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.

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.

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.

The moment that changes your life

I can track down to the minute that everything I knew in life changed in one blissful moment, and why this spot in the Jardin des Tuileries is one of the most romantic in Paris. Not only can you see some of her most amazing monuments in one perfect glance but if you are lucky, the sun will be setting on a perfect September night. September 7, 2016 at 20:30pm, standing in this very spot, happy laughter and French chatter all around me while friends drank wine in front of the fountain of the Tuileries, the sun had set and cast the most amazing pink glow across the sky. It was the first cloudless sunset I saw in Paris and the first that would fall behind le Tour Eiffel. In this very moment every single thing in life clicked into place like a puzzle and I fell madly in love with Paris and I found a feeling of home you can't explain to somebody until they have had the same experience. 

La Tour Eiffel

You might think that the  iconic Iron Lace Lady that stands tall over Paris that I have loved since the first time I saw her in a picture my grandpa showed me would be my favorite romantic spot in Paris. Oh it's up there as one of the top spots for so many reasons and even more that I discovered the many times I was standing in front of her and looking up.  But La Tour Eiffel has not always been loved by the city of Paris, but now you can't imagine the skyline without her and most Parisians are pretty proud to call her their own.  

Her beauty can be seen from all points of Paris, but she will disappear behind buildings and around corners to only pop right back up as a reminder that she is always close. Driving through Paris one night, not knowing the street I was on to just turn a corner and there she is, sparkling like a diamond as if to appear out of nowhere. On the hour from dusk until 1am for 5 amazing minutes, and best viewed from across the river Seine at the Jardins du Trocadéro so you can see her in all glory. 

She was built for the 1889 World's Fair and the centennial of the French Revolution. When Gustave Eiffel built what would become the greatest of Paris icons it was only to stand for 20 years. It was then used as a radio tour that helped save Paris in WWI, and then the French fell in love with her too. Couldn't imagine Paris without her and her delicate lace arches that is the epitome of style, grace and strength.  She will always be my first love when it comes to Paris and will never forget racing through the city to see her sparkle on a crisp Paris night. 

Love in the walls of the Louvre

When you walk inside the walls of the Musée du Louvre you can't miss how they are filled with paintings and statues dedicated to love. Just the pieces depicting Venus could fill a small museum on their own. Antonio Canova's Psyché ranimée par le baiser de l'Amour, 1777, is one of those breathtaking pieces that says so much. It tells the story of a young girl, Psyche being asked by Cupid's mother Venus to bring back a flask from the underworld. Curiosity got the best of Psyche... and she opened the flask and breathed in the fumes and fell into a deep sleep. Cupid found her and rushed to her side, took her into his arms and revived her with a kiss. Based on Apuleius story Metamorphoses, the story ends with Cupid and Psyche were married and she was made the goddess of the Soul. Pretty sure Cupid had to be a Frenchman with such amazing magical powers