Christian Guémy: When Street Art meets French History in Paris

I’ve been seeing Christian Guémy stencils for a while when I walk around the Marais in Paris. It is true that at first glance it’s difficult to associate Street Art and French Royal History. And yet this renowned stencil artist offers us a beautiful open-air history lesson. There is the King Louis XIII in the middle of rickety scaffolding. Pierre Corneille and Molière walking on the Seine’s banks… All these great names of the French History are part of a most specific period called the “Grand Siècle” – Big Century-; because it was the most prolific artistically and intellectually period, while France shine in the greatest royal courts of Europe.

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Some of these illustrious, even sulphurous characters, such as the delicious Montespan, are juxtaposed with cut stone’s buildings which themselves experienced this Grand Siècle in the Parisian Marais. As if Christian Guémy had wanted to reinstall the soul of these characters in their original homes. Not surprisingly, the locations of the artworks have been carefully considered, and this gallery of characters is found in its environment of yesteryear; place of life, work or stroll. The contrast with today’s world is still striking and funny enough that we get caught up in trying to find all these figures from another century spray out of electrical boxes!

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It this tempts you, while you’re visiting Paris, you can get the map of all the artworks on the Paris City hall website. Or you can decide to get lost in the Marais; which will give you the opportunity to discover other Street Art’s works 😉

 

The steep streets of the Marais are full of Street Art… sometimes well hidden!

If like me, you stray a bit from the Grand Siècle du Marais map, you will enjoy discovering many works of Street Art, but also dead ends completely covered with graffiti and tags of all kinds. Le Marais being a very small district, I am not going to give you a complete guided tour of it; just give you to see some artworks that could perhaps make you want to get lost.

Si vous êtes fan d’histoire ou de pochoir, vous pourrez découvrir d’autres œuvres de Christian Guémy liées à l’histoire de France dans mon article « Le Street Art au Panthéon avec l’artiste Christian Guémy ». Vous l’avez compris cet artiste est passionné par certaines périodes de l’histoire de France ; mais sachez qu’il a aussi joué un rôle très important dans l’histoire du Street Art à Vitry-sur-Seine où il a contribué à faire de cette ville un incontournable du Street Art international !

If you are fan of History or stencil, you can discover other artworks by Christian Guémy related to the French History in my article “Fantastic stencil done by Christian Guémy around the Parisian Panthéon”. you’ve certainly understand that Christian Guémy is passionate about certain periods of our French History, but know that he also played a very important role in the History of Street Art in Vitry-sur-Seine, where he helped make this city a must in the international Street Art Court!

I’ll let you surf the blog to make great discoveries, and I’m going to put on my sneakers; because I promised on my Facebook a discovery of Street Art in the 19th district of Paris along the Ourcq canal!

See you soon for new Street Art adventures 😉