Another Lavirotte building

I have several times talked about “art nouveau” (Guimard and others). A couple of months ago, I made a post on « Ceramic buildings », presenting among others two buildings by one of the foremost “art nouveau” architects, Jules Lavirotte (1864-1928) (Example from Avenue Rapp on the left).

Very close to the large and nice Parc Monceau and its spectacular gates, on Avenue Messine (8th arrdt.), we can find another example of a Lavirotte building.

This one which has been recently renovated is some six years younger than the ones I showed last time and is not so “extreme” in its design (1907); the “art nouveau” had possibly already passed its fashion peak. There is not any coloured ceramic anymore but you can still find some rather extravagant glazed earthenware and some typical ironworks on the balconies.
The “signatures” of the architect and the sculptor responsible for the decorations are very typical for “art nouveau”,

... so is the mosaic street address.

You can find some of the pictures on my photo blog.











Extra news

Although I’m a happy metro user and walk a lot, I decided to invest in an additional means of locomotion. This is a modern version of the Solex, very popular in France in the 50’s and 60’s. Today’s version is electrically powered and is designed by Pininfarina.

Grands Boulevards (3)

Time for the last part of the Grand Boulevards, including the Boulevards des Italiens, des Capucines and de la Madeleine. (See maps on previous posts.)

This boulevard changed name several times, but the present name comes from the “Opéra Italienne”, now called the “Opéra Comique”, a theatre created at the end of the 18th century and mostly used for lighter type of operas, operettas… From the boulevard you only see the back side of this theatre.

In the upper part of Boulevard des Italiens you find some bank buildings, including the headquarters of Crédit Lyonnais (LCL). The building, enormous when it was built at the end of the 19th century, was seriously damaged by fire in 1996, but restored. Among other things you can admire the clock on the façade.Another building here, today also occupied by a bank, called Maison Dorée (the Golden Building) housed during the second half of the 18th century the most exclusive and expensive Paris restaurant, visited by kings and all kinds of prominent personalities. Here was also held the last impressionist exposition in 1886 (for the first one see further down) and the first “art nouveau” exhibition in 1895.

At the end of Boulevard des Italiens and the beginning of Boulevard des Capucines, you will find a concentration of cinemas and restaurants, including one of the typical Paris brassieres which remain open all year, 7/7, 24/24, Le Grand Café des Capucines, opened in 1875. Do you feel for some nice oysters at 5 p.m. or 5 a.m.?To continue on Boulevard des Capucines we will first cross the Place de L’Opéra with a view of Opéra Garnier to the right and Rue de la Paix and Place Vendôme to the left. We will find the Grand Hôtel with Café de la Paix.Further down Boulevard Boulevard Capucines, at no. 14, downstairs, in 1895, the Lumière brothers made their first paying audience to what can be considered as the debut of the cinema and shortly later Roentgen demonstrated his invention of X-rays.

At no. 35, in 1874, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Cézanne, Morisot, Degas, Monet… organised their own exhibition with few visitors. The Monet painting “Impressions…” gave the name to the movement “Impressionism”.

Close to here you have also the oldest, still existing, and most famous music hall in Paris, Olympia, opened in 1889 by a Mr. Oller, who also created Moulin Rouge. Among the performers here: Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Bécaud, Amalia Rodrigues, Céline Dion, Judy Garland, Led Zeppelin, Petula Clark, Luciano Pavarotti, Dionne Warwick, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Jackson 5…

We have now reached the end of the Grands Boulevards and, after a short walk on Boulevard de la Madeleine, we will find the Madeleine Church with a view of Rue Royale and Place de la Concorde.

The impressionists made several paintings around the boulevards. Here you can see a Renoir from Boulevard des Italiens and a Monet from Boulevard des Capucines.

Happy walk during the weekend! See you Monday!

As usual, you will find some of these pictures on my photo blog.

Sunday afternoon...

Today I had the intention – and had yesterday started to prepare - a post on the Grands Boulevards, as promised. However, I decided to make a short break and first report on my Sunday.

We decided after lunch to meet with children and grandchildren in front of the Grand (Ferris) Wheel which was temporarily installed on Place de la Concorde, just in front of the Tuileries Gardens, a couple of weeks before Christmas. It will be dismantled today, as well as – quite late – the Christmas decorations on the Champs Elysées. We had first a walk in the Tuileries Gardens. Both Paloma (now five years) and Mattias (now 16 months) were happy to be able to walk and run around freely. After a warm chocolate (and coffee for me), and the daylight disappearing, we decided to make a tour on the wheel. This gave me the opportunity to take a photo of the Champs Elysées in the opposite direction, compared to the one I recently took from the Arch of Triumph. When leaving the family, starting to walk, I stopped at the Madeleine Church (five minutes from Place de la Concorde), as I was surprised by a small demonstration with banners and torches organised in honour of the poor King Louis XVI, who was guillotined on Place de la Concorde 215 years ago (January 21st, 1793). There are still some fervent royalists around! Some of these pictures can be found on my photo blog.

Tomorrow we will start the walk along the Grands Boulevards… promised!

Place de l'Etoile - Arch of Triumph (bis)

I’m continuing my post from yesterday.

The decision to build the world’s biggest Arch of Triumph was – of course - taken by Napoleon I, but it took some 30 years before it was at last completed in 1836, with delays and modifications due to different changes of regime in France.

The construction is extremely heavy (about 50 000 tons), something like five times as heavy as the Eiffel Tower. It’s 50 meters high.

The Arch was finally dedicated to the army victories during the French revolution and the following Napoleon wars. It has today become a more general symbolic place for all kinds of national events, e.g. the celebrations of the end of the two World Wars. The 14th July parade has the Arch as a starting point (direction Place de la Concorde). Most state visits include posing of flowers on the grave of the Unknown Soldier, who is buried here since 1923.

When it was getting darker (and even colder) I took some photos of what you can see around (see also the top picture).

When again down I could not resist and took a further shot of the Christmas illuminated Champs Elysées… … and of course some pictures of the Arch itself. I then went for a warming coffee… and discovered again the Arch.

Some of these photos can also be seen on my photo blog.

I have some repeated connectivity problems. If I'm not visiting your respective blogs in the usual way, please excuse me. The service provider should (again) visit me Friday.

Place de l'Etoile - Arch of Triumph

So far, with my different posts about Paris, I have very little talked about the more famous landmarks, thinking that they are known anyhow. I will now make an exception and talk about the Arch of Triumph at the Place de l’Etoile.

In a certain way, I chose the wrong day and hour to visit the Arch – Monday late afternoon / evening; it was the coldest and windiest day since long, the daylight was fading away…

Anyhow, I walked up the some 300 steps (there is a lift, but only available for officially physically handicapped people which I’m not - yet). I took some pictures in all directions. Due to the fading light, the photos are blue.

Place de l’Etoile is a meeting point for 12 avenues, which of course explains its name, the “Star Place”. Officially, it was renamed in 1970 in honour of Charles de Gaulle.

Between each avenue there is a “hôtel particulier” (private residence), today of course rather occupied by offices. The place exists in different forms since 1670 and is today 240 meters wide (perfect circle). The Arch came some 200 years later.

L’Etoile is one point on the “historical axe” between the Louvre and the new office centre (la Défense) with another Arch-like office building which can be seen at the horizon of the Avenue de la Grande Armée…

The place was modified to give the Arch of Triumph a dignified surrounding. The “hôtels particuliers”, all in the same design, are from about the same date as the Arch (1836). Some of the avenues got their final and prolonged layout during the latter part of the 19th century (Haussmann again).

… This is now already too long. I will continue tomorrow!

Some more night shots

Before I leave for Sweden (I will hopefully be back and able to post again December 13), here are some more night shots. Two from Place de la Concorde, one of the Champs Elysées and one of the roof of the Grand Palais (along the Champs Elysées). It was raining and I took the photos with my trembling hands… Anyhow.

See you (rather) soon!!

It is (not yet) Christmas!

No ‘still painting” posts any more! The flat is now (almost) ready to receive the furniture. I have finished my part this weekend, but my son and his wife are still busy refreshing the wooden floors…

Late Friday evening I took a walk around the city to check some of the Christmas decorations – just installed.

The two department stores, Au Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, situated very close to each other on the same street, Boulevard Haussmann (8th arrdt.), are of course competitors, including e.g. who has the nicest glass dome (see my post June 26), but of course also right now who has the nicest “Christmas dress” and the most nicely decorated shop windows. The top picture is one of these windows. You can find some of these pictures on my photo blog.

Glass domes

A number of the Paris buildings from the beginning of the 20th century have some fantastic glass domes, or “cupolas”. Some of them are easy to see and take pictures of, some less. Here I show some examples which most of you may have seen, but perhaps not all of you have paid your highest attention to. These photos are taken at the department stores Les Galeries Lafayette (the first five below and the one on top) and Le Printemps (the three other ones).

Both these department stores started their activities in the late 19th century, but the present buildings are basically from the beginning of last century. The Galeries Lafayette dome was created in 1912 and the Le Printemps one in 1923.

These department stores are neighbors on Boulevard Haussmann. Just across the street, there is an old bank office, also with a fantastic glass dome. I took some pictures also there, but was kindly, but firmly, asked by some guards to delete them. If you want to see also this dome, you must go there.

The photos from this patchwork - and some more - can be seen on my other blog, "Peter - photos".

What time is it? (2) - A sun-dial

There are some landmarks which could serve as sun-dials. The obelisk on Place de la Concorde is one of them. The obelisk, which was transported to France and erected here with the great technical difficulties that you can imagine, in 1836, is one of the two that were given to (not quite “stolen by”) France. Fortunately, one of the pair finally remained where it should be, in Egypt and in front of the Ramses II Luxor temple.

Just before World War I, someone came up with the idea to use this needle to create a sun-dial, but because of the war the idea was never finalised. The same idea came up just before World War II, with the same result. And, then again in 1999, there was a new try.

I recently happened to read about this sun-dial idea. I had never noticed it, so I went back to check. Looking on the pavement, the result doesn't seem very satisfactory. The lines which have been traced seem not to have resisted very well, are hardly visible and - at least according to my watch - the time indicated was not correct, even taking into account the “summer time” and the one hour difference.

Maybe the whole thing should at last be done properly? ... and what about the Eiffel tower?

There is also a small mystery: Along one of the lines, obviously from the second try in 1938, there is a small copper plate with the inscription “Au levant de Thèbes surgit à Paris le Nord”, which is difficult to translate or even to understand in French. I managed to find a blog, where some experts have tried to interpret the text. There could possibly be a reference to the rising of Thebes and the (more recent) rising of Paris in the north, but no clear explanation seems to have been found. Maybe you can come up with it?