Oil on cardboard – 8 x 8 inch – Unique work

Caesar the lizard really wants to get to know Paris. He has heard about it since his childhood. His parents, his grandparents, his aunts, his uncles, his cousins speak of the capital, like always. Obviously, his whole family is crazy about this city. He is the only one, him the youngest, to have not seen with his own eyes the legendary beauty of the great lady. He has made up his mind, tonight, he is escaping from home. He has prepared his backpack with some food, a flask of fresh water. Now he is ready to leave his native Burgundy, his village of Charbuy.

Caesar crosses the gates of Paris at dawn. He is impressed by the size of the sidewalks, the various smells both delicious and nauseating, the height of the buildings, the gigantic pedestrian crossings, the deafening noises. And, he only met a few people. The night he has just spent under the stars is certainly one of the most beautiful nights of his short life, if not the most beautiful. Although, the closer he got to civilization, the more distant and dull they seemed.

As he crosses various streets, Caesar has a heartfelt thought for his family. At this hour, his mother must be worried about his absence. Of course he left a handwritten note prominently on his pillow. But he knows her, that’s not going to be enough. She won’t understand. He was figuring out his morning reflection when he suddenly sees in front of him a bridge which he would describe as sublime. He can’t take his eyes off this splendour. This metal, this endless arch. This incredible possibility of reaching the other side of the water. If his memory is correct, it is the Seine.

He sees a mooring bollard on the quay side of the 8th arrondissement near this bridge called Alexandre III, Caesar decides to stand for a few moments at this place which allows him to have a perfect view of this technical feat, to take advantage of the sun which has just risen and which will gradually warm his body, to simply rest after a long night of travel and adventure. He closes his eyes, he opens them again, then starts again. He has certainly reached a state of perfect bliss. A thought creeps through his mind. He could stay there forever, a lizard in Paris.