirement home for veterans but it also includes the Musée de l'Armée and the Musée des Plans-Relief. It is an incredible museum that spans from the 13th century with armor worn by Francois I to the tent used by Napoleon and even his horse, that is now stuffed and on display.  Everything is done chronologically including a wing dedicated to WW I & II. This isn’t your normal museum dedicated to fighting forces, it incorporates amazing pieces of art, multimedia displays, memorabilia and even vehicles.  Every trip my grandfather made to Paris would include a few days in this vast museum. As a lover of French history and fascination of Napoleon I also had to  follow his footsteps and see it all for myself. It took two separate trips and multiple visits to finally see it all. As I am continuing to learn even more about French history I can’t wait to go back again to this museum and see the living items that tell the story.

The Regalia of le Sacre de Napoleon

Not exactly hidden, but away from the key moments within Jacques-Louis David’s monumental tableaux “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Joséphine on December 2, 1804” are a few pieces you can find today.  The royal regalia used on this day and depicted in this painting include the Crown of Charlemagne, Scepter of Charles V and the Sword of Charlemagne all of which can be seen in the Musée du Louvre.  It’s the living breathing pieces of history that are my very favorite parts of Paris. to unwrap and explore.

The Crown of Charlemagne was the name given to the coronation crown of the Kings of France dating back to 1237. Named for the great medieval King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was first used to crown his grandson, Charles the Bald. A simple band topped with fleur-de-lis was added onto over time with jewels and velvet cap.  A matching open worked crown was made for the coronation of the queens, but only one would survive the 1590 Siege of Paris. The surviving crown would be used all the way until the last King of France was crowned in Reims, Louis XVI.  The crown would then be destroyed during the French Revolution, never to be seen again.

When it was time for Napoleon to take his throne of power over France he of course needed a crown. Martin-Guillaume Biennais was given the task. Using drawings from the 15th C of Charlemagne and a bust Napoleon had once seen in Aix-la-Chapelle showing the Emperor topped with a crown covered with cameos and carnelian jewels the design was born.  Eight cameo covered arches attached to a band, come together at the top and are met with a gold cross. In the painting the crown can be faintly seen on the left in the hands of le marechal Kellerman. (seen between the two men in the dark hats) At the actual event, Napoleon, being Napoleon picked up the crown and placed it on his head over his laurel wreath, crowning himself Emperor of France

.The scepter of Charles V dates back to the 14th century and is one the few remaining pieces left of the medieval French reliquary. Created for the coronation of the son of Charles V in 1380, it would then be used by every ruling sovereign up until the very last, Charles X in 1825.  Sitting on a lily, that was originally enameled white, is Charlemagne on a throne. In his left hand, he holds an orb that represents the world, topped with a cross. In the large painting, David depicted the scepter in the hands of Le marechal Perignon just to the right above the Crown of Charlemagne.

Both the crown and the scepter can be seen today in the Musee du Louvre, in the Richelieu Wing on the 1st floor in salle 504, it’s rarely crowded and something you must see.

In the Notre Dame de Paris, the site of this monumental event sits in the chevet behind the choir in the Chapel of Saint George a mostly unnoticed set of candlesticks and a crucifix.  At the time the cathedral was falling into disrepair and needed a lot of work to be ready for the coronation. Tapestries with the eagles, the royal bees, crowns, laurel wreaths and N’s were hung to cover the pillars that were falling apart. Galleries and raised seating was built to hold the royal onlookers and even a new altar would be built.

In addition, placed on the new altar would be a set of large candlesticks and a crucifix brought from the Arras Cathedral. Today in the Chapel of Saint George against the stained glass windows depicting the life of Saint Stephen those same candlesticks can be seen.  Jacques-Louis David did an amazing job representing them in his large piece that would commemorate the day. The altar they sit upon is a recreation in 1976 of the one that was in the cathedral at that time of le sacre de Napoleon.

There are countless more amazing things to notice in this painting, the true moments of that historic day and some that were added in to alter is along the way. I hope the day never comes that I actually learn every one of those small elements that make this one of my favorites works of art.

Le Sacre de Napoleon

On December 2nd a very very long time ago, 214 years to be exact Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Napoleon wanting to set his own rules and traditions and not wanting to "descend from anyone" he bucked the old ways of  French rulers being crowned in the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims and set his sites on the historic cathedral in the birthplace of Paris on the Ile de la Cite. Napoleon was so adamant to have Pope Pius VII in attendance but as the ceremony started he grasped the crown out of the Papal hands and placed it on his own head. 

Laure Junot, Duchess of Abrantes was in attendance on this historical day and had kept very detailed diaries. Later when she became the lover of the Honore de Balzac, lucky for us,  he convinced her to complete and publish her 18 volume memoirs. She had said " But just as the Pope was about to take the crown, called the crown of Charlemagne, from the altar, Napoleon seized it and placed it on his own head! At that moment he was really handsome, and his countenance was lighted up with an expression of which no words can convey an idea. "

It was now Josephine's turn, the great love and first wife of Napoleon and the devoted subject to his hundreds of love letters. She ascended to the throne, with his sisters reluctantly behind her. Junot stated  "One of the chief beauties of the Empress Josephine was not merely her fine figure, but the elegant turn of her neck, and the way in which she carried her head ; indeed, her deportment, altogether, was conspicuous for dignity and grace. I have had the honor of being presented to many real princesses, but I never saw one who, to my eyes, presented so perfect a personification of elegance and majesty." Josephine clasped her hands, lowered her head as tears fell down her face and just then he placed the crown on her head, over her tiara.

All of this is so perfectly captured in one of my favorite works of art inside the walls of the Musée du Louvre. The Coronation of Napoleon (Le Sacre de Napoléon) is the immense painting that stretches 33 feet across room 75 of the Denon wing. Jacques-Louis David was commissioned by Napoleon himself a few months before the big day. He didn't start the actual piece until a year later, with Napoleon making a few specific changes and additions to the painting that were a bit different from the actual event. The biggest being his mother, sitting in the balcony above him. She was not the biggest fan of Josephine, and she was still in Rome and refused to attend, Napoleon had her added in. The original drawing of the Pope had him sitting and looking on and the little Emperor said "I didn't bring him her to do nothing" so he was altered in the final piece to be anointing the ceremony.  Also looking down from above is the artist himself, David added himself into the balcony over the Emperor's mother. There are many other little secrets hidden in this painting, more on that tomorrow and where you can find the living pieces seen in this amazing painting

Seeing this vast amazing work of art filled with symbolism, history and all the regal touches makes it one of the many must sees every time I am in Paris. I could never get tired of sitting on the bench so perfectly placed in front of this for an hour every time and just take in every single face and detail and every time I find something new.  As the hundreds of people walk in front, snap a selfie and walk on by to the next must see item on the list. It always makes me sad, that they truly don't SEE anything or the beauty that is in front of them.

Mucha at the Musée du Luxembourg

Czech artist Alphone Mucha moved to Paris in 1888, but it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time in 1894 that would change his life.  The great French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt wanted a new poster for her hit play Gismonda. On the night of 26 December, St Stephen's Day she made a call to her publisher Lemercier, and asked for a new poster to be created and ready by 1 January. Mucha happened to be in the office that day and was familiar with the actress as he had illustrated her when she performed as Cleopatra. He created a poster that was more than life size, towering to over 6.5 feet tall and was in muted pastel colors and depicting her as a Byzantine noblewoman, with  a headdress of orchids and an arch halo behind her to highlight her face. The curves and use of flowers was reminiscent of the Art Nouveau movement taking root at the time and what he will be remembered for to this day.  The poster was so popular it was being cut down and stolen at night, Bernhardt was so impressed she signed him to a 5 year exclusive contract.

He would go on  to produce posters for her plays depicting her as Hamlet, Lorenzo de Medici and her staring roll in Alexandre Dumas' La Dame aux Camelias among many others all in the  Art Nouveau theme. Their continued partnership would make him just as famous as the greatest French stage actress of the time.

With his new found fame he began creating a series of decorative panels focusing on the heavy themes of Art Nouveau, his two or four panels always focused on one central image of a woman.  The Arts in 1898, depicting Dance, Painting, Poetry and Music. The Flowers in 1898; Rose, Carnation, Iris and Lily. The Times of the Day in 1899; Morning Awakening, Brightness of the Day, Evening Contemplation and Night's Rest.The Precious Stones in 1900; Topaz, Ruby, Amethyst and Emerald. And the amazing collection of The Seasons created in 1896; Spring with her innocence and blossoms, sultry Summer dangling her feet in the water, Autumn surrounded by the grapes of harvest and frosty Winter hiding behind the snow covered branches.

In 1896 he began creating posters for commercial purposes for well know brands such as Job cigarette papers, Savon Notre Dame, Champagne Ruinart  and Moet et Chandon. His partnership with Moet et Chandon would result in many pieces ranging from menus to postcards.

Mucha's use of jewelry in his posters caught the eye of the son of the French jeweler Alphonse Fouquet. Georges Fouquet was looking to make his mark under the shadow of his father. Fouquet and Mucha collaborated for the 1900 Paris International Exhibition with pieces inspired by his art. The decorated chain with pendants made with pearls, semi-precious stones, gold, enamel and mother-of-pearl are heavily influenced by his Moet et Chandon Grand Cremant Imperial poster. Through their partnership Mucha was asked to design Fouquet's new boutique, both the interior and exterior. His goal was to create a space that was just as much a piece of art as the pieces Fouquet was selling. In 1923 Fouquet remodeled his store, but he had Mucha's monumental works carefully removed and stored in a warehouse, until the 1980's when it was installed in the museum of Paris, the Musee Carnavalet.  (currently closed for renovation and set to open in late 2019, beginning of 2020)

In 1910 he returned to his homeland with the intentions of expressing the ideals of his fellow Czech people. A new theme emerged from Mucha, one of iconography, folklore and even at times political. Under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Czechs were forbidden to organize and had to come up with other outlets to get out their message. Sokol is the Czech word for falcon, and used as the emblem to hold national sporting events for gymnastics. In truth at its root it was to unite the youth of the country. The 6th Sokol Festival poster is heavy with symbols, the red cloak being a Sokol color and epitome of Prague, her staff holds the emblem of Praque and her crown the ramparts. In 1925 the 8th Sokol Festival poster was now after the republic of Czechoslovakia was formed now shows one of celebration and exudes an outright a national pride. Mucha would die in 1939 in Prague, having never returned to Paris

The Mucha exhibit at the Musee du Luxembourg is amazing, and there is much more than I even mentioned here. Running until 27 January, 2019 and open every day of the week from 10:30am - 7pm, but grab your tickets online before you go to beat the line. It being a smaller museum they control closely how many people are in at one time, which makes it nice for you as a museum goer.  You can also download the audioguide before you go, which I highly recommend only a few dollars on  Apple or Google play, less expensive then the audio guide and exactly the same, available in French, English, Spanish and Dutch

Marie Antoinette and her final days

Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France met her final fate on this day, 16 October, 225 years ago.  Imprisoned with the rest of the royal family at the Temple Prison since 13 August 1792, she was moved to the Conciergerie under the cover of darkness on 1 August 1793 and would remain for her last 76 days. Held in a small cell and watched by two guards every second of the day until her quick trial on the 14 of October.

Today in that same spot where she would spend her final days is a chapel dedicated to her. In 1816 Louis XVIII wanted to bring back the glory of the Bourbons and to re-establish the name of his brother Louis XVI and his Queen Marie Antoinette ordered that a chapel be built in the Conciergerie to honor her. The small chapel is painted dark navy blue with silver tears painted on the wall, artwork hangs depicting those last days of her life and an altar to the memory of the fallen king and queen is built in the place where her bed once lay and she spent her final night alive.

On the morning of 16 of October she was sentenced to death, and just a few hours later she was lead up the steps into the Cour Mai of the Tribunal and placed on a cart while hundreds gathered to watch the once glamours queen be carted off by horses.  More than 30,000 people stood in silence along the short route to Place de la Republic, now Place de la Concorde and gathered below the stage.  At 12:15 she was lead up the steps to the guillotine, and well you know what happens next.

Her body was tossed into an unmarked grave at the nearby cemetery  of the Madeline church until the start of the 19th century. In 1802 the land was sold to Pierre-Louis Desclozeaux who had lived next to the cemetery since 1789 and kept track of the location of the remains of the king and queen and planted trees and weeping willows to mark the spot. In 1815 he sold the land to Louis XVIII who then had them exhumed and taken to the Basilica Saint-Denis. On 21 January 1815, they would reach their last destination in the  final resting place of the long line of the French monarchy before them. 

In 1816 he had the Chapelle Expiatoire built in the spot their remains were location and dedicated to the memory of his brother and sister in law. It is a somber and beautiful place with statues to both Marie and Louis and a black marble altar marks the spot where the remains and the weeping willow once stood. In a time that anything that belonged too or had any link to royalty was destroyed, it's nice a small part of it was saved to see today.

The Chapelle Expiatoire, Chapel Expiatory of the Conciergerie and Basilica Saint Denis can be visited and is mostly shielded from crowds of tourists. And if like me you are a lover of French history, Marie Antoinette and the architecture of Paris, it's all places you must see. At all of these places it was not hard to be overcome by emotions, especially when you are standing in the footsteps of history and Marie Antoinette. Oh and also she NEVER said "let them eat cake" 

La Fête Nationale du 14 juillet

first things first, if you said "Happy Bastille Day" to a Frenchmen, they wouldn't know what you were talking about. In France it is know as La Fête Nationale du 14 juillet, where every corner is decorated in bleu, blanc et rouge, the ball at the local fire station is the hottest ticket in town (then again when wouldn't it be) and Champagne flows like water. 

You can walk through most of the museums in Paris and come across at least one painting that is depicting a tricolour, waving in the air. Delacroix and his Liberty Leading the People, Van Gogh hoisting the bleu, blanc, rouge on top of Le Moulin de Blute-Fin but one of my favorites can be found inside the Musée d'Orsay by Claude Monet.

La Rue Montorgueil à Paris fête du 30 juin 1878.  Like Delacroix's  Liberty, Monet's painting also is not depicting La Fête Nationale. In June 1878 the state declared 30 June a holiday to celebrate "work and peace" and the renaissance of France after the war of 1870. In the midst of the Universal Exhibition in Paris, Parisians were asked to decorate their houses with flags and bunting.  Claude Monet was walking the streets of Paris and said to his friend and art dealer René Gimpel "The first 30th of June national holiday, I was walking with the tools of my trade in the Rue Montorgueil; the street was bedecked with flags and there were huge crowds; I spotted a balcony, asked if I could paint from it. I could. Later, I came down incognito!"

How quickly did he paint this and how long did he stay on the residents balcony? Could you even imagine sitting there watching Claude Monet paint? He was very well known by 1878 and the Impressionist exhibitions were in full swing and six years after his Impression, Sunrise  gave the movement it's name. Did he finish the painting in one day, that is not known. But he did paint a second one from a balcony on the nearby Rue Saint Denis on the 29th or 30th.  The Rue Saint Denis 30th juin 1878 is quite similar but does show a more of a chaotic scene. It looks like the real party was on Rue Saint Denis.

In 1878 La Fête Nationale du 14 juillet was yet to be a holiday, it was not declared the national holiday until 1880. But the first La Fête Nationale was held in 1790, a year to the day of the Storming of the Bastille. A large party was held on the Champ de Mars in 1790, far outside the city of Paris that lasted for days that included a feast with wine, fireworks which of course leads to people running nude through the streets.  Today there will be the same party on the Champ de Mars, but unlike 1790 it is in the shadow of Madame Eiffel. I am sure there will be a few of those naked folks as well. 

When you are in Paris, the Musee d'Orsay is a must see. And here is a little tip, as soon as you walk in go straight to the very top floor. That is where all the Impressionist are found as well as the amazing clock you can look out and see an amazing view of Paris.

Vive la France! Allez les Bleus

Eugène Delacroix at Musée du Louvre

French artist Eugène Delacroix was the leader of the Romanticism movement of the late 18th and first half of the 19th century. Born in 1798 outside of Paris and an oprhan by the time he reached 16 years old, he found his way to art by the age of 18. Learning at the hand of Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, his fellow classmate was Theodore Gericault, who would have an influence on Delacroix's paintings.  

 

Self portrait- GIlet Vert  1837

Through the 23 of July the Musée du Louvre has the most amazing exhibition dedicated to Delacroix. It is the largest collection of his works in one place since 1963 in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Musée Eugène Delacroix. It includes some of his best known works, and one of my very favorite paintings but also his sketchbooks, diaries, working sketches he completed for some of his grandest works  and a few pieces rarely seen.

Le 28 Juillet 1830 La Liberte Guidant le Peuple  1830

Arguably his most recognized painting is Liberty Leading the People painted in 1830 for the Salon of 1831. Although today is the eve of la Fête Nationale that falls on the anniversary of the Revolution of 1789, this painting commemorates the Paris uprising of 1830, know as the Trois Glorieuses, (Three Glorious Days) that ousted King Charles X.  Liberty is the focal point of the painting, an allegorical figure rich with Greek imagery. Her bare breasts signifies the birth of democracy and her free flowing dress that conveys her movement as she climbs over the cobblestone barricades calling for all to stand up and fight inculuding the school boy.   

Exhibited at the Salon of 1831 it was purchased by the French state the same year to be hung in the Musée du Luxembourg, but was returned to Delacroix in 1839 as the theme was deemed to controversial. By 1848 King Louis-Philippe was the next to go and the painting returned, eventually making it to the Louvre in 1871 where it hangs to this day.   I could talk about this painting and describe it for days, but there is much more to Delacroix and this exhibit.

     sketch of Apollon Vainqueur du Serpent Python

One of the most beautiful galleries in the Louvre may be where you can find some of the crown jewels of France, but the the real beauty comes when you tilt your head up. The ceiling of the Galerie d'Apollon was painted by Delacroix. As a artist he loved to spend his days strolling through the Louvre and dreamed of one day seeing his work hanging with the historic walls. At the time an artist would only make it into the Louvre after they had been dead for 10 years. But Delacroix found another way in, when Felix Duban was restoring the famed gallery in the style of Louis XIV, thus the nod to Apollo. He was one of the few artists to live to see his work hanging in the Louvre

Jeune Orpheline au Cimetiere 1824

Young Girl at the Cemetery painted in 1824, shows Delacroix's affection of Peter Paul Rubens.  The sadness, fear and despair she shows on her face and her eyes glossy with tears, is incredibly moving. When you notice that she is in a cemetery and her great sense of loss as she looks upward for an answer. It constantly amazes me that one person can create that feeling with nothing more than a brush and paint. 

The exhibition is amazing and I spent over 3 hours taking in every detail and reading every word, it is a must see if you are in Paris in July. After that you can still see many of his works within the Musée du Louvre and also the Musée Eugène Delacroix that is a short walk away. And as a bonus if you go to the Louvre first, hang onto your ticket as it gets you into the Delacroix museum for free within 48 hours.

La Chandeleur day, yet another perfect day in Paris

As with most things I like to celebrate the French way instead of waiting to see the rodent pop out of a hole to tell us we just have more winter coming, and in France February 2nd is La Chandeleur day or Candelmas. A Catholic holiday that dates back to Roman times and was a procession of followers carrying candles to celebrate the presentation of Jesus at the temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary. Now we celebrate with Crêpes, with the Crêpes, being an offering, but... let’s not kid ourselves, they are a pretty tasty way to celebrate a holiday. The ages old belief is that while you are making the crepes, if you can flip the crepe and toss it back into the pan with one hand, and holding a gold coin in your other hand you will become rich that year.

Savory or sweet and filled with Nutella, either way they are amazing. But it would be hard to live up to this amazing Crêpes I had in Paris with Duck prosciutto and Foie Gras, with a glass of Rosé sitting on a Paris sidewalk, it really doesn’t get better than that.

Coronation of Napoleon

On this day a very very long time ago, 213 years to be exact Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France in the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Napoleon wanting to set his own rules and traditions and not wanting to "descend from anyone" he bucked the old ways of  French rulers being crowned in the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims and set his sites on the historic cathedral in the birthplace of Paris.   Napoleon was so adamant to have Pope Pius VII in attendance but as the ceremony started he grasped the crown out of the Papal hands and placed it on his own head. 

Laure Junot, Duchess of Abrantes was in attendance on this historical day and had kept very detailed diaries. Later when she became the lover of the Honore de Balzac, lucky for us,  he convinced her to complete and publish her 18 volume memoirs. She had said " But just as the Pope was about to take the crown, called the crown of Charlemagne, from the altar, Napoleon seized it and placed it on his own head! At that moment he was really handsome, and his countenance was lighted up with an expression of which no words can convey an idea. "

It was now Josephine's turn, the great love and first wife of Napoleon and the devoted subject to his hundreds of love letters. She ascended to the throne, with his sisters reluctantly behind her. Junot stated  "One of the chief beauties of the Empress Josephine was not merely her fine figure, but the elegant turn of her neck, and the way in which she carried her head ; indeed, her deportment, altogether, was conspicuous for dignity and grace. I have had the honor of being presented to many real princesses, but I never saw one who, to my eyes, presented so perfect a personification of elegance and majesty." Josephine clasped her hands, lowered her head as tears fell down her face and just then he placed the crown on her head, over her tiara.

All of this is so perfectly captured in one of my favorite works of art inside the walls of the Musée du Louvre. The Coronation of Napoleon (Le Sacre de Napoléon) is the immense painting that stretches 33 feet across room 75 of the Denon wing. Jacques-Louis David was commissioned by Napoleon himself a few months before the big day. He didn't start the actual piece until a year later, with Napoleon making a few specific changes and additions to the painting that were a bit different from the actual event. The biggest being his mother, sitting in the balcony above him. She was not the biggest fan of Josephine, and she was still in Rome and refused to attend, Napoleon had her added in. The original drawing of the Pope had him sitting and looking on and the little Emperor said "I didn't bring him her to do nothing" so he was altered in the final piece to be anointing the ceremony.  Also looking down from above is the artist himself, David added himself into the balcony over the Emperor's mother. There are many other little secrets hidden in this painting, more on that later. 

Seeing this vast amazing work of art filled with symbolism, history and all the regal touches makes it one of the many must sees every time I am in Paris. I could never get tired of sitting on the bench so perfectly placed in front of this for an hour every time and just take in every single face and detail and every time I find something new.  As the hundreds of people walk in front, snap a selfie and walk on by to the next must see item on the list. It always makes me sad, that they truly don't SEE anything or the beauty that is in front of them.

The Griffon and the oldest graffiti in Paris

Hidden on a pillar amongst the many Parisian sunbathers at the Place des Vosges hides the oldest graffiti in Paris. You won't find this in the pages of Rick Steve's guidebooks, and you would be hard pressed to find a tourists with a selfie stick waiting their turn for a pictures and thousands walk right past it everyday and never notice.

Just outside No 11 Place de Vosges halfway up the pillar the faintest of markings can still be found. For it was here on this stone pillar that in 1764 a man from Bourgoun,  Nicolas Restif de la Bretonneleft a little something behind. Restif de la Bretonne (1734-1806) was a printmaker and typographer that moved to Paris and later became a controversial  author who would stroll the city streets for inspiration leaving behind hundreds of markings on the city walls.  He was given the very fitting nickname "the griffon" (the scribbler) but the residents of Paris. Today only one marking remains and it is here in the beautiful Place des Vosges.  .  

1764 NICOLA is etched just as clear today and can still be seen 253 years later in the very same place. Today many corners of Paris are covered with graffiti from the amazing street artists like Invader, Banksy, Blek le Rat and so many more. But they all owe a little something to old Nicola and his midnight Paris strolls.

The best staircaise in all of Paris

The bends and curves of this amazing staircase in the Musée Gustave Moreau in Paris rivals that of all of the art hanging on the walls. The narrow steps twirl around like a little girl on a summer day, or like me in every given second in Paris.  The museum is located in the house his family lived in the 9th Arr. just below the famed Montmartre and shouldn't be missed.

A French symbolist painter, he spent most of his time painting mythical and biblical figures in the early to late 1800's. In fact he did more than 8000 drawings and paintings, where more than 6000 can be seen within the four floors of his former home. Moreau created an  extensive system of label and naming every piece he created in hopes that they would all be on display together. He turned the upper floors of his house into a gallery and studio and in 1901 it was opened as a museum following his death.  

The museum is off the main tourist tracks of Paris and not as well known so you can roam the small halls and rooms on the first two floors before you arrive to the second floor and see the crown jewel, this staircase.

Musée National Gustave Moreau
14 rue de La Rochefoucauld
75009 Paris

Open everyday but Tuesday and only 5 euros

Mur de la Paix, Wall of Peace

At the far end of the lush green grass in the shadows of le Tour Eiffel sits a glass wall that is known as the Mur de la Paix, the Wall of Peace.  Built in 2000, and very new in the grand scheme of Parisian monuments, the glass walls are covered with Peacewritten in 32 languages and 13 alphabets and inspired by the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.  Much like the grand iron lady at the other end of the Champ de Mars the Mur de la Paix was to be a temporary instillation, 17 years later it is still there.

The Champ de Mars is named after the Mars, the God of War and Champs means field, so a Wall of Peace sitting at the end of the vast space crowned with the most famous monument in the world is pretty iconic.  But the days of the wall may be numbered, in the spring it was fenced off and in disrepair. So you should plan a trip soon to see it before it is gone. The perspective looking back at le Tour Eiffel is breathtaking.

Le Baiser

On this day, 12 June, 1950 Life magazine published what would become one of the  iconic photos of Paris. Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville, (The Kiss by the Hotel de ville) by Robert Doisneau. Taken in front of the Hôtel de Ville in the 4th arrondissement of Paris just over the Pont d'Arcole which will also take you right in front of the Notre Dame de Paris. 

I love this photo, but more for what is around the couple then the couple themselves. The essence of Paris comes so clearly across in this piece.   The people walking by without even a glance toward the couple in a close embrace is what is so very Parisian. It is not uncommon to see this exact scene on one of the many picturesque bridges, in front of the Eiffel Tower or on a sidewalk terrace, it's as common to see as a Frenchman walking down the street with a baguette.

It's the romance of Paris that oozes out of everything that is so easy to be whisked away into, and there is nothing wrong with that at all.  But back to this photo and where I will squash your romantic dreams of what looks like such a candid moment. By 1950 Robert Doiseneu had been documenting the streets of Paris for a few years after working for Vogue as a fashion photographer. He found his inspiration in the everyday life of Parisians and it was on one of these days he saw a couple kissing.  For more than 40 years it was a great mystery who the young couple were, but in 1992 they were revealed.  Jacques Carteaud and Françoise Bornet were dating and walking through Paris kissing away when Doisneau caught a glimpse of them. In 2005 Françoise said that, "He told us we were charming, and asked if we could kiss again for the camera. We didn't mind. We were used to kissing. We were doing it all the time then, it was delicious. Monsieur Doisneau was adorable, very low key, very relaxed."

So he took them to a few famous spots in Paris to recreate their kiss, but it was in front of the Hôtel de Ville that they struck gold and the iconic photo was created.   When you are in Paris, go to this same spot and at the café across the square stand across from the "C" and kiss away and you can make your own version. I can promise you it's not hard to be swept away in the romance of Paris and you too can find out exactly why they call them French Kisses. 

Joyeux anniversaire Tour Eiffel

On 15 March, 1889 the last rivet was installed on what has become the grandest lady in all of Paris. Built for the 1889 World's Fair honoring the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille the iron lady was only meant to stay up for twenty years.  As the crowning entrance to the exhibition, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world and was a site to behold, just as it is today.. Standing in the center and looking up much like in this picture that I took the first time I stood below the amazing delicate and strong structure it would be almost impossible to imagine the thoughts one would have had 128 years ago.   It took less than two years to complete the structure with most of the pieces being made and assembled at an offsite factory and brought into Paris by horse drawn carts. An amazing 2.7 trillion rivets hold this work of art together that Gustave Eiffel championed to create against all of the criticism from Parisians at the time.  

Today she is the crowning icon of Paris and the most visited paid monument in the world. Of my giant list of things to see in Paris on my first trip she was at the very top of it. From the first time to the tenth time that I have stood there looking at her, if it's in the bright fall sun, the dark of night as she sparkles or standing underneath looking up with a Frenchie, it takes my breath away EVERY SINGLE TIME. I don't think that will ever change. 

Joyeux anniversaire grand dame, may you forever inspire so many near and far and I shall see you soon.  XO