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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 8, 2009 22:00:32 GMT
This was a happy accident. Looking for something else entirely, I happened upon this wonderful mish-mash of items from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY. It's paintings, photography, sculpture from ancient to modern. Take a look! arttattler.com/manhattanmetropolitanmuseum.html |
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Post by Jazz on Aug 9, 2009 1:21:36 GMT
Very interesting, Bixa. I was stopped in my tracks by this photo of the Bievre river in Paris,  I am fascinated by this river which has literally 'gone underground'. The lost river of Paris, la Bievre. "The Bievre as a river in Paris' Left Bank has a long history, but there isn't anything left to see of it because it was buried in stages from 1828-1910" The river today is buried within tunnels within Paris and as of 2004, the city of Paris is considering uncovering sections. From the end of the 14th century the river suffered from its use by the textile dyers, but these were preceded by all sorts of butchers and tanners of hides, which transformed the Bievre into a putrid sewer....despite this the banks of the river were also famous for their breweries and guinguettes, which were first operated near the Gobelins Tapestriy complex in the 13th arrondissement. Two paintings of when Bievre was a surface river, the first is by Charles Marville, c. 1865,  just behind the Gobelins Tapestry factory,  a photo from the limited edition of 'Ode a Bievre', by Louise Bourgeois...she returned as an old woman to find her river 'gone'. The book contains good reproductions of her family's fabrics.  Photos of the Bievre are rare, here are two more...  the tanneries,  Today la Bievre is a 'drain' into the Seine. www.paris.org/Kiosque/nov01/637caill.htmlwww.paris.org/Kiosque/sep98/la.salpetriere.htmlwww.zuckerartbooks.com/cgi-bin/zucker/1669 |
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 9, 2009 2:37:06 GMT
That is fascinating, Jazz and calls out for a book-length sleuthing job! There are questions upon questions. Since it's a river, where are its tributaries, etc.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 9, 2009 3:00:56 GMT
I have found it extremely difficult to find very much online about this 'lost' river. La Bievre fascinates me because I think it shared equal status with the Seine as a significent river in Paris for a few hundred years, perhaps more. It seems to have been very much a part of Parisan life in the 14th to 18th centuries...until it was polluted out of existence. Now it is a series of tunnels, lost and forgotten. I would love to know more about it. (I can't explain my obsession  ) |
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 9, 2009 3:29:53 GMT
You obviously need a generous, long-term grant to get to the bottom of this!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2009 17:44:40 GMT
François Mitterrand lived on rue de Bièvre during his entire presidency. And his widow still lives there. The Bièvre flows under the street into the Seine.
My supervisor lives in the town of Bièvres (alternate spelling). It is out in the open there.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 11, 2009 19:44:41 GMT
You obviously need a generous, long-term grant to get to the bottom of this! Thank you Bixa, I totally agree ...Perhaps a one year grant? Kerouac, I stayed on rue Maitre Albert, which is one block over from rue de Bievre. As you know, both streets are old and tiny. I didn't know that the river flows under the street! There is a wonderful, modest restaurant on rue de Bievre that has been there for years. Often, I would go for dinner, it was very inexpensive. The owner was delightful and often joined me for conversation. Rather, I listened. Apparently Mitterrand came here often for dinner and I was regaled with the owner's favorite anecdotes. There are several photos of the two of them proudly displayed on the walls. The piece de resistence is a huge engraved copper plate (two feet in diameter) which was a gift to the owner from Mitterand. Each time I visited, he proudly pointed this out. Those were lovely evenings. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2009 19:50:04 GMT
Was it the couscous restaurant? That was the one directly across from Mitterrand's front door. I ate there a number of times. It was called the "Fort National" but the owner became uncomfortable with that name when the "Front National" racist political party became somewhat popular. So he changed the name to "La Kabylie."
Anyway, Mitterrand was famous for frequenting neighborhood restaurants, as well as some of the Asian places in Belleville. Of course when he had to 'entertain' other politicians or government figures, he generally went to the restaurants on the official political circuit like the Brasserie Lipp or the Closerie des Lilas.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 11, 2009 21:08:32 GMT
I'm not sure if it was the couscous restaurant. Imagine yourself at the Cafe Metro at Place Maubert, looking in the direction of the Seine. You see the 'end' of both the streets and the small restaurant on rue de Bievre is on the left hand side, somewhat set in, about 50 feet from the Place.
I'm not surprised that he entertained his political associates at more established restaurants. I think restaurants such as the small one that I enjoyed were very much in his personal life.
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Post by lagatta on Aug 11, 2009 22:47:45 GMT
Or his personal lives... I've met Danielle Mitterand. Very much her own woman, very involved in international co-operation and solidarity. If I recall, that one was a small cuisine bourgeoise restaurant. I've seen it and the couscous place (if I recall, 20-25 years ago) but not eaten there, though I've eaten at similar places nearby. As for the restaurants, it was like the difference between Palais de l'Elysée and his own place, which is exactly the kind of place I'd have if I had more money. I do have a lot of books, and only one of my bookcases is (yecch) melamine. I am also a longtime amie de la Bièvre. Seems that Bièvre was an old word for "beaver" in French too (castor in modern French) so there is a far-fetched Canadian connection. I have friends who live in rue de la Glacière, in the Gobelins neighbourhood of the 13th. We have often imagined the Bièvre emerging as part of our utopian projects for Paris. www.bievre.org/ La Bièvre, rivière vivante |
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Post by Jazz on Aug 14, 2009 13:41:45 GMT
Lagatta, thank you for the Bievre website. It is fascinating, the six hundred photos (!), the virtual part of the site and the history. I am laboriously reading the French. There are three books of the Patrick Fournier collection and I am going to try to locate the one that specifically deals with Paris. We are definitely sympatico with our feelings de la Bievre. Merci!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2009 10:41:57 GMT
I can't begin to tell you how much I have been savouring this thread,the history,the photos,the people. All very fascinating and intriguing. Thank you all. I look forward to more on this topic and will most assuredly add it to my list of places to explore whenever I should find myself in that part of the world.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 17, 2009 14:02:18 GMT
Just had a *duh!* moment re-looking at this mini museum. I accidentally found it because I was looking for a picture of St. Anthony beset by demons. When I found it, I was so distracted by looking at the other stuff that I never bothered reading the caption.
The painting of St. Anthony is believed to be Michelangelo's first painting -- done when he was 12 or 13 years old!
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Post by lola on Aug 18, 2009 5:22:59 GMT
Wonderful stuff. Thanks, Bixa.
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