I am always interested in photographing the less obvious and more intimate details of well-known monuments and buildings.
Today it's the female statues adorning the Opera Garnier. The first four statues are underneath the busts of the famous composers in the front of the building.The second series are green iron goddesses holding up the street lamps around the perimeter of the building.
I couldn't find any information about the sculptor of the statues so if anyone knows, please write it in the comments section.
Coming soon: Eye Prefer New York Tours
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
After much Googling, I found this for photo number three of the above statues:
Paul Dubois's sculpture, Le Chant (Song) was erected on the main facade of Opéra National de Paris Garnier, between 1860 and 1869.
Hanging over Le Chant is Charles-Alphonse-Achille Gumery's medallian of Giovanni Battista Pergolèse. Pergolèse, or Pergolesi(1710–1736) was an Italian composer, violinist and organist and one was one of the most important early figures in opera buffa (comic opera).
Posted by: Mike Drips | March 30, 2010 at 06:44 PM
This is so lovely...you just keep sending such marvellous stuff! Thanks again and again...getting Eye Prefer Paris is always the pleasure du jour.
Posted by: Helen | March 31, 2010 at 01:37 PM
thanks Mike for researching that for me.
Posted by: Richard | March 31, 2010 at 01:38 PM
Dear Richard,
I have included information regarding the various sculptures and figures. It was found on Wikipedia. Hope it helps!
love,
Claudia B.
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Palais Garnier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Palais Garnier
Building
Former names Académie Nationale de Musique - Théâtre de l'Opéra (1875-1978),
Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris (1978-1989)
Alternate names Opéra de Paris,
Opéra Garnier,
Paris Opéra
Type Opera house
Architectural style Neo-Baroque, Beaux-Arts
Location Place de l'Opéra, Paris, France, Europe
Construction
Started 1862
Inaugurated 1875
Height 73.6 metres (241 ft)[1]
Other dimensions 172 metres (564 ft) long
125 metres (410 ft) wide[1]
Floor area 11,000 square metres (1.1 ha)[citation needed]
Design team
Architect Charles Garnier
The Palais is opulently decorated with elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary, many of which portray the deities from Greek mythology. Between the columns of the theatre's front façade, there are bronze busts of many of the great composers, Mozart, Rossini, Daniel Auber, Beethoven, Meyerbeer, Fromental Halévy, Spontini, and Philippe Quinault.
The central roof group, Apollo, Poetry, and Music, was the work of Aimé Millet. The two gilded figural groups Harmony and Poetry were both designed by Charles Gumery, and the two smaller bronze Pegasus figures at either end of the gable are from Eugène-Louis Lequesne. The facade incorporates major multifigure groups sculpted by François Jouffroy (Harmony), Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume (Instrumental Music), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (The Dance, criticized for indecency), Jean-Joseph Perraud (Lyrical Drama), and other work by Gumery, Alexandre Falguière and others.
The interior consists of interweaving corridors, stairwells, alcoves and landings allowing the movement of large numbers of people and space for socializing during intermission. Rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubim and nymphs, the interior is characteristic of Baroque sumptuousness.
The ceiling area, which surrounds the chandelier, was given a new painting in 1964 by Marc Chagall. This painting proved controversial, with many people feeling Chagall's work clashed with the style of the rest of the theatre. (It was also installed directly onto the old mural, thereby destroying it.[citation needed] The combined weight of both canvases has caused the 19th century adhesives to fail over time.)
Apollo, Poetry and Music roof sculpture by Aimé Millet
Apollo, Poetry and Music; Apollo's lyre detail
Liberty roof sculpture by Charles Gumery
Lyrical Drama façade sculpture by Jean-Joseph Perraud
The Dance by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
Bronze busts of Beethoven and Mozart on the front façade
The Foyer de la Danse
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Posted by: Claudia Budow | March 31, 2010 at 10:21 PM