Monday, October 30, 2017

Local (water) color

I was in a boulangerie (bakery) the other day to get some bread and I noticed a pile of these little maps on the counter. I took one, of course. The bakery is on the main road from the center of Saint-Aignan to the zoo, so there is the potential for a lot of tourist traffic. I thought the little water color of the château in Saint-Aignan was pretty. So now Saint-Aignan is a "village of character."

Saint-Aignan on the Cher River. The artist credited is Béatrice Angebert.

Inside, there is a little map of the town, as you'd expect, surrounded by a lot of ads for local businesses. On the flip side, there is a map of the region showing the locations of the big châteaux that are open for visits (Chambord, Cheverny, Chaumont, Chenonceau, et al.). The maps are not great, but adequate for a general idea of where things are. They are basically a vehicle for advertising local businesses.

10 comments:

  1. I'm intrigued by the shadows. The shadow of the bridge is on the left, while the shadow of the house, above, is on the right. So, where is the sun?

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  2. Ha. Like Ellen, I wondered about the shadows... although the watercolor is pleasing. I love maps, but I hate all the overwhelming ads in these kinds.

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  3. It's a nice picture. We sometimes go to Depot de Pain. Is that a bakery?

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  4. Ahhhh, you artists! I just looked at the buildings, and didn't notice where the shadows fell :)

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  5. Looking forward to before and after photos of Tasha.

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  6. I think that may be a reflection of the bridge on the water rather than a shadow?

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  7. I like those little handout maps, I use them to get a sense of what's in and around a town. And what a charming painting of your chateau. Mme Angebert seems quite talented, shadows notwithstanding.

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  8. well I agree it's got character

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  9. ellen, the blue/gray shape on the water seems to be the reflection of the bridge, but the shadow and sunlight pattern under the arches is curious...

    mitch, the map itself is framed by the ads, with little number to show where each business is located.

    andrew, in France, a dépot de pain is not a bakery, but another shop where bread can be obtained on days when the local bakery is closed (some other bakery delivers their bread to the dépot to be sold there).

    judy, I didn't notice at first, either.

    sheila, I have "after" photos...

    evelyn, :)

    wilma, yes, on the water. Look under the arches. How does the sun get where it is?

    emm, hopefully, they help out-of-towners find things they need.

    michael, and it's full of characters! ;)

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