Gift guide
Gifts for Francophiles: the one French gift they'll keep forever
Every Francophile already owns the Eiffel Tower mug, the Paris calendar and the striped shirt. What they don't have is France's real treasure on their wall: three pages every French person knows. An Apollinaire calligram, Victor Hugo's Tomorrow, at Dawn and Proust's madeleine, in the original French, as a set of three prints printed and shipped from a studio near you.
Why is this THE gift for a Francophile?
Because it brings together what France has that lasts forever: its language. Three texts every French person learned at school, three ways of writing: a poem you look at, a poem you recite, a page of a novel you savor.
Your Francophile already has the mug, the calendar and the cookbook. Nobody has these three pages on their wall. And they love them even with rusty French: the shape is seen before the words are understood, and each product page tells the story of the text in English.
Give the literary set of 3
Three 20x28 in prints · printed near you · most orders arrive in 5 business days
Heart Crown and Mirror: a poem you look at
On the left, a calligram by Guillaume Apollinaire, published in Calligrammes in 1918: the words "Mon cœur pareil à une flamme renversée", my heart like an upside-down flame, draw a heart in black ink. You recognize it from across the room and read the poem up close.
It is the piece that makes guests smile: a poem that is also a drawing, proof that the French language can play.
Tomorrow, at Dawn: the poem the French know by heart
In the center, Demain, dès l'aube, Victor Hugo's poem from Les Contemplations (1856). Three stanzas written for his daughter Léopoldine, that many French people can still recite from memory.
Set like a page from a book, centered on a cream background under an italic title, it gives the set its calm. It is the heart of the wall, the one you reread in passing.
Proust's madeleine: a page of a novel on the wall
On the right, the most famous page of Swann's Way (1913): the narrator dips a piece of madeleine into lime-blossom tea, and all of Combray comes back to him, the Sunday mornings, aunt Léonie.
Set like a real page from an old edition, it reads up close. It is the readers' inside joke: everyone knows the phrase "Proust's madeleine", few have seen it on a wall.
How much wall space does the set need?
Each print is 20x28 in (50x70 cm). Hung 2 to 3 inches apart, the three cover about 5.5 feet of wall: the width of a sofa or a queen headboard. Hang the center of the set 57 to 60 inches from the floor.
They ship unframed, rolled and protected. 20x28 in is a standard size found in most frame shops, so your Francophile picks the wood or black frame that suits their home.
Who is it for?
- The friend who spent a semester in Paris and never quite came back.
- A French teacher, for the classroom or for home.
- Her: a sister, a partner, a mother who dreams of France.
- A couple moving in, to dress a whole wall at once.
The set is printed and shipped from a studio near you: no customs, no long wait.
Give the literary set of 3
Three 20x28 in prints · printed near you · most orders arrive in 5 business days
"Et tout d'un coup le souvenir m'est apparu." And suddenly the memory appeared to me. Marcel Proust, Swann's Way, 1913
When should you order it for Christmas?
Most orders arrive in 5 business days. For Christmas, order by mid-December: the set is printed near the person who receives it.
Give the literary set of 3
Three 20x28 in prints · printed near you · most orders arrive in 5 business days
Each print is also sold on its own
The three prints of the set
For a smaller wall, or to start with just one.
Or give all three as a set →
Gifts for Francophiles: frequently asked questions
What is the best gift for a Francophile?
Something that keeps France close and lasts: three pages of French literature as wall art, Apollinaire, Victor Hugo and Proust, in the original French with their story.
Do you need to speak French to enjoy this set?
No. The calligram is looked at before it is read, and each product page gives the translation and the story of the text. Many people give it to someone learning French.
Is the set framed?
No, the three prints ship unframed, rolled and protected. 20x28 in (50x70 cm) is a standard frame size.
Can I buy each print on its own?
Yes: Heart Crown and Mirror, Tomorrow, at Dawn and Proust's madeleine are each sold on their own too, in several sizes.
