I'm sure you will have recognized ;-) this is Louis the XIIIth - well a statue of Louis the XIIIth, as the real one dying some time ago (1643!). This statue was made by Dupaty and Cortot in 1829 in replacement for an old bronze statue from 1639 (I took this shot at Place des Vosges, BTW). If you look carefully, you will see a plane in the background (in the sky, obviously!); quite a historical hiatus, isn't?! Have a nice weekend everyone.
i can't see the plane but that louis looks mighty fine for his age!
ReplyDeleteQuite the coincidence: I'm finally reading "The Three Musketeers". It's fun tracing their romps through Paris. Most the the streets still exist, and they all live near the Luxembourg.
ReplyDeleteI love Place des Vosges. A great place to relax after a walk, and before plunging into the Musee Picasso.
I love this statue. It's compelling to imagine King Louis in the Place des Vosges when it was new.
ReplyDeleteI too love Place des Vosges. It's so easy to imagine history there and I can almost see the tournaments that took place there and the court people in there fine clothes.
ReplyDeleteThis grey in grey photo is wonderful and I would never had spotted the plane if you hadn't told us.
Ze plane, ze plane, I zee ze plane!
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange smile he has. Interesting photo, Eric, but what is he holding in his left hand?
ReplyDelete(LOL, Tattoo!)
Michael,
ReplyDeleteIs it ze bird?
Is it ze plane?
No..it's ze coffee stain.
I really must clean ze screen.
Ah, I zee it now.
Jeff, a double coincidence! I just finished reading a Georges Simenon story in which the murder victim had a luxurious flat in the Place des Vosges. All the streets mentioned still exist which is not surprising as it was written in 1970. Anyway, so the Musee Picasso has a pool now?
LOL Drummond! A lot can change since 1970!
ReplyDeleteYes, Musee Picasso has a pool. A cubist pool, of course, which makes swimming very challenging. Your left arm is over there, your leg is in three planes. Great exercise.
ReplyDeleteNice composition, Eric—and apropos in b&w. I'm not in the mood for Picasso, so I'll just step over to Ma Bourgogne and toast old Louis with a glass of something red.
ReplyDeleteI love the plane in the background! How often does it happen that you can get a shot like that!
ReplyDeleteI love this statue - I had a Rick Steve's guide book when I came here in 2005. He writes with a lot of humor. I'll never forget that he wrote when you walk to the center of the square, you will see Louis XIII on horseback gesturing as if to say, "Look at this wonderful square my dad built."
ReplyDeleteDid you wait for the plane for this shot ? Or did you discover it later ?
ReplyDelete;-)
I was just telling Michael that twenty-nine French Kings were crowned in Reims between 1027 and 1825, Louis the XIII, being one of them.
ReplyDelete@ Monnica, "...gesturing as if to say, "Look at this wonderful square my dad built." Good one -- you just brought it to life. Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority. I saw the film, but I can't remember it's name.
ReplyDelete@Thib. I discovered when I saw the photo on my computer!
ReplyDeleteOn dit "Louis the thirteenth" mais on écrit "Louis XIII".
ReplyDelete