I recently discovered an interesting article about the 1920's British couple,
Although well known & respected in their day as artists & prolific travel writers, they have been virtually forgotten today. What really caught my attention about this spunky couple was not only their creative & free spirited lifestyle, but also their connection to the village of Najac, France.
They lived & painted in Najac in the year 1923, writing the book
Because Najac is one of my favorite places & very near where I spend my summers in France, I am most anxious to read this book about their experiences. It will be interesting to view village life 91 years ago through an artist's eyes.
Looking at this painting of Najac by Cora Gordon I recognize it immediately & can see that not a lot has changed.
Above is a photo I took last summer & below a photo from the 1920s.
I love the slate roof tiles in Najac.
Could these dormers I shot last summer be the two in the photo below?
Here I am walking underneath the covered portico one can see below.
Really it seems very little is different.
The old fountain is still pretty much the same.
From this old post card one can see that everything is much as it was, except for perhaps what people are wearing.
With France on my mind today, I am hooking up with Paulita on An Accidental Blog for her Dreaming of France meme.
Love this post and I look forward to the book. Your pictures are so full of life. The painting really captures the spirit of the village. Thanks for playing along today. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea to show us the old village and now the present village. It's fun to see that some things have not changed much!
ReplyDeleteSome of these French villages have that timeless quality which your photos have demonstrated beautifully. I rather like the style of that painting too so I'm off to investigate the links yo have given.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I love about Europe is that they don't tear things down to make way for the next new thing -- all chromy and industrial or contemporary. You CAN look at a town in the 20s and the 2000s and see the place it was. I love these -- bet it's a terrific book -- hope you will share a review!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great sense of continuity and so interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this!
Ruby
Lovely photos. Amazing to stand there in modern time and see something the same as it was in the past.
ReplyDeleteA real connection with history.
It's amazing to step back in time and wonderful to find things and places still in their place and as they were so many years ago!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, must look into this further. I like the painting and views of the old town. I really like Buis Les Baronnies in Drome with similar arches. Yes here is a little unusual weather wise, warmer than normal. In today painting but been busy gardening for a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous place, I can see why you love the area so much. I really like your paired photos. Knowing an area like that will make any history more relevant and interesting.
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