The angels of Paris have have been patiently waiting to be discovered. I’m referring to the sculptures of winged figures that adorn buildings and parks throughout the city. Without a museum wall or church portal to give them context, we fail to stop, look and consider their messages. What stories do these free spirits have to tell us?
With an artistic eye and her thoroughly American enthusiasm, Rosemary Flannery has :taken the angels of Paris under her wing (pun intended.) She has photographed and researched the history of 70 angels located throughout Paris. They make their formal debut in her beautiful new book, Angels of Paris, published this fall by Rizzoli books
George and I met Rosemary when she led a public tour of Montmartre some years ago. I quickly enlisted her to give a private tour of the quarter to my culinary groups. Has it become tiring, leading tours of landmarks? Not at all. After living almost two decades in Paris, Rosemary is still making new art discoveries and telling their stories. Be advised: after reading Angels of Paris, you’ll be ready to book your next trip and pay them a visit.
Meet the largest angel in Paris aka the Lighthouse Angel. She is three stories high and resides at 8 rue Turbigo in the 3rd. I tried to imagine a winged figure this large attached to a Chicago building the last time I walked along the river toward Michigan Ave. No luck as yet.
Do you have the presence of mind to look up before entering a historic landmark? If not, you will miss the trumpeting angels that adorn the steeple of Ste Chapelle. I've neglected the exterior of this jewel box of a church in favor of its ethereal interior.. Next time I will make a point of standing in the courtyard to enjoy these splendid angels, framed framed by blue sky.
This mandolin-playing angel is unusually engaging and approachable. He is lightly etched into the wall of a house in the Marais was once occupied by the famous alchemist Nicholas Flamel Built in 1407, it is also the oldest stone house in Paris.
To learn more about the Angels of Paris, follow this link to Rosemary's interview with the blog, Eye Prefer Paris;
http://www.ipreferparis.net/2012/11/the-angels-of-paris-interview-with-rosemary-flannery-.html
You can order throAngels of Paris from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_15?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=angels+of+paris&sprefix=angels+of+paris%2Caps%2C190
