The Artists of Montmartre

Despite the seedy night life, which has rather tarnished the reputation of Montmartre, it has managed to maintain its sense of artistry and charm. Nowhere else during our European stay have people been so welcoming and open to conversation. This may be because most of them are trying to sell you something, but there seems to be a genuine interest behind it all. For example, when walking down one of the busier streets on the hill beneath Sacre Coeur, we stumbled upon an artist who was so taken by the girls he insisted they have their portraits done. Strangely, he insisted he not do it himself since he would not be able to properly represent them, so he sought out another artist who he knew could capture children well. During the entire sitting, he (Francois), kept gushing over Pauline and the girls, genuinely interested in what combination of lineage produced such features. Pauline has always felt a connection to her Polish heritage, but to her dismay was told by Francois to ditch this side of her in favor of her German heritage, due to the Polish being too brooding and sad.

Here are Isabelle and Camille during their sitting with the artist who finally drew them. Unfortunately, we never got his name, and his signature on the portrait is indecipherable.

-JP