Parisienne au rond-point des Champs-Élysées 

Jean Béraud captured a Parisian woman at the Champs-Élysées with oil on canvas. The fountain, with its dynamic play of water, takes center stage. Fountains, historically, have been symbols of life and purity. In ancient Rome, they were integral to urban life, providing water and serving as gathering places. The fountain's presence here reminds me of the Trevi Fountain, where water's vitality is celebrated. Water's symbolic power is ancient; think of baptismal rites, purification, and the mythological rivers that demarcate the underworld. It has always been an emotional symbol, evoking the subconscious. The endless flow of water suggests time's relentless passage and life's continuous renewal. The fountain's persistent symbolism has traversed cultures and epochs, reflecting our deepest needs and desires. Like a dream, it is elusive yet deeply significant, echoing through art and memory, forever renewed.