Le Palais de Justice by Constantin Kluge
Constantin Kluge’s cityscape, Le Palais de Justice, depicts the Place Saint-Michel, a square in Paris located on the left bank of the River Seine. It is formed by the intersection of the Boulevard Saint Michel, the Rue Danton, and the Quai des Grands Augustins. The river lies out of view below the stone embankment. But on the opposite bank, the titular building containing the Paris public prosecutors’ offices rises in the background.
Le Palais de Justice offers a rich sensory experience. It combines Kluge’s typical impressionistic aesthetic with his precision in representing the buildings of Paris, recalling his training as an architect. The faint suggestions of the pedestrians’ reflections on the sidewalk indicate recent rainfall in Paris. You then realize that the green tint characterizing most of the work is being created by the trees being reflected in the puddles below. With the smell of old stone quenched by the rain and the aroma of the flowers outside the storefront, any viewer can’t help but have their imaginations transported to a rainy day in mid-century Paris.
Le Palais de Justice by Constantin Kluge