The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period of political and social change. In 1793 the Reign of Terror began with mass executions. 17,000 people were executed by guillotine. 20,000 people died in prison. The last King & Queen were beheaded. The revolution got rid of the King, executed tens of thousands, and gave the people an Emperor.
Napoleon Bonaparte, who is revered in France, rose to power in 1799. The above sculpture idolizing Napoleon is a short distance from the sarcophagus containing his remains. Napoleon died in exile on a remote island in 1821. His remains were not repatriated to France until 1840, after a decree by King Louis-Philippe (and you thought the French got rid of Kings!).
Napoleon's sarcophagus is carved from rare Russian quartzite and contains a nest of six protective coffins. Twelve colossal, toga-draped victory statues representing Napoleon's major military campaigns stand sentinel. The stone floor features a mosaic inlay displaying the names of his most famous military triumphs.
One visitor came on June 28, 1940. In his white raincoat, surrounded by his generals, Adolf Hitler stood for a long time gazing down at his hero, his cap removed in deference. He was said later to have described this moment as “one of the proudest of my life.” The next day, during a sightseeing tour of Paris, Hitler again visited Napoleon's tomb to salute him.
Napoleon's tomb lies within the Dôme des Invalides. In 1677 Louis XIV issued an edict ordering the Hôtel des Invalides to be built for his army's veterans. The Dome was Paris' tallest building until the Eiffel Tower was erected. The body of the Emperor Napoleon was laid to rest there in April 1861. During World War II the Dôme secretly sheltered Allied pilots.
One of my favorite photos is of a dinner appetizer. That’s right, a piece of cheese that appears to have a design which was applied by hand. Let me explain….
Paris hosts a bi-annual “celebration of the arts” called La Biennale. Sixty-two countries gather for one week to showcase over 6,000 years of art, fine jewelry and design. The event begins with an exclusive black-tie gala dinner held under the glass dome of the Grand Palais. The dinner hosts 800 guests, and my sister and I were lucky enough to attend in 2018.
The dinner was exquisite. But what the French do so well is the presentation of the food. For example, I was welcomed at my dinner table by an impressive cheese appetizer (see photo below left).
Here is some context: prior to the dinner I visited some of the art being exhibited. I was taken by a painting by Marc Chagall called The Sky of Paris (see below). Chagall’s career was in Paris - he was a contemporary and friend of Pablo Picasso.
The character, or clown, on the left of the painting, has a two-toned face of green and orange, topped by a whimsical bird-like creature of orange and yellow. Now look more closely at the cheese appetizer. Not only were the 800 guests served a hand painted cheese appetizer, the dish pays tribute to the painting that was on display that night. The colors and shape of the cheese are a nod to the clown in Chagall’s painting. Anyone who saw that painting would remember that striking character and connect the dots when they saw the first course of their meal. That is attention to detail! The French are at the head of the class when it comes to the presentation of food. Click the “Play” button on the image below to see how he last course of dinner, the desert, was presented.
PLACES / FRANCE Gallery Pages