There are statues and sculptures aplenty in Luxembourg Garden, including replica of the Statue of Liberty. Random information of the day: the Statue of Liberty is French by nationality, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and brought to life by Gustave Eiffel, who was assisted by Maurice Koechlin. The completed statue was disassembled and shipped in crates across the ocean before being reassembled – the latter took some six months for the erection to be completed.
Back to the sculpture above. Named “Faune dansant” (i.e. dancing faun), this sculpture of merriment and music can be found close to the site of the Medici Fountain in Luco. Despite the name, the depiction is really that of a satyr rather than a faun, which is half goat, half human. In mythology, satyrs are pipe-carrying and dance-loving creatures. Looking at this sculpture, I half expect woodwind tunes to fill the air, so I can close my eyes and twirl to the melody.
As you may have noticed, most of my exploration of Paris so far has been on the Left Bank (“Rive Gauche” as we call it here). Today is no difference. Well, it is weekday and there’s a limit of how much distance I can cover after work. Inevitably, it’ll be somewhere nearby that I can get to, easily, on foot.
This door on rue Monsieur Le Prince has a lovely sense of perspective and depth to it. The door was cleverly carved in the way it looks nearly three-dimensional, and felt quite the same way too. It was not a simple flat carving by any mean. To me, this is no longer just the front to a building. It is a work of art in its own right.
Métro stations in Paris have their own characters. Certain stations are cultural, e.g. if you’re at Louvre-Rivoli, you’ll see casings with “artefacts” to reflect the fact that you’re at the station for Musée du Louvre (although I assume the items are replica rather than the real deal); certain stations are under renovation works (these are not that interesting); certain stations get thematic advertisement series, like this one.
Odéon has been given the creative advertisement treatment this week. Walking along the platform, the faces of the kids looking surprised, astonished, delighted, gleeful and all, it pulled me in right away and I knew I had to act fast. One minute before my train arrived and off I scrambled, searching for my camera in my bag. Reviewing the photos at home, the posters are marked with “Ce qu’il/elle a vu? Regardez le quai d’en face” – “What did he/she see? Look at the opposing platform”.
Don’t ask me what were the advertisement posters on my side of the platform. I didn’t pay any attention at all.
From time to time, photo exhibitions are held along the fence of Jardin du Luxembourg. In conjunction with International Women’s Day a couple of weeks ago, the French Senate together with Olivier Martel brought forth “Femmes Éternelles”, an exhibition of 80 portraits of women from all over the world, with scenes from daily lives to ceremonial events. I have been over to look at them a number of times at this stage. What can I say? I really like them.
One particular photo that touched me most is that of mother and child in hospital, taken in 1987. The baby was living inside a bubble and yet laughing so joyously, a look reflected in the mother’s visage, despite what must have been poignant that she could not yet held her baby close to her without the barrier but keeping her morale high that this would be the good start the child needed. It is a powerful image, even if not as colourful or exotic as other shots of the series.
The exhibition runs until 15 June 2011, and if you can’t make it to Paris between now and then, you can still enjoy the photos from Martel’s website. Which photo inspires you most?
I happily took a detour today from my usual route after work, just so I can grab a photo of this fountain that can be found adjacent to the RER station of Port Royal. It has a couple other names, including Fontaine des Quatre-Parties-du-Monde (Fountain of the Four Parts/Corners of the World) and Fontaine Carpeaux (named after the sculptor). The four corners of the world, represented by female figures, are Asia, Europe, America and Africa. You should also be able to see the symbols of the 12 zodiac around the “equator” of the globe upheld by the figures.
The sculpture itself is facing towards the observatory referred to in its name. From the Luxembourg Garden, one should be able to look southward from the central pond, and have uninterrupted view of the fountain and the observatory. Paris Meridian can be found at the observatory, which today, is still one of the largest astronomical centre in the world.
The beauty of obtaining a researcher’s studio apartment in Cité U lies in the fact that not only I have a roof over my head, I also do not have to deal with utility companies and waiting for internet connection. Moreover, the apartment is furnished (unlike most of Parisian rentals that tend to come unfurnished), buying me some time to select additional household items to help make me feel more at home.
It is with envy that I looked at these lovely copper pots outside a restaurant at Place St André des Arts. I currently have a meagre one pot to use, and am shopping around for my own set pots and pans. Not copper ones though – they’re a bit out of my budget. Tefal, however, I could still splurge out for.
Ps1: I am doing something right! A man was staring at me on the RER today and when he caught my eyes, he gave me a smile and thumbs up for my purchase from Patrick Roger. I guess we know good chocolate when we taste one. ;)
Ps2: I am really thankful to Anne and Sandrine who threw a lovely “Bienvenue à Paris” party this evening. I also get to see other friends of theirs whom I spent a weekend with in La Baule a couple of years ago. Fun reunion :D
I flew in to Paris this morning for a short 48 hours trip. As a thick layer of cloud shrouded the sky (the view during the flight was very impressive) over north of France, it was inevitably a grey and coooold day in Paris. Nonetheless, I find myself on a stroll around the Latin Quarter for a couple of hours in the evening before heading to Anne’s for dinner.
I’ve barely crossed the road from Place St Michel towards rue St André-des-Arts when this trompe-l’œil materialised before my eyes. The hues matched so beautifully, yet the painted reflection of the window revealed a season that is definitely not winter. Afterall, the trees outside are currently pretty bare. I should revisit in a few months for a follow up photo.
