Cimiez, Nice, France
I have no idea how a big city boy from Toronto, surrounded by 50 year old buildings (100 years old would have been ancient!) become interested in scenes such as this.
Eleven years ago, I planned to spend extra days in Riga, Latvia, to scour the streets for Eisenstein facades. Eisenstein was one of the masters of the new style, Jugensdstil; every block or so, you’d look up and see the topless maidens, bouquets of flowers and scary scary gargoyles that define the period.
Art Nouveau, in English.
The buildings and façades of La Belle Epoque in Nice are not nearly as flamboyant, but I still get that giddy feeling from walking the neighbourhoods of New Town, the port area, and Cimiez, close to the Chagall museum.
Pig heaven, I think they call it.
I have a whole swack of photos that, one day, and if I ever become famous for something other than my understated humility, might combine into a photo exhibition called “Looking Up at Buildings”.
In the meantime, it was a treat to be able to see this façade at eye level, without the mind converging effects of perspective. So simple, yet so elegant.