PARIS - Outtakes and Museum Art

So much to see, so little time. . .

 

Avenue des Champs-Élysées

 

A boulevard in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées runs from the Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles De Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. Along the way many interesting and unique sights are visible. In the image below  an entrance gate with detailed styling catches the attention of passers-by. Paris excels in wrought iron work.

  

 

A Parisian Gate along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, by DG Hudson

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Versailles

Back Garden, Long View

Versailles, France - the back gardens, by DG Hudson

The gardens at Versailles are magnificent, but don't step on the grass, as the security guards are always attentive. That's what I heard from someone else who had been there and was reprimanded with French fervour. Considering how many tourists visit and how many may or may not be considerate, it is likely a requirement to preserve the beauty. The walk is long, but this was entertainment for the royals and the court.

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Designer Mini-Display
from the 20th Century

 

Lanvin miniature display at the Carnavalet Musee, by DG Hudson

 

 

There were not so many 'designers' as there are today when the label, Lanvin, was in its heyday. The display above was shown at the Carnavalet Musee, Paris. Fashion is another byword in France, thanks to Coco Chanel, Lanvin, Dior, etc.

 

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Carnavalet Musee, Paris

 

 



Carnavalet Musee, top of the stairs, by DG Hudson

A wall Mural graces the top of the stairs in the museum. How many of the faces in the painting were of guests at the house or the owners? It's interesting to speculate, but murals were intended to reduce blank spaces and add interest for guests.


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What have you seen lately by walking around your neighborhood? Or cruising the internet? How great would it be to have murals on the walls of your residence?

Please leave a comment to let me know you were here, and I'll respond. Thanks for dropping by!

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References:

Carnavalet Musee, an 'a to z' post
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/c-carnavalet-museum-z-blog-challenge.html

Versailles, also 'a to z' post
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/v-versailles-palace-to-z-challenge.html

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Archaic Weapons - History Revisited

Cannon to the left and cannon to the right, weapons which caused destruction to castle walls and fortifications now aim forever outward in defense.

Cannon in Paris, Hôtel des Invalides and Museum, by Green Eye.

The building above: Hôtel des Invalides

A hospital for veterans and an Army museum, this distinguished building had an important purpose.  In 1670, King Louis XIV decided to build the hospital "Hôtel Royal des Invalides" for the wounded homeless soldiers of its wars. Note the cannon in the foreground of the photo.

France frequently recycled the metal from captured cannon. These perhaps were French cannon kept for historical purposes, and installed as a reminder of what is owed to those who fight for their country.

More information and photos:
http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/invalides.htm

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Weapons or knives on display in the Antiquities section, at the Louvre Museum. Hiding a dagger in the folds of a cloak seems appropriate with the designs shown below. Tools and artifacts from Antiquities can whet the imagination as to their use in the era in which they were formed.

Louvre Museum, Knives and artifacts in Antiquities, by DG Hudson

Small artifacts, knives, pipes, and carved items are included in the photo above. These were in the Egyptian exhibit. I photograph many of these images which may be useful as objects in my novels. I want to remember the little things, the traditions, the craft shown in some of these objects. Hand made survivors of time, these objects were part of someone's life centuries ago.


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The Carnavalet Museum, Paris, is a museum dedicated to the history of the city of Paris and the French Revolution.

Old metal signs used by French shops adorn the entrance, as you discover room after room decorated in lush city style. No flash photography is allowed and some of the paper artifacts can't be photographed. The light is subdued in the rooms, as it would have been in the days before electricity. The low light protects what time has treasured and adds a touch of atmosphere.



French swords shown below in the Carnavalet Museum. This was a room in a French town mansion, completed in 1560. The reflection* in the display glass shows the striped wallpaper on the opposite wall.

Swords in the Carnavalet Museum, by DG Hudson

Flintlocks and a cuirass, two objects which bring to mind legions of soldiers, with the officers and nobility in the best armor they could afford.

Carnavalet Museum, Paris, by DG Hudson

Archaic weapons fascinate us, and history shows us that our ancestors felt the same way. A finely crafted and well-kept weapon was an object to be proud of in earlier ages.


Flintlocks

At the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock mechanism replaced earlier firearm technology and continued in use for over two centuries. French court gunsmith Marin le Bourgeoys made the first flintlock firearm for King Louis XIII in 1610.


Cuirass (French)

A piece of armour (armor spelling also used); formed from a single or multiple layers of metal or other strong, dense material. A cuirass covers the torso front and back (using two pieces joined) to protect the torso.

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*Photographer visible in reflection, due to lack of polarizing filter for the small digital camera. There's always something. . .

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Are you interested in antique weapons from a particular time period? Does weaponry play a part in your novel's world building? Have you visited many antique weapon displays in museums?

Please share in the comments and thanks for dropping by!


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References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuirass

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flintlock

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides

Carnavalet museum (a post of mine from the A to Z challenge)

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Reflections of France - Paris, Versailles, and Giverny

Reflections are like a window on a reverse world, or a parallel universe. The mirror effect expands our view of reality, even though we know it's an illusion. Hope you enjoy the following examples. (Remember Alice in  'Through the Looking-Glass')


Versailles

Back view of Versailles, with Reflection, by DG Hudson

 

 

This was the palace of the Sun King, Louis XIV. In the back of the estate after an autumn rain, pools reflect the splendor that formed a 'gilded cage'. 

 

 

Versailles Reflection, close view, by DG Hudson

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Monet's Water Garden, reflections of willows and water lilies on an overcast day. The boat is also reflected in the calm surface.

Monet's Water Garden, Giverny, by DG Hudson

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Le Moulin de Fourges - a former mill with an attached restaurant lies between Giverny and Versailles in France. We had lunch here at this quiet spot in the countryside as part of a tour booked from Paris.

Le Moulin de Fourges, France, by DG Hudson

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Old Paris neighborhood, in miniature

Not a true reflection, but a scene reflecting the winding streets of a historical Paris, this small scale model can be found at the Carnavalet Museum.

Old Paris in Miniature, Carnavalet Museum by DG Hudson

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Do you look for reflections when you are traveling or after a rainy day? Do you like to see images with reflections? Have you ever use reflection as an element in your writing?  Please share in the comments.


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References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_the_Looking-Glass
Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking-Glass'

http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/c-carnavalet-museum-z-blog-challenge.html
2012 post for C-Carnavalet Museum in the A to Z blog Challenge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnavalet_Museum Carnavalet Museum