Window Wednesday

 

The Pyramide du Louvre.

 

Twosome Tuesday

 

A place to embrace.

 

Sitting Saturday

 Sitting as an art form, across the street from the Louvre.

Mona Monday

Paris Purrrfect: The famous smile finally explained.

 

Mona Monday

 

 

But isn't she supposed to be in the Louvre?

 

 Da Vinci Hotel & Spa

25 rue des Saints-Pères 75006

 

Sibling Sunday

 

 

Caïn venant de tuer son frère Abel - Cain After Killing His Brother Abel

 

***

 

This riveting sculpture in the autumn-kissed Jardin des Tuileries was created by French artist Henri Vidal in 1896 and depicts the biblical figure Cain in extreme despair after murdering his brother Abel out of profound jealousy, as described in the Book of Genesis, the first recorded act of fratricide in Judeo-Christian scripture. - BPJ

Mirror Monday

 

 

A mirror in a café near the Louvre reflects its royal roots, an ancient palace turned into a museum.

 

***

 

This mirror is a tribute to Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, a.k.a. Molière, the 17th-century French funnyman who had King Louis XIV in stitches at the Palais du Louvre, just a short strut from his troupe’s base at the Comédie-Française. With his razor-sharp wit, Molière’s plays like Tartuffe and The Misanthrope skewered the pompous hypocrites and fawning courtiers buzzing around the Sun King’s court, leaving audiences roaring and, legend has it, the king himself slapping his royal knee. It seems Molière was a master at poking fun without ever turning his quill on Louis. The Comédie-Française was the perfect stage for Molière’s troupe to dazzle audiences, cementing his reputation as the king’s go-to entertainer, a comedic genius who could roast the elite while staying in royal favor.

The theater’s proximity to the Louvre made it easy for Molière to stage private shows at the palace when summoned. Historical records, like those of the court’s Menus Plaisirs (royal entertainment accounts), confirm Molière’s frequent performances at the Louvre’s grand halls or Versailles’ gardens, tailored to Louis’ tastes, while public shows stayed at the Comédie-Française for the broader audience.

Molière’s favor with Louis is well-documented: he was granted a royal pension and protection from critics, suggesting the king relished the playwright’s knack for exposing sycophants without crossing the line. The proximity of the Comédie-Française to the Louvre (still true today) made it a breeze for Molière to pop over and keep the Sun King chuckling, ensuring his troupe thrived under royal patronage. - BPJ

 

 

Fish Friday

Just a 5-minute walk from the Louvre a restaurant that feels like a Tokyo fish market.

Above: an eel keeps company next to a customer's table

 Kodawari Ramen

12 rue de Richelieu 75002

  

Museum Monday

 

A bride stands before the largest painting in the Louvre, Les Noces de Cana, The Wedding at Cana, by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588).

 

Sit-down Saturday

In the open courtyard of the Louvre Museum.

 

Fish Friday

 

Smoked salmon atop avocado tartines are front and center for a Friday evening apéro - but first, a couple of Pimms, French style. 

Le Fumoir - off rue de Rivoli near Louvre Museum

 

 

Throwback Thursday

 

 

From recent Iris Van Herpen exhibition at Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

 

 

House of Van Herpen

 

 

This extraordinary Dutch fashion designer has been hailed as a "visionary" whose "creations merge pioneering techniques and luxurious materials, often evoking a sense of avant-garde wonder."
 
 IRIS VAN HERPEN

"Sculpting the Senses"

Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107 rue de Rivoli 75001

 Ends April 28, 2024

 

 

Mona Monday

 Mona peeks out from an eyewear shop on the Left Bank.

 

Mona Monday

A painting of La Jaconde, closer to the size viewers expect to see.

 

Le Tricolore

 

Into the weekend with a shot of planes over the Pyramide du Louvre on Bastille Day, July 14.

Fake news

Napoléon Bonaparte was shrewdly aware of the impact of images, and would commission paintings depicting him in scenes that never quite happened that way, for posterity, as well as prosperity: he ensured that his story endured positively, bringing prosperity to his reputation and the Bonaparte family's influence; his nephew later became emperor. - BPJ
.

Top:

Napoléon Visiting the Plague-Stricken in Jaffa (Antoine-Jean Gros) - During The Egyptian Campaign Napoléon's troops contracted the deadly, and highly contagious, Black Plague, decimating their numbers. But Napoléon wanted history to remember him as a loving leader willing to touch their open sores, risking his own life.

Bottom:

 Napoléon on the Battlefield at Eylau (Antoine-Jean Gros) - This painting of the French army's bloody victory in eastern Prussia detracts from the humiliating defeat to come during the harsh winter. In this painting Napoléon had the artist portray him as a much-adored compassionate hero whose (handsome) officers and soldiers attend to (grizzly) wounded Prussians.

 

Below:

The Coronation of Napoléon (Jacques-Louis David) - Napoleon's mother, seated on a throne under green curtains in the middle of the painting, was not there. Other on-purpose inaccuracies also occur in this painting which took place in Notre Dame Cathedral and is supposed to reflect an actual historical event.

 

Musée du Louvre

 

Self isolated

 

A woman at a café table in the Louvre courtyard.

Louvre-ing

In the grand courtyard of the Louvre on a sunny day in February.

Leonardo

Last days for the Leonardo di Vinci exhibition at the Musée du Louvre.

- Ends February 24 -

Below: The Last Supper