Paris in the rain can be magical
This is what cafés are made for.
Woody Allen’s film “Midnight in Paris” features eery and beautiful shots of Paris in the rain. You often see Paris in tourist photographs when the sun is shining and happy people are wearing shorts. A blue sky backdrops the Eiffel Tower, and the cafes are filled with interesting and stylish people.
But Paris in the rain has it’s own moody beauty. The cobblestones and ornate streetlights are slick and glistening, and the puddles flicker with raindrops. The people and buildings look soft and mysterious.
You’re usually chilled to the bone so you scuttle into a warm cafe. But if you’re up to it, a calm walk in the rain in Paris is a particular kind of experience.
I have revisited this subject a number of times in paintings and drawings. I’m still reaching for the atmosphere. The oil version of The Marais in the Rain is my most ambitious yet. It depicts the wet and winding streets where Haussmann pretty much left the neighborhood alone, and the older buildings dominate. It was a chilly day and we were on our way to an exhibition.
This was the scene before we gratefully entered warm and inviting gallery. But honestly the view outside was better than the one inside. Lmc
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