SOLD Claudette Revisits Paris
$1200 24x36
Claudette loves Paris, and whenever there, she spends an afternoon at the Eiffel Tower. On her first trip there, she read about the history of the Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built as a main attraction at the 1889 World Fair. It was first called the 300-Meter Tower, being the first building ever constructed to such a height. Later, it took the name of the man who built it, Gustave Eiffel.
She loved the fact that during the planning and construction of the Tower, controversy about it raged in the art world. A letter signed by 47 well known French artists protested…. “with all our strength, all our indignation, …. in the name of art …, against the erection, in the heart of our capital, of the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower...” In the end, thanks to its stature and daring design, over 2 million toured it the first year.
Some of the protesters remained unconvinced. Guy de Maupassant, regarded as the best French writer of short stories, supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day because it was the one place in Paris where the Tower was not visible!
On eating out, Claudette recognizes that she is responsible for her own happiness and has no problem going out and getting it. One of her favourite sayings is: “I know what I bring to the table, and believe me, I’m not afraid to eat alone”. While there, Claudette makes her way to the Champagne Bar at the top of the Tower to have a glass of bubbly and contemplate the view…. alone.
