Paris

A millionaire ordered Picasso: “Paint something for me!!” And with that Picasso responded: Très bien!. One day later, Picasso showed the millionaire a canvas with 5 stripes, telling him: 1 million $, s’il vous plait! The millionaire was shocked: “that is excessive!!” Picasso took back the painting and answered him very angrily: “if you only see 5 stripes, paint it yourself!!”

Manuela told me that story while we were having dinner in Le Grand Colbert and after our visit to the Louvre… we didn’t see the Gioconda, nor the Liberty guiding the people, and neither did we see the Venus of Milo… but a sketch about the Louvre’s glass pyramid made with charcoal by a street painter gave me a great idea: I would use it for the shop window I was suppose to decorate in Saint-Germain-des-prês.

Once we were back in Manuela´s attic in the Rue Fontaine, I leant out of the window. I could see the Moulin Rouge and the sails of its mill turning in red. Maybe it is a clichéd topic, but …. What a romantic city!!!

The next day, I showed my project to the manager of the boutique; telling her that it was inspired by the Pyramid of the Louvre… the manager, shocked, said: “it is excessive!!!” I was about to respond: “then do it yourself!!” But, instead of finishing my day having a walk with Manuela in Montmartre, and crying about the incomprehension of the art world, I decided that, obviously, I am still not the “Picasso” of decoration, and of course, I prefer to toast with Champagne though it couldn’t possibly be Don Perignon!!!