Monday 13 May 2013

Lyon's Incredible Trompe L'Oeil Murals

Lyon is the cpital of Europe for trompe l'oeil murals. There are more than 65 in the town itself and about 150 in the whole 'lyonnaise' conurbation. Here are a few of them I was delighted to see again when I went home during the Easter holidays.
 
The 'Mur des Ecrivains' was  painted by 'Cité de la Création' artists on a building on the corner of rue de la Platière and quai de la Pêcherie. It features references to about 300 writers who were born in Lyon or worked there. It isn't easy but if you look carefull you can see references to Frédéric Dard (the prolific crime writer of the San Antonio series), poetess Louise Labé, Rabelais and Voltaire, and to Saint-Exupery - French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator and author of  'Le Petit Prince'.



On the ground floor you can see three book shops and a postman leaning against the wall.
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
I couldn't resist including this powerful and passionate poem by sixteenth-century poetess Louise Labé. 

Sonnet II -  Your Cold, Appraising Eyes

Your cold, appraising eyes entice me still
And cause a hundred thousand sighs.  Again,
And yet again, I wait and wait in vain.
The night is dark, the way is all uphill.

And when I dream about you, I am filled
With ceaseless turmoil and long-stifled pain.
Then, on a sudden, flashing through my brain,
I see my fate, and it’s a bitter pill.

Into the deep of night, I speak your name.
My hard-fought struggle with the gentle art
Of making verses cannot long subdue

All passion and desire.  A fit of flame
Flares up, ignites, and burns within my heart.
Would that one red-hot spark might fly on you!

 Another very famous mural is The 'Mur des Lyonnais', also painted by 'Cité de la Création. Located on the corner of 49 Quai Saint Vincent and 2 Rue de la Martinière, it features 30 famous people from Lyon on a surface of 800 m2.

 
You will find there Sainte Blandine, one of the first Christian martyrs of Lyon, restaurateur Paul Bocuse, the Lumière brothers (who played a crucial role in the development of photography and the cinema), 19th century physician Claude Bermand, Laurent Mourguet who created the famous Canut puppet Guignol and many others.



I will also mention Juliette Récamier who was born in 1777 in Lyon and held an illustrious 'salon' in Paris in the early 19th century, just because she gave her name to the secondary school I attended!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
The oldest, largest and most famous mural is the 'Mur des Canuts', located of course in the Croix-Rousse district of Lyon, where so many silk-workers lived and worked. It was the Cité de la Création's first mural and the one which made them famous all over the world.
 
Now, what is real and what is just a painting? I guess you'll have to go to Lyon to find out!
 
 
There are many more murals to discover in Lyon.
For more information, visit http://www.en.lyon-france.com/
 

 

 

12 comments:

  1. Oh, Marie, these murals are amazing! I've never seen anything like them. Fascinating, and what extraordinary work. And I love the little teaser ... Thanks for sharing, Diane.

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  2. Thank you so much Diane for visiting and for your comment. Yes, they are fabulous, aren't they? And they are even more incredible when you see them for real.

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  3. Fantastic photos, Marie. Magnifique! And I LOVED the poem. I must have a try at reading it in French :) Thanks for posting them - they reminded me how beautiful Lyon is.

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  4. Thank you Helena! I am glad you liked the murals. As for the poem I find it incredible that it was written at that time, and by a woman. You can really feel her passion and her love in every single verse.

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  5. Oh wow, those are breathtaking! I've always had a thing for trompe l'oeil murals.

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  6. They are wonderful indeed, and well worth the trip to Lyon. Not to mention the beautiful Renaissance buildings in the old town, but then again I am biased! Thanks for visiting Tammy.

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  7. These are awesome! Make me want to take a trip just to see them :)

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  8. Thank you Meradeth! I am glad you like them. It was tough to choose between them all, I may post some more one day.

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  9. Awesome photos. Thanks for sharing Meradeth! Looks great!

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    1. Hello Nas! Thank you for visiting the blog.

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  10. Hi Marie! It was good to see you on Meradeth Houston's blog when I was her guest on Friday! Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words!

    The Lion's Embrace sounds really intriguing! Congrats!!

    Take care, and thanks again!

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  11. Thank you Lauren for visiting and following the blog! I hope to get in touch with you again soon!

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