Paris #1 — Harold O. Wilson

The city is a fact in nature, like a cave, a run of mackerel or an ant-heap. But it is also a conscious work of art, and it holds within its communal framework many simpler and more personal forms of art. Mind takes form in the city; and in turn, urban forms condition mind.
Lewis Mumford

During my working life I had the good fortune to visit a number of the great cities of the Western World: Madrid, Mexico City, Berlin, Moscow, and Warsaw. Trips also included cities like Tegucigalpa, Kampala and others. The physical expression and cultural uniqueness of each offers a brilliant testimony to the practical and artistic nature of the human spirit.

Among all the great cities in the west there is little disagreement that Paris stands out as one of the greatest works of art in the Western World. In his madness, Hitler wanted it destroyed and in the final days of World War II why it wasn’t remains an open question. In August 1944, Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris claims that by disobeying Hitler’s order to reduce the city to a pile of ruins he saved Paris from being destroyed. On the eve of the city’s liberation, August 25, Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre report Hitler’s demand in their classic book Is Paris Burning? “Jodl,” Hitler says, smashing his fist on the table, his voice rising further still, “I want to know—is Paris burning? Is Paris burning right now, Jodl?” With the allies pouring into the city, it is argued that, von Choltitz aside, there was no way the city could be destroyed. The mediation efforts of Swedish Ambassador Raoul Nordling and president of the municipal council Pierre Taittinger are suggested to have been more effective.

To our great benefit and that of the world, this city of light that hosted human gatherings as early as 8000 BC and settlement by the Celtic Parisii around 225 BC along the banks of the Seine, remains a flourishing work of art.

I had the opportunity to visit the city on a number of occasions. Here is a first group of photos from one of my early visits.

This is the south facade of the Cathédral Notre Dame de Paris. Construction of the Cathédral began in 1163 and was basically completed in 1260. Three outstanding features visible in this photograph are the huge rose windows, sculptural decoration, and the pioneering flying buttresses. Consecrated to The Virgin Mary it’s an excellent example of French Gothic architecture and probably one of the best known symbols of Paris.

What the Germans didn’t do, however, a report suggests that sparks from either an electrical short circuit or an improperly extinguished cigarette ignited the fire on April 15, 2019 that significantly damaged the Cathédral. There is no definite conclusion, however, as to how the fire actually started. It’s ironic that we’ll never really know why Notre Dame wasn’t burned in 1944 nor why it did burn in 2019.

Following is a file photo of the 2019 fire showing the location of the blaze.

Here is a more familiar view of Notre Dame.

Probably the second most famous church in Paris is l’Eglise du Sacré-Coeur.

Atop the highest hill in Paris, l’Eglise de la Sacré-Coeur, commonly known as Sacré-Coeur Basilica was constructed from 1875 to 1914. You can find it either featured in or in the background of the work of many famous artists who painted in Montmartre during the Belle Époque between the ending of the 19th century and the early 20th century. These include Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Suzanne Valadon, and Piet Mondrian. While Pablo Picasso’s cubist painting of the Basillica is absolutely stunning, my favorite artist remains Maurice Utrillo and I remember prints of his Sacré-Coeur pined on my dorm room walls in college.

There are two parks in Paris where young mariners can sail their boats: Le Jardin du Luxembourg and le Jardin des Tuileries. I caught these young sailors tacking and jibing in les Tuileries.

In the world of sailing there are always hazards and perhaps life jackets should be required.

Safe Harbor

In addition to the young sailors, the park also played host to this woman and her pigeons every day I was there.

This is the entry to the Centre Pompidou, named after French president George Pompidou who served from 1967 to 1974. The Centre houses the Public Information Library, The National Museum for Modern Art, and a center for music and acoustic research. The most popular exhibition to date was the 2013 retrospective “Dalí” which broke the museum’s daily attendance record; 7,364 people a day went to see the artist’s work (790,000 in total over the whole exhibition).

What struck me in particular was the whimsical Stravinsky Fountain near the building representing the works of the great composer. This is a sample of the 16 sculptures designed by sculptor Jean Tinguely and painter Niki de Saint Phalle.

One of the essential features of French and Paris architecture is the chimneypot. You can see their prevalence in these rooftop photos. As people heated their homes first with wood and then with coal, removing smoke from the interior became an increasing challenge. Chimneys were built, but primarily by the wealthy. As a result, chimneypots on the roof became a symbol of prestige. According to The Amusing Planet, The Victorian era became the “Golden Age” of chimneypots and people began to personalize their pots. The French turned them into works of art.

Note the Mansard roofs as well as the chimneypots.

The Proliferation of Chimneypots. Does each pot represent a fireplace or wood stove?

The Three Sisters

My daughter Lee earned her Master’s Degree in French literature in Paris in 1987. I thought she did quite well in mastering the “Paris Look.”