5.1.09

Art

I live fairly close to Montmartre. Walking around there I have made a few discoveries, linked to art.

I found a very tiny street, Cité Germain Pilon; a surprisingly modest homage for one of the leading French Renaissance sculptors. Germain Pilon (abt. 1537 – 1590) has some ten sculptures at the Louvre and is represented in leading museums worldwide. You can also find his works in a number of churches and official buildings.

He worked for the Royal Family and some of the Royal tombs at the Saint-Denis Basilica (see previous post) are decorated by him, including the one you can see below, representing Henry II and Catherine de Medicis. In 1585 he decorated the still working clock on the Tour d’Horloge (Clock Tower), part of the Palais de Justice and the Conciergerie, replacing an older clock from 1370 (see previous post). The Pont Neuf cornices (see previous post) are decorated with 385 "mascarons" (or grotesque masks), designed by him.


More or less in front of Moulin Rouge (see previous posts) I found a plate which indicated that the Swedish artist, Anders Zorn (1860-1920), lived and worked in this building between 1889 and 1896. Zorn did a lot of portraits including official ones of three American presidents (Grover Cleveland, W.H. Taft and Th. Roosevelt) and also of several French – and of course Swedish - personalities. He’s also well-known for his nude paintings and etchings and is well represented in leading museums. (The etchings below are from my private “collection” – I bought them for very modest money with the pays from different summer jobs in the 60’s.)

The below plate on a building at Montmartre gives some nice fake names of people who obviously prefer to stay anonymous. For the fun I linked the names to some works of the different artists. I had a problem with Gonzales. I could have made a quiz – link the names to the works - but please feel relaxed.
Pictures with black frames are mine, with white frames basically from Wikipedia and Wikimedia.

Addendum Monday Jan. 5 at 1.45 p.m.:

Cergie made a remark about the similitude between the above sculpture by Germain Pilon and the Wallace fountains. She is right (of course). I took this photo half an hour ago of a Wallace fountain, in a snowy Paris. Cergie wondered who had designed the now 135 year old fountains (with fresh drinkable water). As far as I know, they were designed by Mr. Wallace himself! Mr.Pilon’s sculpture has obviously three ladies. Mr. Wallace added a fourth one. (You can read something more about the Wallace fountains on some of my previous posts.)








Second addendum: Monday Jan. 5 at 11 p.m.:

As pointed out by Maxime, Gonzales obviously should not refer to Speedy Gonzales, but rather to Eva Gonzalès, who died young (1849-1883), impressionist painter, pupil of Edouard Manet. To try to repair for my ignorance, here are two paintings - one that Manet made of her and one of her own paintings which today can be found at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

51 comments:

Michelle said...

I think that is so neat that you have collected all of that art work for so long.
How funny that they use those names on their building. I knew some of the art work but some I had to look up. Very Creative. :)

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

hello Peter,
I wasn't surprised looking at your blog.. and YES! you are still continuing posting , this time about the (for me) beloved MONTMARTRE, yes we visited that place too, great spot! Thanks for showing.

We are back from holidays...I always enjoyed visiting you blog in 2008, you were a reall inspiration to me.
I wish you many Happy and Creative wishes for 2009! I hope to watch your beautiful photogaphic blog many, many, times in 2009 with also much joy. Please feel/be welcome to follow my blog also,

Friendly greetings from:
JoAnn's D Eyes

www.joannwalraven.blogspot.com

Virginia said...

Peter, when I come this summer I must see your "etchings" HA!! A very nice collection you have there. My goodness!

I thought I might be able to complete the art quiz but am stumped on two of them so I guess I'll have to go study a bit.

Your posts are always so lovely ( although horizontal) and I learn so much.
Merci mon ami,
V

Neva said...

I loved Montmartre when I was there.....I learn so much from you! You have some nice pieces!

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Art with a great deal of renaissance touch!

Being an absolute novice to the world of art, I was unable to decode the names!! Hopefully, I will someday!

Olivier said...

ce qui me manque à Evry, c'est toutes ces petites cours intérieures que l'on trouve dans Paris. On peut y entrer et faire de superbe découverte. faudrait faire un livre de photos sur toutes ces petites cours

lyliane six said...

Tu commence fort l'année!
C'est vrai que nous passons à côté de peintures, sculptures et autres bels oeuvrages, sans se demander qui les a exécutés, avec toi au moins, encore une journée de savoir!

Cergie said...

Les trois grâces de Germain Pilon m'ont tout de suite fait penser aux fontaines Wallace, mais j'ai vérifié : l'auteur en est anonyme.
Bien sûr je connais ton quartier que j'ai parcouru à pied lorsque j'ai été chez mon fils : près de Montmartre et du Moulin rouge. Un très beau coi. Mon fils a emménagé chez sa copine à Belleville ! Un beau coin aussi, moins chicos, mais oui beau et animé

Adam said...

I wondered which artist had lived in that appartment. I imagine that as one who was such a prolific painter of nudes, he'd be happy to know that his studio is now situated above a sex shop!

I love the fake names too - but do these people have to inform the postman?

Anonymous said...

I like the pittoresque little streets but as an hommage for an artist??? He should have had a better one, I think.
And again: it's astonishing which interesting discoveries you make and how much information you find for us.

Anonymous said...

So very interesting again!
Perhaps you some day will publish something also from Finnish artists like Albert Edelfelt (In Paris 1874–1878, Akseli Gallen-Kallela (in Paris about 1880 and in Exposition Universelle 1900,where he created a pavillion of Finland, Eero Järnefelt
( 1886–1888 studying in Academie Julian of Paris)
But I understand, that artists of every country have lived in Paris, you have an enormous work, if you will please every of your blogfriends :))
Warm greetings from frosty Finland!

marie6 said...

I've enjoyed going through your Christmas posts, looks like it's really cold!!!
Thanks for all your visits & lovely comments :)

Anonymous said...

Salvador Dali rings a bell as does Speedy Gonzales.

Anonymous said...

Bonjour Peter

Après une si longue absence, mon retour enfin dans la blogosphère et c’est avec grand plaisir que je te souhaite tous mes vœux de bonheur pour cette nouvelle année.

Bonne journée à toi et merci de tes passages et gentils messages laissés en mon absence.

Anonymous said...

I loved your choice of illustration for Gonzalez, that was fun!

I'm glad you did a post about art, there's so much to say on that topic. Paris is an incredibly art-rich city!

BTW your previous about Avenue Montaigne was just fantastic. Paris is the city of lights indeed.

Unknown said...

Very cool collages today! Great work indeed!
I love the way you have captured the tomb(s) on the 2nd set. Fantastic!

Anonymous said...

salut peter. pas la gniak mais je suis toujours vivante, enfin je crois... Première remarque: cergie a toujours raison. Deuxième remarque: j'aime beaucoup de Chirico. J'avais fait un travail en sociologie des arts sur ce monsieur. C'était il y a longtemps, quand j'étais jeune. Je t'embrasse

Azer Mantessa said...

the pics in the third group ... worth saved for ... merci merci merci ... you understand me ... hehehe

Happy New Year

krystyna said...

Glorious photos as Paris is,
and an originator
of this photos.
Thanks for sharing, Peter!

namaki said...

that's a very interesting post ! thank you !
would have been a nice quiz ! ;-) quiz ?

CeciliaGallerani said...

You can give us a post like this anytime, Peter! So smart of you to purchase those etchings, which you can enjoy for a lifetime. (I've seen some of Zorn's work before -- you got some beautiful bathers.)

The Pont Neuf masks are wonderful; what endless detail you have in Paris. And your photo of the Henri II tomb is very beautifully composed!

Maxime said...

Oh Peter, Horrible macho : je pense que la sonnette que tu as attribuée à speedy gonzales est en fait celle d'une dame, et la référence n'est autre que l'impressionniste Eva Gonzalès !
petit coup d'oeil à Wikipedia :
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Gonzalès

Bergson said...

j'ignorais que Speedy Gonzales soit passé à montmartre surement en coup de vent

Tanya Breese said...

Fantastic sets of photos and really enjoyed the post, as always :)

alice said...

Peter, ne joue pas les Speedy Gonzalez dans les jours à venir, ça glisse!

Mona said...

I love the mascarons on the cornices :)

& that is quite some collection you have there!

Peter, I wonder if you are familiar with Gossciny and Uderzo !

Jill said...

I hope you enjoy posting on your blog as much as we enjoy seeing it. I learn so much.

claude said...

Voilà un bel et intéressant post sur l'art, le bel !Celui que j'aime !

PeterParis said...

Michelle:
Happy that you liked... and learnt something more about the missing artists! :-)

JoAnn:
Yes, Montmartre is worth visiting and revisiting for additional discoveries! Welcome back!

Virginia:
We may consider a visit of the etchings! :-)

PeterParis said...

Neva:
I learn a bit myself also, when creating my posts! :-)

Rakesh:
You have to do some serious art studies then!! :-)

Olivier:
Quand on se promène à Paris (et ailleurs), il faut toujours regarer à gauche et à droite!

PeterParis said...

Lyliane:
Il faut toujours continuer à apprendre! :-)

Cergie:
Tu as bien raison! Je n'y ai pas pensé! J'ai ajouté quelque chose sur mon post! Merci!

Adam:
I thought about the same thing and the sex shop. I think that Zorn concentrated on portraits when he was in Paris. The nudes were in general painted when he was at home in Sweden.

I don't know about the postman. I didn't check if there is a concierge, but at least there must be a box inside with some real names.

PeterParis said...

April:
I agree, he's worth something more prestigous, but this little street had of course a special charm!

PeterParis said...

Leena:
Maybe I can do something. The Zorn addreess I found by coincidence, just looking at house facades. I would be intrested to find something about Pekka Halonen (I visited his home at Tuusula), who obviously studied with Gauguin in Paris.

Marie6:
Today it's even colder! -7°C just now, at 9.45 a.m.!!

Abraham:
As an artist yourself, I thought you would recognise also some of the others! :-))

PeterParis said...

Mathilde:
Très content de te retrouver! Je t'embrasse!

Nathalie:
Merci pour Gonzales. Heureusement Maxime (voir plus bas) a trouvé la vraie Gonzalès! Bises!


JM:
Sincere thanks for thes kind words!

PeterParis said...

Delphinium:
Heureusement que tu es vivante!! :-) J'aimerai bien lire ton oeuvre sur Chirico (même s'il date)! :-)
Bises!

Azer:
Happy to see you back here again! A bit less busy? I understand you have also resumed the posting. I will have a check!

Krystyna:
You are always so nice!!

PeterParis said...

Namaki:
Happy to see you here! Would you have managed 100% of the quiz(z)?

mkhansen:
Happy you knew about Zorn. Yes, if I find something, I will be happy to do some more art-related posts!

Maxime:
... et moi qui pensai être le contraire d'un macho! :-)
Merci d'avoir trouvé. J'aurai du chercher, mais je ne connaissais pas Eva G. J'ai ajouté quelque chose sure mon post! Encore merci!

PeterParis said...

Bergson:
Voir le commentaire de Maxime! J'ai bien peur que Speedy soit resté dans les déserts américains! :-)

Tanya:
Sincere thanks!

Alice:
Merci: Je vais faire attention! Bises!

PeterParis said...

Mona:
Of course I know these gentlemen ... and Asterix!
Unfortunately I don't have all these paintings, just some more modest etchings! :-)

Jill:
Thanks! Yes I enjoy ... and learn myself!

Claude:
Je suis content que tu aimes!!

Thérèse said...

Quel démarrage dans la nouvelle année. C'est bon pour le cerveau. Peut-étre on pourrait demander à Delphinium de partager ses écrits sur de Chirico que je n'ai jamais vraiment saisi.

MARIA said...

I really like your Paris, Peter! My best wishes !

Rob said...

There is so much art to see in Paris. The city itself is living art. I found our 8 day trip to be too short. The 6 day musee pass was weell worth the price.

Karen said...

Fascinating post, as usual, Peter.

I have made it home safely and it will take me days to readjust to the warm weather.

Merci Beaucoup for your time and patience as you showed me so much of your beautiful city. But you never said you had etchings. :=}

I will be posting again in a few days after I re-learn the American keyboard. I was actually getting good on the French one and now need to unlearn it.

Anonymous said...

mon cher peter, je ne sais plus où j'ai mis ce document mais je me rappelle que ce n'était pas un truc génialissime. :-)

PeterParis said...

Thérèse:
Bonne idée!

Maria:
So pleased to see you here! All the best to you also!!

Dusty Lens:
... which means that you have to come back!

PeterParis said...

Karen:
Good that you arrived safely! Good luck with the keyboard! It was a pleasure to meet you!

Delphinium:
Juste simplement "génial" suffit! Tu vois, on est déjà deux à demander! Il faut chercher!

Ruth said...

You are very good to post these addendums (addendi?).

I am in love with Born - having just met him here.

Virginia said...

Peter,
Sounds great. Would love to see them!
V

Claudia said...

Excellent post!

PeterParis said...

Ruth:
I guess it should be addendi, at least if you follow the Latin grammer rules!

Virginia:
Maybe!

Claudia:
Sincere thanks! If I look on the quality of your posts, I really appreciate!

Mona said...

I love the Impressionists. Specially Monet Manet and Van Gogh !

Catherine said...

Bonjour Peter,
je m'apprête à publier des photos de fontaines Wallace; Puis je faire un lien avec ton article sur G. Pilon ? Pour un supplément d'informations.