So many creative people are multi-talented and Irish poet Damien Donnelly is no exception. His poetry, which can be found on his blog at deuxiemepeaupoetry.com is both personal and universal and often prompts me to look deeply inside myself. You definitely should check out his website.
He is also a talented photographer. I was thrilled last Sunday to have the chance to spend some time with him as we photographed the inside of the Grand Palais in Paris. Here are some of his wonderful photos from that day.
Last Sunday, this masterpiece of beaux-arts architecture, le Grand Palais was open to the public for a few hours and I rushed in along with fantastic photographer, and now street sketch artist, Mike Powell, on one of his last days in Paris, in order to snap a little of the light under the glass.
All photographs by Damien B Donnelly
I love the gentle curves and the beautiful light.
It was absolutely amazing to be inside that large open space on a beautiful day. I haven’t gotten around to posting any photos from that day, so I decided to repost Damien’s shots, which, in case you are curious, he shot with an iPhone 11.
Wow! Thanks.
Awesome shots! I can just imagine how it must have felt to be inside!
Extraordinary !!! I have never been and now I see what I have missed. Thanks for sharing these incredible shots.
Amazing architecture, well photographed!
“Personal and universal”. Damien’s poetry is exactly that! Loved the phrase Mike, excellent description!
Damien’s words often stop me in my tracks and cause me to think–it’s part of the inner me that caused me to be attracted to 19th century French romantic poetry as a 20 year old studying in Paris.
Thanks for sharing Damien’s work. So much gorgeous architecture.
I was slow in processing my shots that I decided to share his when I saw how good they were. I had seen that building from the outside many times and it was a real treat getting a chance to go inside.
Great shots.
Wow.
In academic year 1970-71, my first year in Paris, I enrolled in the Université de Paris VII to study Russian language and history. (That’s another story!) Paris VII had its classes in the Grand Palais. But it looked nothing like this! I remember it as cold and drafty. I spent entire days inside it, wrapped up in a thick wool London bobby’s cape, shivering as I tried to pay attention to my professors, take notes, read, write, and study. Seeing it like this is amazing!
Are those people in oddly slanted positions skaters? I’m looking on my phone and can’t determine whether they have skates on, but they look like they are skating.
I think that is just the angle–I don’t believe they would have allowed folks inside with skates on and we did have to go through a security check to get in. I am not quite sure what the occasion was but they opened up the Grand Palais to photographers for a Sunday afternoon. There were quite a few people in line, but the huge space inside the structure made it look like there were not many folks there. In 1974-1975 I was a student of French literature in Université de Paris IV. Interestingly enough, I learned Russian while I was in the Army and eventually got a Masters degree at Georgetown in Russian Area Studies.
We certainly have a lot in common! I would love to meet you some day.