For those of you who know and love Paris, or photography, please consider visiting Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris at the National Gallery. The exhibition closes this Sunday, January 5.
Though not a household name, Marville was an extraordinary photographer working at an extraordinary moment. Hired to document the ancient streets of Paris before their demolition in the 1860s , he left a riveting and haunting record of a city on the cusp of modernity, looking both forward and backward at once. As you can see from the attached, his prints are glorious and place him squarely in the pantheon of the greatest photographers of that city--at least, according to the Wall Street Journal.
And if that's not enough to intrigue you, note that the Garden Cafe (in the west building) is featuring a menu designed by Michel Richard. There's a light bouillabaisse, a rich mousse au chocolat, duck confit, cheese board, a nice, minty carrot salad, etc--all for 20.75. Perfect place to take Aunt Mildred or your mom for a nice lunch. Plus you can also see the new Van Gogh acquisition upstairs.
nota bene: I have been involved in this exhibition, so I am by no means objective (I do not work for the restaurant however).
National Gallery of Art, Charles Marville Exhibition Web Page
