Place Saint Michel, Notre Dame 

Edouard Cortes painted this view of Place Saint Michel and Notre Dame in oil, capturing a moment in the timeless city of Paris. The cathedral looms large, a symbol of faith and the enduring spirit of the city. Its presence here echoes ancient traditions, where sacred structures dominated urban landscapes. Consider the flower stall in the foreground. Flowers, since antiquity, have been potent symbols of life, death, and rebirth, appearing in countless rituals and artworks. Recall Botticelli's "Primavera," where Flora scatters blossoms, embodying renewal. Here, the flowers soften the rigid geometry of the city, offering a fleeting, sensory contrast to the enduring stone of Notre Dame. This juxtaposition touches on a deeper psychological truth: the eternal dance between the transient and the permanent, the sacred and the everyday. Just as the cathedral has witnessed centuries of change, the flower stall reminds us of the ephemeral beauty that punctuates our lives. The scene invites us to contemplate the layers of history and memory embedded in this iconic place.