Category Archives: Paris
La Cour d’Honneur du chateau de Versailles
Via Flickr:The model for so many of Europe’s palaces.Cour d’Honneur (French pronunciation: [kuʁ dɔnœʁ], Court of Honor) is the architectural term for defining a three-sided courtyard, created when the main central block, or corps de logis, is flanked by symmetrical advancing secondary wings, containing minor rooms. The Château of Versailles (illustration) and Blenheim Palace (plan) both feature such entrance courts.Some 16th century symmetrical Western European country houses built on U-shaped groundplans resulted in a sheltered central door in a main range that was embraced between projecting wings, but the formalized cour d’honneur is first found in the great palaces and mansions of 17th century Europe, where it forms the principal approach and ceremonial entrance to the building. Its open courtyard is presented like the classical permanent theatre set of a proscenium stage, such as the built Roman set of opposed palazzi in a perspective street at Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico (Vicenza, 1584). Like the theatre set the built environment is defined and enclosed from the more public space by ornate wrought iron gilded railings. A later development replaced the railings with an open architectural columnar screen, as at Palais Royal (Paris), Schönbrunn Palace (Vienna), Charlottenburg Palace (Berlin), Alexander Palace (Saint Petersburg), or Henry Holland’s Ionic screen formerly at Carlton House, London – <a href=
Avenue Carnot – Étoile
Via Flickr:The Place Charles de Gaulle, historically known as the Place de l’Étoile, is a large road junction in Paris, France, the meeting point of twelve straight avenues (hence its historic name, which translates as “Place of the Star”) including the Champs-Élysées which continues to the east. It was renamed in 1970 following the death of General and President Charles de Gaulle. It is still often referred to by its original name, and the nearby Metro station retains the designation Charles De Gaulle – Étoile.The place lies in the middle of the Axe historique and at its centre stands the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile. – <a href=
Pyramide du Louvre
Via Flickr:It was quite hard to catch this view because of constant traffic.The Louvre Pyramid (Pyramide du Louvre) is a large glass and metal pyramid, surrounded by three smaller pyramids, in the main courtyard (Cour Napoleon) of the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) in Paris. The large pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. Completed in 1989,[1] it has become a landmark of the city of Paris. – <a href=
Musée d’Orsay
Via Flickr:The Musée d’Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine, housed in the former railway station, the Gare d’Orsay. It holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography, and is probably best known for its extensive collection of impressionist masterpieces by such painters such as Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Cezanne. Many of these works were held at the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume prior to the museum’s opening in 1986. – <a href=
Paris Sunset from the Louvre Window
Via Flickr:The Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre), located in Paris, is a historic monument, and a national museum of France. It is a central landmark, located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (neighbourhood). Nearly 35,000 objects from the 6th millennium BC to the 19th century AD are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet).The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) which began as a fortress built in the 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are still visible. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1674, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum, to display the nation’s masterpieces.The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being confiscated church and royal property. Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801. The size of the collection increased under Napoleon when the museum was renamed the Musée Napoléon. After his defeat at Waterloo, many works seized by Napoleon’s armies were returned to their original owners. The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. Holdings have grown steadily through donations and gifts since the Third Republic, except during the two World Wars. As of 2008, the collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; and Prints and Drawings. – <a href=
Art & Poetry 