Love in the North

As a follow up to Raymond Peynet's ethereal vision of love, and not to forget the wind of love that blows over the world for a couple days.... I felt it was only fair to also pay tribute to another famous French illustrator, Francisque Poulbot, and his eponymous creations. A "Poulbot" is a picture of a typical "titi parisien", in other words a street kid from Paris, and since the Loire pretty much divides France between North and South, Paris, for all intents and purposes, is considered to be in the northern part of France. ( I am soo tempted to say "le NOOOORRRR" like Michel Galabru says in Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis, but that would be a diversion from the topic at hand.)

In his paintings, his "titis" are always centre stage, but Paris is also strongly present. You often see reminders of the setting, the Eiffel Tower (above) ...

Notre-Dame...

The Arc de Triomphe.

The Pont Neuf

Interesting how bridges and benches seem to be part of lovers-lore. Why is this? Is it their hormonal "in-love"state of mind which allows them to be the only people on Earth who have time to sit down, and watch the world go by?

Interesting also how these kids, with distinctively young faces - these are not adolescents - seem to be involved with one another, in a very tender relationship. Where Peynet's pen is light and elegant, Poulbot's brush is loud and somewhat garish. Poulbots are not considered high art in France. There is something very kitch, and bad taste in a way, but also very tramp-like, Chaplin-esque about these,. This might explain why I am so fond of them.

Real life Poulbots? Hell yes, larger than life even!... Edith Piaf, a kid from the street, singing a very sad love song in English here...

And Renaud, who single-handedly put Parisian slang back on the cultural map, merci Renaud.

Spécial Paulinette :-), my favourite blog-writer, in the whole world.

Yours truly