Jardin des Tuileries, Paris

Ah, the days of summer… (how else could I follow Eddie and Dom?)

Like our Central Park here in New York, Jardin des Tuileries is one of those parks where you can grab a chair (or a bench) for free and sit wherever you like, (hence why I loved drawing there so much).

The Jardin des Tuileries is Paris’s most central garden. It connects the Louvre with the Place de la Concorde and forms a part of the large central axis between the Louvre and La Defense.

Although, like all things worth fighting for, all was not always peaceful in these tranquil gardens. Quite the contrary. It was here where Louis the XVI and Marie Antoinette were held prisoner in the palace, after being routed from Versailles during the French Revolution, and it was also here where the siege at the Tuileries by the Parisian mob at the close of the revolution in 1893 left a thousand dead.

The Tuileries Gardens were one of the first urban green spaces in history to open to the public, and have served as a proto-type for public gardens across Europe. (Even at that time, the gardens boasted cafes and kiosks, a place where people of all social classes could meet and relax). On the cusp of America’s celebration of independence this coming fourth of July it seems only appropo to honor it’s philosophy. Really, how cool … a place where all social classes can come together and JUST BE.

Happy Birthday America! – Michele