I have a few more images for my coverage of the Grand Foyer at the Opéra Garnier. While the first two posts featured the entire room and its hefty chandeliers, today, I have closeups of the room.

I don’t know if the Napoleon III interior style requires consistency in detail or if everything goes as long as you add more elaborate carvings. However, the designs seem to differ by location. The gold appears to be the unifying element.

The first and second pictures work together, showing the ceiling detail above the fireplace. Notice how the color palette of the paintings doesn’t match. Is this because of the lighting? I suppose most people will never notice, but as a photographer, consistency in color is something I strive for.

These details are on the eastern end of the Grand Foyer.

In the center of the room is one of a few doorways that leads to the central atrium. While I was mesmerized when I was there and did not scrutinize the interior, the style of this doorway seems noticeably different from the detailing shown in the first two pictures. There’s nothing wrong with this, and the room is still remarkable. However, it shows that the overall feel of the room is more important than consistency.

My engineering, systems, and design biases predispose me to consistency and reproducibility. However, maybe artists and creatives don’t think this way.

Blog readers, you’ll love my free monthly photography magazine. Signup for the free magazine to get articles and topics not discussed on the blog.