Another Paris stroll

“Somos guerreros”. We are warriors. Rue de l’Ourcq. Paris. I was puzzled by the jaguar theme, very much “A Mexican in Paris”, sans Gene Kelly, until I edited the picture and saw the signature. Sadly I couldn’t find the artist on Boogle.

Daphnis and Chloé by Carpeaux (1827-1873). Carpeaux is the author of “The Dance” on the façade of the Opera. A major sculptor of the 19th century. This work is at the petit Palais. (If I haven’t mixed my notes up)

L‘avare. The miser. A classic by Molière, eventually played by Louis de Funés (1914-1983) a popular French actor of the 50’s to 80’s.

Liberté. Rue de l’Ourcq. Paris, summer ’21.

Geographic society, Boulevard Saint-Germain. The oldest Geographic Society ever founded in the world. 1821. Two hundred years old. Wow. The society is still active.

This is a real hotel. “Nesle” remits to old French History and Alexandre Dumas. I even entered the hotel and asked to take more pictures… (Can’t find the bloody pix. Must be wrongly filed somewhere…) Near Saint-Germain, Paris.

“Great yellow nude, a tribute to Gauguin”, by Maillol. The model is likely to be Dina Vierny. Musée Maillol, Paris.

Banksy was here. The only Banksy I actually saw “in the flesh”, a commemoration of the protests of May ’68 in Paris. When I saw it, in 2019, it had already been damaged. City Hall had placed a plastic protection… Alas! Banksys don’t last long.

Here’s a copy of the original at a Banksy expo. (Staff at the expo told me they had the stencils…) (Can I have one?) ☝️

“No! No! Why would anyone steal a Banksy?”. Maillol, Tuileries gardens. Just saw the same Maillol statue at the Met… Very different setting.

“Pied de nez”. Literally, a foot of a nose. A thumb up the nose would be an approximate translation. Part of an interesting street art series around Saint-Germain. A Botticelli thumb/foot up the nose.

Assemblée Nationale (Congress), the south entrance. The Blue, White and Red flag of the Republic, with Louis XIVth monograms and a Napoleon fresco of Victory in the centre… Quite a synthesis of France. I’m not sure Macron understands. What? History for starters. Not much of anything actually.

Montmartre. The artists call themselves “Ensemble réel”. It can mean “truly together”, or a “true whole”. They’re two brothers, one left-handed, the other right-handed. A mirror image. Fascinating.

“Mont Saint-Michel fog and sun”, by Signac. 1897. Let’s recall Signac and Seurat were the founders of “pointillisme”.

“Mont Saint-Michel, ‘sans’ fog.” By yours truly, mid 80’s. Haven’t gone back since… Darn!

Daphné transformed into a laurel tree to escape Apollo’s “harassment”. By Adam the young, 1753. Just a “simple” decoration of a private home… (Musée Carnavalet) Laurel is a very important cooking ingredient. Do remember that, the next time you use laurel. (Which I will in a little while)

Can you read the numbers left and right?

If you read any number other than 83 and 63, we suggest you come back to the store during opening hours and get spectacles.

Thank you again for flying Equinoxio Airways. Working on a series of New York posts. No guarantee it will be this year though. A bientôt. Y’all be good naw ye hear.