I’ve been here a few days and getting a little more used to my surroundings. My studio Flat is on the third floor of Cité internationale des arts facing south and it overlooks the Seine River. Notre-Dame of Paris is off to the right. I have been to Musée d’Orsay, Notre-dame, and Sainte Chapelle. The pics above are from yesterday. The represent my neighborhood and the ancient island across the river from me. The images represent Notre-Dame, Sainte Chapelle, and surrounding views. The weather was awesome.
So far, nothing has matched the luminosity, magic, and spacial transformation of Sainte-Chapelle. It is of course famous as an example of the Rayonnant Gothic Style of architecture. The supporting stone masonry is reduced to a minimum so as to emphasize magnificent walls of glass. I’m not sure where I read it, but I liked the description of the structure as a place where the visitor is located inside of a reliquary. This was the royal chapel built for use by the King of France. It also once housed the relic of Christ’s crown of thorns. That relic is now held be the Cathedral of Notre-Dame a few blocks away.
The trick to this experience, as is true of all residencies, will be balancing the exploration of a new territory with getting work done for a forthcoming show. I have trekked to the art supply store and have started working. As things progress, this blog will alternate between cultural exploration and paintings that are in progress.
Painting in France 2019 