From the moment I found myself at the base of the ramparts at Château Royal d’Amboise, a grotesque, morbid sensation settled across my shoulders, then a pressure leaned in against my right arm and I stiffened. “I died here,” a voice whispered. Earlier that morning, while I bought roses and baguettes and began my winding procession through the cobblestone streets, the same voice drew me closer.
Historical Paris is a city filled with ornate churches and people who lost their heads. When I travelled to the City of Light in 2019 to research Woman On The Wall, I didn’t really get it. But, I wanted to. I wasn’t interested in the Eiffel Tower (never even got close to it), Versailles (too far away), or even the Champs-Élysées. I needed to touch faith and death and headed for the only place I knew I could do both—the Île de la Cité.
The Lady and the Unicorn rained magic upon me. A Mon Sevl Desir – According to my will only. There she stood—a queen, a goddess, emerging from her royal pavilion. She planned to return the magnificent jewels once bestowed upon her to a faithful servant for safekeeping. Fantastical bestiary of the forest ensure her passage…
It’s true, the Mona Lisa has a twin who lives in Spain. The Prado in Madrid has been home to what many considered a knock-off for years. Until it came down for restoration a few years ago, no one even knew that there was scenery behind a layer of black paint. Now, it turns out…