Four Days in Paris

A photographic record of my visit to Paris in September 2000

Photographs by John Ball except where otherwise indicated

Day 3 (continued)

After lunch, I spent some time in Place du Tertre, watching the portrait artists at work.

Above: Place du Tertre, with artists' stalls in the tree-shaded central area, surrounded by cafés, restaurants, and bars.

On the left is La Mère Catherine restaurant, which, in 1814, was a favourite eating place of Russian Cossacks. When they wanted quick service, they would bang on the table and shout "Bistro" (Russian for "quick"). Thus it was here that the first bistro was born.


Above and below: Portrait artists at work in the Place du Tertre.

As well as producing portraits with a brush, charcoals, or pastels, a few artists were creating silhouettes with paper and scissors. I couldn't resist one fellow's sales patter and was truly impressed with the result of 60 seconds-worth of slick snipping. Compare his creation (below left) with my own photographic silhouette (below right).

Above: Another artist at work.	Above: Along Rue de Chevalier, the bell-tower of the Sacré Coeur reaches for the heavens.

Post-script - April 2001
My photos of Montmartre and the Place du Tertre prompted a fascinating e-mail from my friend Nicole in the USA, who was born and brought up in Montmartre. She sent me some delightful childhood memories from the period of German occupation of France in the Second World War, together with a street map of Montmartre and some relevant historical background. She has kindly given permission for me to include her memories on my website.
Nicole writes:
"Place du Tertre didn't always have painters in the centre of the Place (square). During the German occupation, all members of my mother's family lived in or near our apartment building in Rue Paul Albert. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and little cousins would meet at Place du Tertre every Sunday afternoon for pastry and drinks at open-air cafés that had tables, umbrellas and waiters in the centre of the square. We children would run around the chairs looking for cigarette butts, to save the tobacco for my grandfather's pipe; tobacco was hard to find in those days.

Click here to enjoy more of Nicole's reminiscences and study her map.

A short walk took me from the Place du Tertre to the steps of the Sacré Coeur from where one can look south-eastwards, out across the city of Paris (below).


Above: A street musician playing and singing at the steps of the Sacré Coeur.	Above: Nearby, another musician was coaxing beautiful sounds from his double bass.
Right: These old footsteps led me down from the heights of Montmartre, tired but happy. Now join me on Day 4 of my exploration of Paris. Four Days in Paris menu page.