The thinker, 1902, by Rodin is one of his most well-known works. The Rodin museum is one of my favourite museums (musea?). Situated near the Invalides, in Rodin’s old house, in the middle of a huge garden by Paris standards, it has long been one of our favourite strolls. The B&W pictures I took in…
Beach police? Seriously? The FBI wasn’t invented yet. But bureaucrats were alive and kicking. I wonder whether this beach is on the Potomac, in D.C. See the obelisk in the background? (Source unknown) Beers of the world series. Colombia, a while back. Loos of the world series. Tandoor restaurant, Mexico city. Last time we had…
1937. Civil war is raging in Spain. Volunteers from all over the world run to Spain to enlist in the International brigades. War is sinister. Civil war is “sinisterer”. Friends against friends. Neihbours against neighbours. Brothers against brothers. On April 26, 1937, the little town of Guernica in Spain, between Bilbao and San Sebastian, is…
“Garnier, have you seen Lakshmi?” “No, Doudart,” I said. “I haven’t. Who is Lakshmi?” “How can you possibly not have seen her?” Doudart asked. “She walks the compound all night. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen!” “Doudart, my friend, Lakshmi is an Indian name. We’re in China, in Yunnan. Don’t you remember? This…
A portrait of Frida Kahlo at Diego Rivera’s house in San Angel, Mexico city. Study in yellow, Diego’s house. Sculpture by Alberto de la Vega, 1966. Hmm. Rivera died in 1957, so what is that doing there? Portrait of Dolores Olmedo by Diego Rivera. 1955. Dolores Olmedo (1908-2002) was a Mexican entrepreneur and patron of…
I could start with a small Renoir. Emil Bührle collection at the Maillol museum. 2019. Claude Monet in his workshop at Giverny. The workshop has remained very much the same. The paintings have been replaced by – very good – copies. Most of the originals are at Orsay I believe. “Love your world”. Latin quarter,…
Angkor Vat means, in Khmer: “the capital that became a Buddhist monastery”. The temples of Angkor are a blend between Hinduism and Buddhism. The faces carved out everywhere? I am not sure whether they represent Brahma or Buddha. Or one then the other. A good example of Asian capacity of “Fusion”. The jungle reclaims the…
This is not a virus. It is an alebrije. Mexico City. Around February when one could still go to a restaurant for a family lunch. 🍺 Machu Picchu, 1976. (c) my wife. Before we met. Machu Picchu is still on my bucket list. Found these old slides in a box this summer. Bought a new…
Dora Maar by Dora Maar. Paris. Mid 30’s. Amazing expo at Pompidou, July 2019. Dora Maar, born Henriette Dora Markowitch in Paris in 1907, was a French photographer and artist who rose to fame in the 30’s. She knew only the best players of the time. Unfairly “catalogued” as “just one” of Picasso’s many lovers,…
Andiamo. Let’s go. “Andiamo” is possibly the first Italian word I ever learnt… Italian is a bit of a mystery to me. Never took a single class. Never lived in Italy. My parents had a few Italian friends in West Africa. I remember Ambassador Sciascia. Who spoke perfect French. Did I pick Italian in the…
