Forum des Halles

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Vue générale (General view)
Forum des Halles
Quartier des Halles, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Forum des Halles, a partially underground multiple story commercial and shopping centre, designed by Claude Vasconi and Georges Pencreac'h, opened at the east end of the site on 4 September 1979 in the presence of the Mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac. A public garden covering 4 hectares (9.9 acres) opened in 1986. Many of the surrounding streets were pedestrianized. The demolition of Baltard's market hall structure and the design of the spaces that replaced it proved highly controversial over the subsequent decades. The critic Oliver Wainwright called the razing ‘one of the worst acts of urban vandalism of the century’, and that the place became a ‘national embarrassment’ with the park ‘a magnet for drug dealing’. Historian Donato Severo called the events ‘the most violent act ever committed against the heritage of Paris’, with architect Lloyd Alter adding that the replacement complex was ‘nearly universally reviled for its mean spirit’.” (Les Halles, Wikipedia)

Le cylindre à Totos

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Le cylindre à Totos by Jofo (Jean-François Duplantier), 1995
Forum des Halles
Quartier des Halles, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“‘The cylinder for totos’ was designed and produced by the Bordeaux painter Jofo in response to the artistic commission of the GIE of the Forum des Halles as part of the ‘Paris-ci, par là’ operation. Playful and pop-art, the game of finding ‘the one who looks most like you’ among 220 cartoon characters has become, over time, an essential work of art in the heart of the capital. Jofo's black and white artwork blends perfectly with the two-tone curves of the Vasconi and Pencréac'h buildings. The portrait gallery located on the upper square of the Forum will thus contribute to slightly changing the negative image of this large shopping center, which is not particularly popular with Parisians but is very popular with residents of the Île-de-France region and tourists.” (Le cylindre à Totos, Cylindre à Jofo)

Galeries

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Galeries du forum des Halles Forum des Halles
Quartier des Halles, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Rue Mondétour

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Résidence du Forum des Halles
Rue Mondétour
Quartier des Halles, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Terrasses

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Terrasses du forum des Halles
Forum des Halles
Quartier des Halles, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Le Grand Assistant

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“Le Grand Assistant” by Max Ernst
Rue Rambuteau / rue Brantôme
Quartier de l'Horloge, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“Art in Paris is not limited to the collections exhibited in museums. It is everywhere, and many masterpieces can be discovered during walks. But not all of them are showcased. This is particularly the case with a work of art installed opposite Beaubourg, in the very busy rue Rambuteau: the Grand Assistant by Max Ernst. A work that practically no passer-by notices! Offered to the Center Pompidou following a donation from the artist in 1975, the work has been presented since 1996 perched on a plinth in rue Rambuteau, at the intersection of rue de Brantôme, in the 3rd arrondissement. Half-man, half-bird seeming to be preparing for an improbable flight, the German artist Max Ernst (1891-1976) described him as Humanoid when it was produced in 1967. German painter and sculptor born in Brühl in 1891, major figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements, Max Ernst settled for the first time in Paris in 1913. Back in Germany, he experimented new creative techniques, such as rubbing, and produced collages, then tried sculpture from 1930. The bird was moreover one of the most recurring motifs in the abundant work of Max Ernst, fascinated by its symbolism, as the base of the rue Rambuteau refers to its function as a totem in Amerindian civilizations. His polymorphic work, composed of oddities that resist the eye and play with interpretations, is today recognized as one of the most important of the 20th century. An artistic production that spans more than 70 years, almost half of which has been spent in France and Paris. Naturalized French in 1958, Max Ersnt died in Paris in April 1976. His ashes rest in the Père-Lachaise columbarium. The work visible on rue Rambuteau is a copy of the original kept in the collections of the Pierre Gianadda Foundation, in Switzerland. A replica is also visible in Amboise, offered by the artist to its mayor, Michel Debré, for having helped him in his naturalization procedures.” (The work of art in the heart of Paris that no one notices, Un Jour de Plus à Paris)

Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs

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Église Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs (Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs)
Rue Saint-Martin
Quartier des Arts-et-Métiers, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Church of Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs (literally, St Nicholas-in-the-Fields) is a Catholic church in Paris' Third arrondissement. Early parts of the church, including the west front, built 1420–1480, are in the Flamboyant Gothic style, while later portions, including the south portal, mostly built 1576–86, are examples of French Renaissance architecture. It is notable particularly for its Renaissance carved sculpture, decoration and large collection of French Renaissance paintings in the interior. The first chapel was constructed at the end of the 11th century by the monks of the Priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, a Benedictine monastery, as a church for the servants of the abbey. The abbey at this time was one of the most important in France; it was called ‘the third daughter of Cluny’, after Cluny Abbey in Burgundy, the monastery responsible for the order's Cluniac reforms. It is located next to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, a museum of industrial arts and crafts, which occupies the site of the original Priory of Saint Martin, and preserves a portion of the old monastery.” (Saint-Nicolas-des-Champs, Wikipedia)

Cadran solaire

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Cadran solaire (sundial)
Rue des Archives, Le Marais
Quartier des Archives, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Achat de Chevaux

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Ancienne boucherie chevaline (Former horse butcher's shop)
Rue du Roi-de-Sicile, Marais
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

L'arbre et la fontaine

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“L'arbre et la fontaine” (The Tree and the fountain)
Rue de la Verrerie
Quartier Saint-Gervais, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Héloïse and Abélard

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Maison d'Héloïse et Abélard (House of Héloïse and Abélard)
Quai aux Fleurs, Île de la Cité
Quartier Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“Mythical couple of the medieval era, symbol of free love and impossible passion, the story of Héloïse and Abelard has always inspired art and culture. And it was in Paris that this love story largely played out, from the slopes of the Sainte-Geneviève mountain to the former student quarter of the cloister of Notre-Dame. Between stroll and history, follow in the footsteps of the most famous lovers of the Middle Ages. It was first as a student that Abelard became known in Paris. Arriving from his native Brittany, he was around 20 years old when he entered the Île de la Cité to take classes at the Notre-Dame college. At the beginning of the 12th century, being a student means endlessly discussing theses and hypotheses. Confident in his knowledge, he quickly confronted the greatest masters of the time, overturning the usual codes of dialectic. In a few months, Abelard quickly made a name for himself, and became master. A canon of Notre-Dame, Fulbert, invited the philosopher to his home to instruct his young niece, Héloïse, who was promised a great intellectual future. Abelard had already noticed the young lady during his walks in the narrow streets around the cathedral, whose beauty matched her intelligence. ‘The books were open, but more words of love than philosophy were mixed into the lessons, more kisses than explanations’, Abelard recounted. At number 9-11 of the Quai aux Fleurs, on the Ile de la Cité, is the location of these first loves between a professor and his student, between a philosopher and the daughter of a monk… A concentrate of forbidden and impossible love. The revenge of Fulbert, who one day surprised them in the girl’s bedroom, will be at the height of the scandal. One day while Abelard was sleeping, three men immobilized him and castrated him. An event which also took place on the Île de la Cité. The current building dates from 1849.” (In the footsteps of Héloïse and Abelard, Un Jour de Plus à Paris)

Sainte-Chapelle

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Le Sainte-Chapelle (The Holy Chapel)
Boulevard du Palais
Île de la Cité
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Bird houses

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Marché aux fleurs et aux oiseaux
Place Louis Lépine
Île de la Cité
Quartier Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Marché aux fleurs Reine-Elizabeth-II is a flower market in Paris. It was formerly known as the Marché aux fleurs et aux oiseaux Cité but was renamed for Queen Elizabeth II after a state visit in 2014. It sells caged birds on Sundays but this trade has been forbidden on the grounds of animal welfare and so is expected to cease after a period of renovation and reorganisation scheduled from 2023 to 2025.” (Marché aux fleurs Reine-Elizabeth-II, Wikipedia)

Cité

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Cité metro station entrance
Place Louis Lépine
Île de la Cité
Quartier Notre-Dame, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“Cité is a metro station on Line 4 of the Paris Métro in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Cité station lies underneath the Île de la Cité, one of two islands on the Seine within the historical boundaries of Paris. In relation to the rest of the city, it lies within the 4th arrondissement, near Kilometre Zero, the official geographical and historical centre of Paris. The only station on the Île de la Cité, it lies near many famous landmarks, the most famous being the Notre-Dame de Paris (Cathedral of Notre Dame). To the west are the Sainte-Chapelle chapel and the Palace of Justice, while Notre Dame and the Hôtel-Dieu are to the east.” (Cité station, Wikipedia)

Lampadaire

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Lampadaire (street lamp)
Palais de Justice de Paris
Boulevard du Palais
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Chapelle haute

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Stained glass windows
Chapelle haute (Upper Chapel)
Le Sainte-Chapelle (The Holy Chapel)
Boulevard du Palais
Île de la Cité
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Salle des hommes d'armes

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Salle des hommes d'armes (Hall of the Men-at-arms) Conciergerie

Boulevard du Palais
Île de la Cité
Quartier Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, 1st arrondissement

“The Conciergerie (English: Lodge) is a former courthouse and prison in Paris, France, located on the west of the Île de la Cité, below the Palais de Justice. It was originally part of the former royal palace, the Palais de la Cité, which also included the Sainte-Chapelle. Two large medieval halls remain from the royal palace. During the French Revolution, 2,780 prisoners, including Marie-Antoinette, were imprisoned, tried and sentenced at the Conciergerie, then sent to different sites to be executed by the guillotine. It is now a national monument and museum.” (Conciergerie, Wikipedia)

Le Train Bleu

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“Le Train Bleu” (The Blue Train)
Paris-Gare-de-Lyon
Place Louis-Armand
Quartier des Quinze-Vingts, 12th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

SNCF TGV Atlantique

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SNCF TGV Atlantique
Paris-Gare-de-Lyon
Place Louis-Armand
Quartier des Quinze-Vingts, 12th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The TGV Atlantique (TGV-A) is a class of high-speed trains used in France by SNCF; they were built by Alstom between 1988 and 1992, and were the second generation of TGV trains, following on from the TGV Sud-Est. 105 bi-current sets, numbered 301-405, were built for the opening of the LGV Atlantique. Entry into service began in 1989. They are 237.5 m (779 ft) long and 2.904 m (9 ft 6.3 in) wide. They weigh 444 t (437 long tons; 489 short tons), and are made up of two power cars and ten carriages with a total of 485 seats. They were built for a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) with 8,800 kW (11,801 hp) total power under 25 kV.” (SNCF TGV Atlantique, Wikipedia)

La Mort et L'Oiseau de feu

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La Mort (Death) - L'Oiseau de feu (The Firebird)
Fontaine Stravinsky (Stravinsky Fountain)
By Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, 1983
Place Igor-Stravinsky
Quartier Saint-Merri, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

L'Oiseau de feu

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L'Oiseau de feu (The Firebird)
Fontaine Stravinsky (Stravinsky Fountain)
By Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, 1983
Place Igor-Stravinsky
Quartier Saint-Merri, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

La Vie

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La Vie (Life)
Fontaine Stravinsky (Stravinsky Fountain)
By Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, 1983
Place Igor-Stravinsky
Quartier Saint-Merri, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Stravinsky Elephant

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Elephant
La Fontaine Stravinsky (The Stravinsky Fountain) by Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle
Place Igor-Stravinsky
Quartier Saint-Merri, 4th arrondissement
Paris, July 2005

61 rue Réaumur

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Art Nouveau building
Rue Réaumur
Quartier de Bonne-Nouvelle, 2nd arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Métropolitain

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“Métropolitain” Vaneau (métro de Paris)
Rue de Sèvres
Quartier des Invalides, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Métro Vaneau

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Vaneau (métro de Paris)
Rue de Sèvres
Quartier des Invalides, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons

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Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons (Fountain of the Four Seasons) by Edmé Bouchardon, 1745
Rue de Grenelle
Quartier Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

“The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons (Fountain of the Four Seasons) is a monumental 18th-century public fountain, at 57-59 rue de Grenelle in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was executed by Edme Bouchardon, royal sculptor of King Louis XV (ruled 1715–1774), and opened in 1745. The fountain is huge and richly decorated, but it had only two water spouts, and its grand scale on the narrow street, together with the lack of water, irritated Voltaire and other figures of the French Enlightenment. The Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons was the largest and most ornate of the thirty fountains built in Paris in the 18th century to provide drinking water to the city's residents. Between 1715 and 1724, the Conseil d'Etat of King Louis XV began discussing the idea of a new fountain in the Faubourg Saint-Germain area, which was rapidly growing. They first discussed placing it at the corner of rue du Bac and the rue de l'Université, then rue Saint-Dominique, and finally decided on it current site on rue de Grenelle, on a parcel of land owned by the convent of Récollettes. The project was approved by the Prevot des Marchands, the leader of the city's businessmen, Michel-Étienne Turgot, who shared authority for all fountains and water projects in Paris, and was given in 1739 to the Royal sculptor, Edme Bouchardon, for completion. Bouchardon worked for seven years on the project. He displayed the plaster models for the central group of sculptures at the Salon du Louvre in 1740, and the bas-reliefs in 1741. The fountain was not completely finished until 1745.” (Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons, Wikipedia)

A Florentine Singer

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Chanteur florentin du XVe siècle (A Fifteenth-Century Florentine Singer)
By Paul Dubois, 1865 (Seen from behind)
Musée d'Orsay
Rue de la Légion d'Honneur
Quartier Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Charles Cordier

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Arabe d'El Aghouat en burnous, 1856
Femme des colonies, 1861
Nègre du Soudan, 1857
By Charles Cordier
Musée d'Orsay
Rue de la Légion d'Honneur
Quartier Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002

Musée d'Orsay Clock

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Clock, Main Hall
Musée d'Orsay
Rue de la Légion d'Honneur
Quartier Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2002