Category: Paris

I’ve got a hunch…back

When Victor Hugo began writing his classic tale The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, his goal was to make his contemporaries more aware of the value of Gothic architecture.

There has always been a debate as to whether or not Quasimodo was based on a real person. An article published in 2010 references the memoirs of a 19th-century sculptor working at Notre Dame. The memoir mentions a stone carver employed in the cathedral’s construction who had a severe hunchback and kept to himself.

In the Disney version of events, Quasimodo is friends with the gargoyles of the Church and they talk to each other.

“To a gargoyle on the ramparts of Notre Dame as Esmeralda rides off with Gringoire Quasimodo says. “Why was I not made of stone like thee?”

More information can be found here…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunchback_of_Notre-Dame

https://theconversation.com/how-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-inspired-the-cathedrals-19th-century-revival-115614

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/british-archivist-discovers-the-real-life-quasimodo/article1388693/

by janoseagle

Our Lady of Paris

With over 70 churches in the city of Paris, it can be overwhelming to take in them all. The one that absolutely cannot be missed is Notre Dame Cathedral.

Construction began on the towering edifice in 1136 and was mostly complete by 1260.

During the French Revolution, Notre-Dame suffered extensive damage and desecration. With many of its religious art damaged or destroyed, it wasn’t until Victor Hugo published his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, that restoration efforts began.

In April of 2019, the roof of Notre-Dame caught fire and burned for 15 hours. The Cathedral will be restored to its former glory and is slated to re-open to the public in 2024.

For more information…

Notre Dame Cathedral Update

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_de_Paris

by janoseagle

Farewell Louvre

There is never enough time to fully explore the Louvre. Over 2.8 million visitors venture through it’s cavernous halls in a year. With over 380,000 objects, something is bound to be missed on your first visit.

A mere 20′ away from the Mona Lisa is this painting of “Flora”.

Paris Bordone was an Italian painter. His paintings of religious themes were created for some of the great churches of the 1500s.

Biagio d’Antonio’s painting of “The Carrying of The Cross” depicts Jesus on his way to Cavalry. In the lower right corner is a woman holding a piece of fabric with Jesus’s face on it. This is known as Veronica’s Veil. Although not mentioned in the Bible, the legend of a woman that wiped the blood and sweat off of Jesus’ face has been retold across the world. This is but one of many representations of the meeting.

In the Egyptian collection, a bronze statue of a cat is on display. This is the Goddess Bastet in her form as a feline. The Goddess certainly has her plate full. She was the Goddess of cats, the sun, the East, fire, love, intoxication, music, dancing, joy, celebration, fertility, secrets, magic, and sex, to name a few of her duties.

For more information check out these links…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil_of_Veronica

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Bordone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biagio_d%27Antonio

https://www.louvre.fr/en

by janoseagle

Galerie d’Apollon

Louis XIV was long associated with Apollo, the Greek God of the Sun. This chamber of The Sun King is richly appointed with gold embellishments.

Charles le Brun was the painter to the king and charged with designing the decorations. The ceiling is adorned with a painting of Apollo riding his chariot across the sky.

In addition to the references to Apollo, there are also 28 portrait tapestries of kings and artists who built and embellished the Louvre palace over the centuries.

by janoseagle

The King’s Bedroom

In traditional French Palace design, the King’s bedchamber was the main feature of the king’s apartments.

During the Ancien Regime, the late Middle Ages until the French Revolution. Placed significant emphasis to the King’s bed. Instead of sitting on a throne, the king would lounge in his ornate bed.

by janoseagle

Sprinting Through The Louvre

A trip to Paris should include a trip to the World Famous Louvre Museum. Planning ahead is crucial to your enjoyment. When we visited in April, we purchased our tickets ahead of time. This gave us a set time that we could enter the Museum.

Tip#1: Don’t queue up to enter the Glass Pyramid. Instead, look for Carrousel de Louvre. If you are facing the Gardens, go through the building on your right. This will take out to the street where you can find the entrance to the Louvre. This is an underground shopping mall and takes you right under the Glass Pyramid. There was no line, but we had to wait for our designated time.

Tip#2: Do your homework and know what you want to see. The Louvre is Massive! Our highlights included Mona Lisa, Venus deMilo and Winged Victory.

The Line for Mona can be very long.

And when you actually get close enough, she can be underwhelming. The official name of this work of art is “La Gioconda”

Just a month after our visit, a protestor smeared a piece of cake on the glass protecting the Mona Lisa. Unfortunately, she has had her share of mayhem

by janoseagle