Un après-midi dans les jardins du Luxembourg

One of the first places I love to hit when I arrive in Saint Germain, is the Luxembourg Gardens. It's easily my favorite park that I've visited here, and the second largest in Paris. The park and chateau were designed for Marie de Medici by Salomon de Brosse to recreate her home away from home, namely the Palazzo Pitti in Florence.  Having spent significant time in Florence, and lived in Oltrano, the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens remain my favorite part of those memories I have of Italy.  I used to paint there, going into the gardens on viale della Meridiana, with some blood oranges, boar sausage and a brick of parmesan, and spend the day. Its remarkable the similarities between the two chateaus.  Last year, I painted here and it was a wonderful moment to bring the two experiences, overalapping in many ways, together.

One of my favorite images is Sargent's wonderful painting of the gardens at dusk.  The octagonal-shaped pond is seen on the right of his painting and seems to be one of the main attraction inside.

When I was there today, as is often the case, people of all ages were there, sunning themselves, playing with their children (many of them rent wooden sailboats which are painted in the national colors of different countries with the flags of the countries on the masts), reading, talking and just enjoying being outside.

Another really interesting thing that is here, is Bartoli's bronze maquette of the Statue of Liberty, given to the USA in the 1880's. There's a placard below the bronze discussing more specifically the details of the gift.

My favorite anecdote today though was something my colleague, Steve, shared with me. A poem which I was completely unaware of, regarding the carousel inside the gardens. Poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) was Rodin's secretary and apparently was so inspired by the approach Rodin had to some of his work, that he began writing observational poetry. There's a wooden carousel that was installed in the park in the early 1900's. Rilke wrote:


Under its canopy, in the shade it casts,
turns a world with painted horses,
all from a land that lingers a while
before it disappears.
Some, it's true, are harnessed to a wagon,
but all have valor in their eyes.
A fierce red lion leaps among them,
and here comes 'round a snow-white elephant.

Even a stag appears, straight from the forest,
except for the saddle he wears, and,
buckled on it, a small boy in blue.

And a boy in white rides the lion,
gripping it with small clenched hands,
while the lion flashes teeth and tongue.

And here comes 'round a snow-white elephant.

And riding past on charging horses come girls,
bright-eyed, almost too old now for this children's play.
With the horses rising under them,
they are looking up and off to what awaits.

And here comes 'round a snow-white elephant.

Children are still riding the carousel today, trying to get a gold ring on their sticks as they pass by.

After several hours (and several espressos), I walked back to get ready for dinner.