French Postcards

Paris, October 1994
Dean Gustafson, the extraordinary painter who created last issue's cover portrait of Proust, and this issue's portrait of Marcel Purroust (as well as our signature madeleines) is in Europe this fall. In Paris he made a pilgrimage to Proust's addresses, including his final place of rest in Pere Lachaise, and sent these cards and photographs.

Somehow it is fitting that these drawings should have been done in October, as all of Proust's changes of residence of any consequence occurred in this month. In October of 1900, he moved with his family to 45 rue de Courcelles, and in the same month six years later to his most famous address, 102 Boulevard Haussman. Proust was evicted from Boulevard Haussman when his aunt and landlady sold the building to a bank. It is still a bank (with a commemorative plaque), under renovation while Dean was sketching.

The one address Dean didn't make it to was his last on rue Hamelin, to which Proust moved in October of 1919; athough the rue Hamelin address was considered a temporary residence, until larger and finer quarters could be found, Proust never moved again. He died there in 1922. Perhaps when Dean returns to Paris in December he will complete the Proustour, and our charming collection of postcards.
Please email P with your letters and comments.

Revisit the Table of Contents or Turn the page

This page brought to you by:
vision@well.com
and:
cynsa@well.com