I have always had a love of architecture, and doors in particular. They are the life-line to the space within, and as such have far more impact than we often give them credit for. As I strolled through the extraordinarily beautiful streets of Paris, it was the seemingly infinite variety of portals – size, shape, color, embellishment – one right after the other. Take a look:
This beauty is along the boulevard St. Germaine on the Rive Gauche. Extraordinary as it looks to us, this is a typical door along the beautiful Paris boulevards.
Okay, so the red is a bit over-the-top. But the almost Asian look of this one made it a stand out along the square in front of St. Sulpice.
Along the Rue du Cherche-Midi, a quiet street of elegant shops.
Just down the Rue Napoleon Bonaparte from Laudauré. I just LOVED to be able to peak into the courtyards when the portals stood open.
Classic Parisian door. Note the Nuit et Jour sign. I LOVE those!! Some of them even lit up. I can think of sooo many times I could have used one!
Looking into the courtyard of the Art Academy (yes, the one that wouldn’t accept Claude Monet and his friends).
A peak through the doors into the Grand Salon of the Art Academy. In a time before electricity, this glass ceiling was a critical innovation for clearly seeing art.
That’s just a taste of the delightful doors, and some of what’s behind them! Hope you enjoy this little peak at Paris.
Thanks for reading,
Virginia