No Kings In Paris

Paris had its own No Kings demonstration, small by US standards, mostly expats, as far as we could tell, but we were sure to be there...

In the Place de la Bastille, of course

National Archives And The Marais

When we had an apartment in the Marais (2021?) we had vowed to visit the National Archives, a stately old historic complex within a few blocks. We never did. But this time we did it, in part thanks to our Passion Monuments pass. Not surprisingly, there was no line to get into the National Archives, and we seemed to be the only tourists...

Entrance

Of course, there is the new, much larger Archives complex elsewhere in
Greater Paris; this is the historic one

'Twas the Archives Museum we were headed for

Helpful model of the Bastille, the site of which is just a few blocks away

Lots of records

Contemporary exhibit

Cursive is no longer taught in US schools, we understand, thereby
obviating Louis XIV's concerns

Some of the Archivist's offices and quarters

Helpful model of the Archives complex

Archives bookstore

Seriously

More upstairs, but we found the staircase daunting

Now in the Archives Garden, which we found disappointing,
almost umkempt

Walking in the Marais, toward the Place de la Bastille

Contemporary sculpture

Paris' original public library

In the Vosges

Victor Hugo's house...next time

Interim Update #1,288

American flew us back to Cary, via Philly, on June 27th, where we have been since, unpacking, sorting, repacking, continuing our outfitting of the "camper." We will be here several more days, then will set forth on our North American road trip. The blog will remain in Paris for a while longer, with a dozen or so more posts to go....

Our temporary storage/workroom...note that it's a corner office, with a view

Assorted Louvre Pix, 2025

Our default Paris destination is the Louvre, and we got there several more times, not for anything in particular--those will be separate posts--but just to look around, visit old favorites, often learn something new. Sometimes there would be a goal, e.g., the special donor room with the few Monets and Renoirs, and finding it in spite of mistaken memories and misleading advice from the guards, and leading to more new discoveries. Anyhow, here are a few pix from some of these visits.

The Louvre has just this one Bosch, traditionally entitled
The Ship of Fools, but it's got a great story...a reference to
Sebastian Brandt's 1493 bestseller Das Narranschiff, a humanist
social critique, with illustrations by a young Albrect Durer; Bosch's
painting may well have derived from Durer's frontispiece
woodcut; the painting itself is the upper bit of the left side
of a triptych concerning the seven deadly sins; the lower bit is
at Yale, and the right panel, concerning the death of the wealthy man,
is at the National Gallery in DC; nothing is known of the missing
central panel; an incredible intersection nonetheless...

Piter Huys, Temptations of Anthony, 1547; never miss a Temptation
of Anthony...

Unknown, copy of Elder Peter Breughel's Parable of the Blind,
later 1500s; we saw the original at Capodimonte long ago  

Younger Holbein, Erasmus, early 16th

Frans Pourbus, Last Supper, 1618

Rarely, if ever, do depictions of the Last Supper include the
wait-staff; but, in Pourbus' rendition, here they are; the guy
on the right seems to be saying "look out, I think the guy with
his hair on fire may have ordered red wine..."

Preview of upcoming attractions: the Tuileries, Place de la Concorde,
the Cauldron, the Grand Palais...stay tuned...

Now we are in the bowels of the Louvre, learning about the architectural
and other history of the place

Early sketch of the Pyramide

Just hilarious, some people thought...

Huge, detailed, colorful model

Same model, looking back from the Place de la Concorde

Moving right along, another day, another place, we are looking
at the oldest artifact in Louve...the 9,000 year old Ain Ghazal
statue, a pre-pottery statue form neolithic Jordan...on 30-year
loan to the Louvre

"Don't make my butt too big," #1,592

The Met has a wing closed and so has loaned the Louvre a
number of items that complement holdings of the latter...
"Dialogues d'Antiquities Orientales"; here is one, a silver-gilt
drinking horn, Anatolia, 5th BCE

Humongous temple column, Assyrian

More drinking horns

Silver plate of King Yazgard slaying a deer, Iran early 5th CE; from
the Met

Yes, but is it dishwasher safe?

Assyrian orthostat

More from the Met: copper temple foundation pegs, c. 2100 BCE

Another day, another building...the ever-popular Hall of Apollo;
royal jewels, etc.

A couple of Vicki's favorite Botticelli frescoes...Venus introducing a
young woman to the Three Graces

Venus introducing a young man to the seven liberal arts

A late Giotto Crucifixion

In the Louvre, no matter what's on the walls, always look up;
what's there can be as significant as the other stuff

Tribute to Poussin

Attempted book-burning

Guards defending Mr. Smoky's Special Lady Friend