Paris Commune, 1871 is a multi-layered painting of a bird’s eye view of a Paris street scene that captures the energy, history and beauty of this mythic city. I wanted to treat the subject and place with a sense of mystery but keep it accessible to the eye, allowing the viewer to appreciate the composition and deliberate color choices in the painting. The bric-a-brac suggestion of meandering roads and alleys evoke a bygone era but also Paris’ rich and vital history. Many battles have occurred on these streets and it was important to me to make that clear in this piece, hence my use of smoky hues and smatterings of blood red and gun metal grays. The dots signify the feeling that at some point in history something important has happened on almost every street corner in Paris. The names of famous and obscure Parisians who fought during the commune siege function as street signs or destinations and more than a few actually do have streets named after them. The painting as a whole then becomes a travelogue for the mind’s eye with points of interest, familiar places as well as romantic destinations. I would hope viewers that are interested in this piece would wander into the historically rich and fascinating times of the Paris Commune, 1871.

Paris Commune, 1871

Mixed media on panel, 30” x 40”

2014