Kiosque à musique

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Kiosque à musique (Bandstand)
Boulevard Richard-Lenoir
Quartier de la Folie-Méricourt, 11th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Sten Lex

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A work by Sten & Lex
Rue Oberkampf
Quartier de la Folie-Méricourt, 11th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Sten (born 1982, Rome) and Lex (born 1982, Taranto), known as Sten & Lex, are two Italian street artists. Sten & Lex have been doing stencils on the street since 2000/2001 and today their work is part of the urban landscape in London, Paris, Barcelona, New York City, and in their home town of Rome. During that early period in Rome, and Italy in general, there wasn't a strong stencil culture such as there was in France, and Sten & Lex are seen by many as the pioneers of "Stencil Graffiti" in Italy and were the first to be considered "stencil artists". All the work of Sten & Lex results from an individual path that developed far from art academies and design institutes and far from a classic writing and graffiti background. The duo are best known in the history of stencil-making for introducing the halftone stencil technique, in which the greater part of their stencil portraits is composed of thousands of lines. They usually produce portraits of anonymous people they have photographed themselves or found in family photos album.” (Sten Lex, Wikipedia)

Le Commerce

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“Le Commerce” (The Commerce) by Augustin Dumont, 1851
Palais Brongniart or Palais de la Bourse
Place de la Bourse
Quartier Vivienne, 2nd arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Saint Louis

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Saint Louis by Antoine Étex, 1844
Place des Antilles, avenue du Trône
Quartier Sainte-Marguerite, 11th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Originally, the square accommodated two pavilions and two columns of the barrière du Trône designed by Claude Nicolas Ledoux and built for the barrier of octroi (Mur des Fermiers généraux) which surrounded the entrance to the cours de Vincennes. The columns are surmounted by statues of kings Philip II and Louis IX.” (Wikipedia)

Philippe Auguste

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Philippe Auguste by Auguste Dumont, 1844
Place de l'Île-de-la-Réunion, avenue du Trône
Quartier de Picpus, 12th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Originally, the square accommodated two pavilions and two columns of the barrière du Trône designed by Claude Nicolas Ledoux and built for the barrier of octroi (Mur des Fermiers généraux) which surrounded the entrance to the cours de Vincennes. The columns are surmounted by statues of kings Philip II and Louis IX.” (Wikipedia)

Mairie du 11e

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Detail of the façade by Antoine-François Gancel, 1865
Mairie (town hall) of the 11th arrondissement
Place Léon-Blum
Quartier de la Roquette, 11th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Le Poète chevauchant Pégase

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“Le Poète chevauchant Pégase” (The Poet Riding Pegasus), by Alexandre Falguière, 1897
Square de l'Opéra-Louis-Jouvet
Quartier de la Chaussée-d'Antin, 9th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“This amazing sculpture is the work of Alexander Falguière (1831-1900). She is a Poet riding Pegasus. We must examine the Greek mythology to understand what bond unites the poet and the animal. Pegasus is a magical flying horse, as swift as the wind, which was born from the blood of Medusa when it was beheaded by Perseus. Pegasus then joined the gods of Olympus and it was thunder and lightning of Zeus. In Greek, her name means ‘the source’. Indeed, it is supposed to have snapped, striking his hoof on Mount Helicon – home of the Muses – and the Hippocrene drink where poets. Pegasus is the symbol of poetry.” (Patryst)

Greek Warrior

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Greek warrior by Astyanax-Scévola Bosio, 1852
Cirque d'hiver (Winter Circus)
Rue Amelot
Quartier de la Folie-Méricourt, 11th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Two equestrian statues framed the entrance: a seductive Amazon by James Pradier on the left (which is said to have been modeled after the famous equestrienne, Antoinette Lejars, and was the second version of a statue whose first version adorned the façade of the Cirque des Champs-Elysées), and a Greek warrior by Duret and Bosio, on the right. Frieze and statues are still in evidence today, but the Victory holding a lantern, which originally topped the building, has long disappeared.” (Cirque d'Hiver, Circopedia)

The Amazon

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Amazon by James Pradier, 1852
Cirque d'hiver (Winter Circus)
Rue Amelot
Quartier de la Folie-Méricourt, 11th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Two equestrian statues framed the entrance: a seductive Amazon by James Pradier on the left (which is said to have been modeled after the famous equestrienne, Antoinette Lejars, and was the second version of a statue whose first version adorned the façade of the Cirque des Champs-Eysées), and a Greek warrior by Duret and Bosio, on the right. Frieze and statues are still in evidence today, but the Victory holding a lantern, which originally topped the building, has long disappeared.” (Cirque d'Hiver, Circopedia)

Gare de Neuilly - Porte Maillot

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Gare de Neuilly - Porte Maillot, 1854 (1871)
Boulevard Pereire
Quartier des Ternes, 17th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Tristan Bernard

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Bust of Tristan Bernard by Josette Hébert-Coëffin
Place Tristan-Bernard
Quartier des Ternes, 17th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Born Paul Bernard into a Jewish family in Besançon, Doubs, Franche-Comté, France, he was the son of an architect. He left Besançon at the age of 14 years, relocating with his father to Paris, where he studied at the Lycée Condorcet, which was noted for its numerous literary alumni. In 1888 was born his son Jean-Jacques Bernard, also a dramatist. He studied law, but after his military service he started his career as the manager of an aluminium smelter. In the 1890s he also managed the Vélodrome de la Seine at Levallois-Perret and the Vélodrome Buffalo, whose events were an integral part of Parisian life, being regularly attended by personalities such as Toulouse-Lautrec.[1] He reputedly introduced the bell to signify the last lap of a race. After his first publication in La Revue Blanche in 1891, he became increasingly a writer and adopted the pseudonym Tristan. His first play, Les Pieds Nickelés (Nickel-plated Feet), was a great success and was representative of the style of his later work (generally humorous).[citation needed] He became known especially for his writing for vaudeville-type performances, which were very popular in France during that time. He also wrote several novels and some poetry. Bernard is remembered mainly for witticisms, particularly from his play Les Jumeaux de Brighton (The Brighton Twins). In 1932, he was a candidate for the Académie Française, but was not elected, receiving only 2 votes of a total of 39.” (Tristan Bernard, Wikipedia)

Fuoco io son

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“Fuoco io son” (Fire I Am) by Denise Gemin, 2007
Calle Bressagio, Murano
Venice, September 2012

Bell Tower

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Bell Tower of the Madonna dell'Orto
Campo Madonna dell'Orto, Cannaregio
Venice, October 2012

“The bell tower, in brickwork, was finished in 1503. It has a square plan, with pilasters strips on the sides leading to the cell with circular mullioned windows. Four semicircular tympani divided the cell from the upper cylindrical tambour with an onion dome in Eastern style. On the sides are four statues of Evangelists of Pietro Lombardo's school; on the summit is a statue of the Redeemer, in white marble. The old bells, the largest being from 1424, were replaced in 1883.” (Madonna dell'Orto, Wikipedia)

Carnival of Venice

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Carnival mask outside a shop
Somewhere in Santa Croce
Venice, September 2012

“The volto (Italian for face) or larva (meaning ghost in Latin) is the iconic modern Venetian mask: it is often stark white though also frequently gilded and decorated, and is commonly worn with a tricorn and cloak. It is secured in the back with a ribbon. Unlike the moretta muta, the volto covers the entire face including the whole of the chin and extending back to just before the ears and upwards to the top of the forehead; also unlike the moretta muta, it depicts simple facial features like the nose and lips. Unlike the bauta, the volto cannot be worn while eating and drinking because the coverage of the chin and cheeks is too complete (although the jaw on some original commedia masks was hinged, this is not a commedia mask and so is never hinged—the mouth is always completely closed).” (Carnival of Venice, Wikipedia)

Riva del Ferro

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Riva del Ferro seen from the Rialto Bridge
Canal Grande (Grand Canal)
Venice, September 2012

Palais des congrès

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Palais des congrès de Paris by Guillaume Gillet, 1974
Place de la Porte Maillot
Quartier des Ternes, 17th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Burano

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A row of colorful houses
Burano, Venetian Lagoon
Venice, September 2012

Francisco de Miranda

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General Francisco de Miranda by Arturo Ruza, 1982
Square de l'Amérique-Latine
Place de la Porte-de-Champerret
Quartier des Ternes, 17th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez de Espinoza (March 28, 1750 – July 14, 1816), commonly known as Francisco de Miranda (Spanish pronunciation: [fɾanˈsisko ðe miˈɾanda]), was a military leader and Venezuelan revolutionary. Although his own plans for the independence of the Spanish American colonies failed, he is regarded as a forerunner of Simón Bolívar, who during the Spanish American wars of independence successfully liberated much of South America. Miranda led a romantic and adventurous life.” (Francisco de Miranda, Wikipedia)

Young Turenne

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Turenne enfant (Young Turenne) by Benoît Lucien Hercule
(Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne)
Rue de Turenne / rue Debelleyme
Quartier des Enfants-Rouges, 3rd arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

Pierluigi Penzo

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Bust of the Venetian aviator Pierluigi Penzo (1896-1928)
Riva dei Partigiani, Castello
Venice, September 2012