This is only one that architectural historians and decorative arts people (antiques dealers) might find interesting. Unfortunately my books including pictures of most of these buildings is in the attic at the XIT Ranch, so there are only a few visuals. I don’t know why anyone cares, but I have included everything from the journal so far, so I am compelled. I was an Art History teacher and focused quite a bit on architecture from 1983-1989 so I’m trying to hold back from sharing….we’ll see if it works…
A synopsis:
July 1, 1980: raining and cold. [I have to include this to show you that it rained pretty much every day in Paris that summer. And I was still happy as a clam.]
AM Architecture, Les Halles area: S. Eustache. Fontaine des Innocents-Goujon
Fontaine des Innocents. Goujon.
Lescot wing of Louvre
Lescot Wing of Louvre.
NOON-TWO (it is quite the long lunch hour in France). Restaurant Chinois north of Louvre (19 Francs).
PM Decorative Arts Lecture: Louis XIII & Louis XIV. Going crazy-can’t understand
UNFAMILIAR TOTALLY!
Travel Agency-Rue des Capucines by Opera.
Métro home: I CAN DO IT!!
groceries- 13F, dinner: sandwich-5F
letter, read, bed.
July 2, 1980
Raining. Ran 3 miles around Tuileries and Louvre. Met a street cleaner & talked to him for a while.
AM ARCHITECTURE
La Maignon: (first use of colossal order in Paris). Baptiste Cerceau.
Place des Vosges:
Place des Vosges, Marais District. Paris, France
1st departure point for Paris as a planned city. Henry IV wanted a practical, middle-cost, quality housing area.
First example of city planning in a large public space. Private and away from traffice but with commerce integrated. Influenced development of the wealthy Marais District which in turn affected all of Paris.
Contract still in effect for building in this square which dictates uniform façades, red brick with details in white stone, gallery arcade on ground floor (covered to induce commerce).
Hotel Sully: 1634 Jean du Cerceau, son of Baptiste above (l’hôtel is the word for city house, not a hotel).
Standard for a City Villa: courtyard with main living behind courtyard and garden behind the house. Begin to see Baroque
Hotel Carnavalet: 1548 (by master mason)
One of the fist examples of a City Villa similar to Sully but before.
Temple St. Marie: François Mansart, 1632. (Gothic Interior)
clear articulation of Masses (structure evident)
restrained sculptural decoration
NOON-TWO Bought needlepoint at shop near college where we had a lecture at noon. (cost $40.00)
PM DECORATIVE ARTS
Louis XIV Lecture & Germanic Glassware visit
Chicken and artichoke for dinner.
July 3, 1980: ran 3.5 miles down to l’île-de-la-cité
St. Gervais-Solomon de Brosse (grandson of Jacques Cerceau). First classical church in Paris where correctly used orders. Had to have tall façade.
Hotel Beauvais-1652.
Church of St. Paul St. Louis-Jesuits
overstated details
superimposed monumental corinthian order
dome is surprise (not seen from exterior)
Hotel Salé-Jean Boullier-1656
caryatids used in interior space
superimposed monumental corinthian order
dome is surprise (not seen from exterior)
Hôtel Guenegaud-1648 Mansart
sober
balance (pavilions)
proportion of glass to wall is greater than in other housing
architectural mask
PEOPLE
Went to lunch with Mark (Chicago, sort of macho-type on trip. Lives in condo on Lake Shore Drive and works in father’s advertising agency) and Allison.
Had salade niçoise-goofed around all afternoon. Met boy when I was buying fruit from UCLA who wanted to know the word for peanut butter, obviously a backpacker. Went to hotel to needlepoint.
Had dinner with Allison at Café St. Germain across from hotel! Pizza and ice cream. It was very good, though. It had warmed up so we sat on the street and watched all the peple walk up and down St. Germain-des-Près. Home at 10:00 to needlepoint and looked through travel books about Spain and Portugal. Bed.
Charlie had come in at 5:00 am, called a boy, went back out & is not home yet (9:45 AM). Exciting!! 🙂
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