A Gift for a Dad Who Loves Words : Baudelaire, the Sea and Wine
Fathers are hard to spoil : they say they need nothing and almost mean it. This guide offers something other than an object : a Baudelaire verse, Valéry's momentum, Monet's sea or Hugo's praise of wine, as French art prints from 35 €, printed to order. A gift that keeps being looked at, from Christmas to Father's Day.
Homme libre : the verse, and the whole poem
« Homme libre, toujours tu chériras la mer ! » Free man, you will always cherish the sea. In one verse Baudelaire makes the sea the mirror of a free man's soul. The quote exists as a print, and so does the whole poem, L'Homme et la mer, set like the page of an old edition. The full text, with a plain English translation, is in our article.
L'Albatros, for fathers of the open sea
The poem of the « prince of the clouds » whose giant wings keep him from walking : Baudelaire's most famous sea poem, the one to give a sailing, travelling father, or simply one too large for habit. The full text is in our reading of L'Albatros.
Le vent se lève : Valéry's momentum
« Le vent se lève ! … il faut tenter de vivre. » The wind is rising : we must try to live. The most famous verse of Paul Valéry's Cimetière marin, in capitals on sea-green stripes : the gift for a fresh start, a retirement, a change of course. The verse also exists within the full final stanza, set like a page from an old edition.
Monet's sea
For the father who prefers images to words, Monet's Cliffs at Étretat : the needle and the arch in Normandy light. A master's painting on the study wall, and the sea within sight all year.
And for the epicurean : wine
« Dieu n'avait fait que l'eau, mais l'homme a fait le vin. » God had only made water, but man made wine. The phrase attributed to Victor Hugo, paired with Monet's Nature morte au vin : the duo that dresses a cellar or a tasting corner for 70 € the pair.
Small budget, big gesture
Every print in this guide is 35 € in its base size, printed to order on uncoated matte 170 g/m² FSC-certified paper. Printed and shipped from a studio near you : most orders arrive in 3 to 5 business days. A son's or daughter's gift that fits a budget, and stays on the wall.
Free man, you will always cherish the sea. L'Homme et la mer, Charles Baudelaire
The Last Word
A father who says he wants nothing deserves a gift that asks no question. Pick the verse that sounds like him, and if you hesitate, read the poems in full in our articles : the right gift shows itself by the first stanza.
Four Ideas for a Father
French poems, quotes and master paintings as typographic art prints, printed to order on 170 g/m² matte paper.
See the Baudelaire collection →
Frequently Asked Questions
Which French poem should I give my father?
Baudelaire's sea poems are the safe choices: L'Homme et la mer, whose opening verse Homme libre, toujours tu chériras la mer also exists alone as a print, and L'Albatros, the poem of the prince of the clouds. For a fresh start, Paul Valéry's Le vent se lève ! … il faut tenter de vivre.
Is it a Christmas or a Father's Day gift?
Both: a framed print has no season. Every print is made to order, printed and shipped from a studio near you, and most orders arrive in 3 to 5 business days.
What budget should I plan?
Every print in this guide is 35 € in its base size; larger sizes cost more, and framing is extra depending on the frame you choose.
Do the prints come framed?
No, each print is sold unframed, in standard sizes that fit off-the-shelf frames. The styled photos show framing examples.
