Trey and I were at my father’s law firm recently, updating our wills before the big trip–you can never be too prepared, and I noticed this watercolor hanging above where my mom used to sit at her desk. She was my dad’s secretary at the law office. There were actually a pair of pictures and I wanted both of them, but, being the good sister that I am I gave one to my sister. Also, Dad said “Give one of those to your sister”. And, he followed up the next day with “Did you give your sister her picture?”
I had never noticed these pieces of art before, probably because I’ve never been in the midst of planning a trip to Paris before. Anyway, I LOVE it. It reminds me of my mom. They bought it from the artist, Marius Girard, outdoors on a street lined with other artists somewhere in Paris. My dad says this one includes a mistake and that they got a discount on it, maybe 3 or so Euros, or Francs, or whatever the currency was in 1969 when they visited Paris. You can see the darker color at the base of the tower on the right. That’s the mistake. Out of curiosity, I googled the artist, Marius Girard. He was born in either 1926 or 1927 in Rheims, France and may still be living. He sold his work on the streets of Montmartre.
A quick online search indicates our paintings may be worth several hundred dollars, but to me they are priceless mementos reminding me of my mom. As I sit here this morning looking at her painting, remembering her and looking forward to our trip, I wonder how many times she sat at her desk looking at the paintings remembering their time in Paris.