An Interest In:
Web News this Week
- April 3, 2024
- April 2, 2024
- April 1, 2024
- March 31, 2024
- March 30, 2024
- March 29, 2024
- March 28, 2024
A story of a building in Paris that's stood since the Crusades
750 Years in Paris is a historical graphic novel sans words as well as a stunning coffee table art book. Paris-based artist Vincent Mah (aka Mr. Bidon) illustrates 60 snapshots of the same building in Paris, spanning from the year 1265 with cows grazing in front of its humbler beginnings to 2015 in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo tragedy. With the smallest of details, from words of storefront signs to the clothing of people to the state of the building itself, Mah is able to subtly and masterfully inject humor, horror, nostalgia, historical facts and pride into his various images.
The back of the book has a timeline to help decipher some of the historical events revolving around the images. For instance, directly quoted from the book (and images shown above):
1515 Francis I is crowned king and enters the city in a lavish procession.
1804 Napoleons enthronement and imperial troops procession.
1915 World War 1.
2015 4 million in the streets defending freedom of speech.
As I began to write this review, the horror of Fridays terrorist attacks in Paris unfolded before the world, making this newly-released book all the more poignant and significant.
750 Years in Paris
by Vincent Mah
Nobrow
2015, 120 pages, 8.4 x 13 x 0.7 inches
$18 Buy a copy on Amazon
Original Link: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/QUPxTGCcAfA/a-story-of-one-building-in-par.html