Turning the corner, I saw this arch and for a moment, thought it was the famous Arc De Triomphe. It turned out to be Porte Saint-Denis, a beautiful structure, set in a startling way in the middle of typical Paris streets. It was built by Louis XIV to replace a Medieval portcullis that once guarded the walled city. Paris quickly outgrew the walls and they became irrelevant. They were torn down, leaving only the gate. Apparently this became dilapidated and was also torn down , to be replaced by the current arch.

I was struck by the strangeness of the scene, and integrated that feeling into the painting.