A review of Rouge et Blues on the blog “So the wind won’t blow it all away”

The complete review is here

A few years ago, end of 1985. I was visited by a suit & tie, representative in encyclopedias. He wanted to sell me the Universalis. Did not succeed. The following week, was back and wanted art talking. Had the books that go with, a whol’ Time Life coll’. Masterpieces of painting, as it is called. He showed me one : the Impressionists but I asked him to look at th’one ’bout Primitives with a superb Antonello in coverage. “Of course”, he told me and, pronto, gave me th’book in question. (D’you believ’ me ?) chance made I opened it on page 53 where the painter came from Sienna. His name was Simone Martini. Who, it was written in there (it still is), “has spread Gothic style in Italian Painting.”

Some five or six months later. The next year. Was hangin’ around town and, at a table, in a bar, who did I see? Sir Universalis Timelife himself. Behind a beer, noding the head (in rhythm I believe) and listening to Idunnowha’ on his walkm’n. Saw me and waved hello com’ on, take a seat and drink somethin’. Why not, inside me I said, because I wanted to know what he was listenin’ to. Called the waiter. Martini, I said. Him, another picon-biere. While we’re waiting for our drinks, I asked him. 1986, ’round april or may, if you remember well, it was chris rea’s madness. Kind of.

How do I reach Fabrice Collette from here? I don’t know but I think that Sir Universalis would have loved swallowing beers or miles in the company of “rouge & blues”.

You will find other declinations of martini in contrast podcast 87.