Paris was an out of this world experience. I have wanted to go to Paris since I saw "Madeline in Paris" as a child and I finally got to make that dream come true this past weekend. I got the opportunity to see the sites, take a boat tour down the Seine, visit the catacombs, eat escargots, and even see the Paris Ballet at the Paris Opera Garnier. As a dancer, seeing the Paris ballet was an amazing experience and one I will never forget. Between all the walking to these different places, I saw all the big sites and art spread across this historical city.
One of the more notable sites in Paris is Notre-Dame de Paris located right next to the River Seine. Its medieval gothic architecture is clearly present in the pointed archways, towers, and the flying buttresses. Construction began in 1168, making it one of the first Gothic cathedrals to ever be built. Since it took about 300 years to built, it predominately shows French Gothic structures but there is also some Renaissance and naturalism construction aspects to it as well. Overall, it is an amazing feat and a beautiful building that stands as a strong influence for French Gothic architecture built after it. What also drew me to this monument was the relation to one of my favorite childhood movies, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Seeing this place as a cartoon was always beautiful but being able to see it in person in all its beauty and detail was mind blowing. Being able to see something you have always seen on a TV in real life is a moment you can never take away from someone. It was amazing to take it in and I can't wait to go back again someday.
Another amazing building I got the opportunity to see was the Palais Garnier, also known as the Opera National de Paris. I got the opportunity to see the ballet in this beautiful place by choreographer George Balanchine. It was cool to see his work in real life because I had learned all about him and his style during a ballet class I took in Oxford last fall. In terms of the architecture, originally by Charles Garnier, it follows a Second-Empire Beaux Arts style but also has some Neo-baroque decorative characteristics within. Columns, elaborate friezes, and lavish statues can be seen here with a greek mythological influence to them. The green copper roofs, also called Patins, are present from this western view of the Opera. This side is called the Pavillon de l'Empereur and houses the Paris Opera Library-Museum. I was just overwhelmed by the grandiose facade of the Paris Opera and couldn't find myself looking away at its beauty. All four sides were beautiful, one side even has an exposition of sculptures that show the famous composers over the years. It is amazing to connect my interests in music with this art class and make connections to help me better understand what I am seeing.
The inside of the Palais Garnier was even more beautiful, I could not stop taking pictures. A really interesting visual was the ceiling above the Grand staircase. The ceiling above the staircase was painted by French painter Isidore Pils. It depicts four panels entitled, "The Triumph of Apollo", "The Enchantment of Music Deploying its Charms", "Minerva Fighting Brutality Watched by the Gods of Olympus", and "The City of Paris Receiving the Plan of the New Opéra." The lighting was difficult to take pictures and does not do it justice. Pils originally felt that the ceilings were too dark and acquired the help of two students to help him lighten the space. That was a good decision as the area is definitely bright and more inviting. The window design in the middle of the four panels is geometric and symmetrical, traits that are seen throughout the entire Palais Garnier. Overall, this room made me feel regal and grand walking through it from its high ceilings to the elaborate paintings. I could have spent hours inside admiring its beauty.
This last sculpture I found in Paris was the one pictured to the right. I found it while climbing up to the roof of the Arc de Triomphe. I took a photo of this piece as I thought the perplexed look on this man's face along with the dragon atop his head was out of the ordinary. However, the marble structure shows the expression in great detail, which is hard to accomplish. My social media driven brain thought this statue would create funny memes (an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations) and would make my friends laugh. However, the student side of my brain led me to research it more. Upon inspection, this piece is the top portion of a sculpture called The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792. The full version of it can be found on the eastern facade of the north facing wall of the Arc de Triomphe. In an allegorical way, it represents the commitment of the national volunteers against the armies of the First Coalition in 1792. The movement and expressions on the original part outside represent the romantic style that creator François Rude was going for.
