Parisian Caryatids
As we were wandering the streets of Paris, I couldn't believe how many doorways had
sculpted human figures holding up small decorative balconies.
We saw these two male figures supporting a platform above their heads on Rue Reaumur
while strolling through the 2nd Arrondissement. Most of the buildings along the street have contemporary 19th century bones - simple structural steel support. The ornate stone work doesn't really hold up anything, but it makes for a dynamic streetscape.
These are actually the first pair that caught our eye during our first days walk in Paris.
We'd left our apartment on Rue des Tournelles and headed toward Rue Saint Antoine, which in turn became Rue de Rivoli. That's where we stumbled upon these two stone gentlemen at number 48 Bis, in the 4th Arrondissement.
The sun was bright and I hoped that the exposure would be alright, because I wanted to
capture the expressive nature of their poses and facial expressions. After this, we kept our eyes peeled for carved stone sculptures posing as caryatids.
The dictionary definition of a caryatid is: a supporting column sculpted in the form of a
draped female figure. We saw lots of men. And although we eventually found some women, none of them technically fit the exact definition of a caryatid. For the real thing you have to go to Athens, up to the Acropolis, and look for the porch of the Erechthion where you'll find the originals.
Artwork: designslinger]
On another sunny afternoon (we were so lucky with the weather) while walking down the
Avenue de L'Opera, tucked around a corner, I saw a pair of burly men with arms stretched overhead. It turned out that these two were on the Rue St. Roch bracketing the doorway of number 45, home of the Societe de Cuisiniers de Paris. The architect's name was etched into the facade, along with the date:
Bruno Pellissier, arch't. 1917.
The figure on the left looks like he's doing his best to fulfill his role holding up his portion
of the balcony, while also trying to keep his draped skirt from falling off. The other figure seems rather bored with the whole thing, scratching his head wondering, "What am I doing here?"
Because there are a number of these figures to be found around Paris, and because it
takes effort to crane your neck upward rather than cast your eyes down, or directly in front of you, I'm not sure many people notice them in the hustle and bustle of Parisian street life. But, I'm glad we saw those two guys on our first day - it made for a very interesting hunt as we took in all Paris had to offer.
Posted by designslinger at 4/22/2009 4:30 AM 
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Decorative Arts
Tags: caryatids Rue St. Roch Paris Rue des Tournelles Rue Reaumur Rue de Rivoli
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Decorative Arts
Tags: caryatids Rue St. Roch Paris Rue des Tournelles Rue Reaumur Rue de Rivoli
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