For thousands of years, people have turned to The Church for inspiration and answers.
Daily life can be hard, often full of troubling and perplexing moments.
What if you could find the spiritual guidance you seek combined
with cutting edge art that knocks you off your feet?
More Keith Haring than Peter Paul Rubens.
Oh wait, what if you could see both Rubens and Haring in one place?
Now that's diversity!
You'd want to see it, right?
Saint-Eustache is one of the great cathedrals of Paris.
It's hard to believe such a temple exists within easy walking distance from the more recognizable Notre Dame, but there it is, soaring upwards, reaching to the sky.
The neighborhood is cool, the music is cool, the art is cool.
Can a cathedral breathe new life into your Paris vacation?
You better believe it.
Daily life can be hard, often full of troubling and perplexing moments.
What if you could find the spiritual guidance you seek combined
with cutting edge art that knocks you off your feet?
More Keith Haring than Peter Paul Rubens.
Oh wait, what if you could see both Rubens and Haring in one place?
Now that's diversity!
You'd want to see it, right?
Saint-Eustache is one of the great cathedrals of Paris.
It's hard to believe such a temple exists within easy walking distance from the more recognizable Notre Dame, but there it is, soaring upwards, reaching to the sky.
The neighborhood is cool, the music is cool, the art is cool.
Can a cathedral breathe new life into your Paris vacation?
You better believe it.
Near famous market street rue Montorgueil, Saint-Eustache
quickens your pulse as soon as you approach it.
The architecture is mixed, mostly late Gothic and early Renaissance
but that's only half the story. Its welcoming position on Place René Cassin
surrounds you with greenery, smiling people and happy voices.
You're immediately drawn into a world of old and new.
A ginormous head and hand greet you.
The L'Écoute sculpture by French artist Henri Miller seems to let you
know your prayers will soon be answered.
The Listener seems to listen, really listen with his ear to the pavement.
Pretty refreshing in a world where so many of our conversations are one-way.
All around people stare at their phones when we want them to look into our eyes.
Multi-tasking schmulti-tasking, the world has become deaf and we welcome an open ear.
Children (and fun adults!) climb all over the magnificent sculpture.
We don't typically associate touchable art with a big cathedral.
A listening giant is tonic for the soul, even if he is made of stone.
So far so good?
quickens your pulse as soon as you approach it.
The architecture is mixed, mostly late Gothic and early Renaissance
but that's only half the story. Its welcoming position on Place René Cassin
surrounds you with greenery, smiling people and happy voices.
You're immediately drawn into a world of old and new.
A ginormous head and hand greet you.
The L'Écoute sculpture by French artist Henri Miller seems to let you
know your prayers will soon be answered.
The Listener seems to listen, really listen with his ear to the pavement.
Pretty refreshing in a world where so many of our conversations are one-way.
All around people stare at their phones when we want them to look into our eyes.
Multi-tasking schmulti-tasking, the world has become deaf and we welcome an open ear.
Children (and fun adults!) climb all over the magnificent sculpture.
We don't typically associate touchable art with a big cathedral.
A listening giant is tonic for the soul, even if he is made of stone.
So far so good?
Saint-Eustache is renowned for its concerts but few realize
it boasts the largest pipe organ in all of France.
With over 8,000 pipes, it was home to a special recital of Franz Liszt's Messiah in 1886.
Wrap your head around that -- cathedral acoustics & a giant organ playing The Messiah.
I'm not turning on the radio for the rest of the day.
Between the art and the music, you can't help but feel help God's presence nearby.
Walk into this great holy art gallery to "see" a sermon
and witness the calm and beauty of its art.
Artistic creativity makes us feel the artist's message, subject of course to personal interpretation -- but especially remarkable in a church devoted to iron-clad "truths".
As French author and Nobel Prize winner André Gide once said,
"Art is the collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better."
it boasts the largest pipe organ in all of France.
With over 8,000 pipes, it was home to a special recital of Franz Liszt's Messiah in 1886.
Wrap your head around that -- cathedral acoustics & a giant organ playing The Messiah.
I'm not turning on the radio for the rest of the day.
Between the art and the music, you can't help but feel help God's presence nearby.
Walk into this great holy art gallery to "see" a sermon
and witness the calm and beauty of its art.
Artistic creativity makes us feel the artist's message, subject of course to personal interpretation -- but especially remarkable in a church devoted to iron-clad "truths".
As French author and Nobel Prize winner André Gide once said,
"Art is the collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better."
This is the Keith Haring most of us recognize
| 
This is Keith Haring's Saint-Eustache triptych
|
Like many other French cathedrals, Saint-Eustache is blessed with an abundance
of traditional church art as well as beautiful stained glass windows.
But more than that, you'll be amazed to see a traditional Catholic edifice filled
with not just time-honored, acceptable artistry but also several contemporary
works of imagination and artful genius that will catch you off guard.
Keith Haring was an American artist and social activist who captured New York City's 1980's
street culture by daring to express concepts of birth, death, sexuality and war.
His work was often political, considered daring by some who read into the visual
suggestion of fear and confusion framed in his work.
Waring's Saint-Eustache triptych -- a three-paneled hinged work of art -- is
immediately recognizable to any student of his brand.
It's a departure from tradition - a zap to your senses rooted in this saint-like warehouse,
and yet there is something very traditional about it, too.
His battle to create awareness about the Aids epidemic, drug addiction and everyday real life reminds us, that even in a church that shies away from human sexuality
(especially homosexuality), art is often the leading edge for
a personal conversation with parishioners.
Another chapel contains a surprising and fun look at the local
Les Halles neighborhood the cathedral calls home.
The complex sculpture by Raymond Mason with the longest and most improbable name -- "Le départ des fruit et légumes du coeur de Paris le 28 février 1969" -- commemorates the
loss of the legendary Les Halles food market from the local community in the '60's.
It's an amusing departure from traditional religious art, quite cartoon-like in character.
The artist pays tribute to the "Belly of Paris", especially the market traders
who toiled long hours to bring fresh food to the people of Paris.
Another unexpected delight in a city filled with unpredictable charm.
Tickled pink in a Catholic church.
Gotta love that.
of traditional church art as well as beautiful stained glass windows.
But more than that, you'll be amazed to see a traditional Catholic edifice filled
with not just time-honored, acceptable artistry but also several contemporary
works of imagination and artful genius that will catch you off guard.
Keith Haring was an American artist and social activist who captured New York City's 1980's
street culture by daring to express concepts of birth, death, sexuality and war.
His work was often political, considered daring by some who read into the visual
suggestion of fear and confusion framed in his work.
Waring's Saint-Eustache triptych -- a three-paneled hinged work of art -- is
immediately recognizable to any student of his brand.
It's a departure from tradition - a zap to your senses rooted in this saint-like warehouse,
and yet there is something very traditional about it, too.
His battle to create awareness about the Aids epidemic, drug addiction and everyday real life reminds us, that even in a church that shies away from human sexuality
(especially homosexuality), art is often the leading edge for
a personal conversation with parishioners.
Another chapel contains a surprising and fun look at the local
Les Halles neighborhood the cathedral calls home.
The complex sculpture by Raymond Mason with the longest and most improbable name -- "Le départ des fruit et légumes du coeur de Paris le 28 février 1969" -- commemorates the
loss of the legendary Les Halles food market from the local community in the '60's.
It's an amusing departure from traditional religious art, quite cartoon-like in character.
The artist pays tribute to the "Belly of Paris", especially the market traders
who toiled long hours to bring fresh food to the people of Paris.
Another unexpected delight in a city filled with unpredictable charm.
Tickled pink in a Catholic church.
Gotta love that.
Is this fun or what? Raymond Mason's tribute to Les Halles
It took over 100 years to build St. Eustache.
It won't even take you 100 seconds to be cast in its magical spell.
Please, on your next trip to Paris, make sure to find this landmark cathedral
and walk the walk into a heavenly paradise of artistic and joyful pleasure.
It makes me think of a favorite old Beatles tune:
"Happy ever after in the market place
Molly lets the children lend a hand
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening she still sings it with the band
Yeah, ob-la-di, ob-la-da life goes on brah
La la how the life goes on
Yeah, ob-la-di, ob-la-da life goes on brah
La la how the life goes on
And if you want some fun take ob-la-di-bla-da"
Songwriters
LENNON, JOHN WINSTON / MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES
Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Saint Eustache is where life goes on and on and on....
Ob-la-di and Hail Mary, side by side.
It won't even take you 100 seconds to be cast in its magical spell.
Please, on your next trip to Paris, make sure to find this landmark cathedral
and walk the walk into a heavenly paradise of artistic and joyful pleasure.
It makes me think of a favorite old Beatles tune:
"Happy ever after in the market place
Molly lets the children lend a hand
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening she still sings it with the band
Yeah, ob-la-di, ob-la-da life goes on brah
La la how the life goes on
Yeah, ob-la-di, ob-la-da life goes on brah
La la how the life goes on
And if you want some fun take ob-la-di-bla-da"
Songwriters
LENNON, JOHN WINSTON / MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES
Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Saint Eustache is where life goes on and on and on....
Ob-la-di and Hail Mary, side by side.
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