A poignant celebration of the portrait. Starting early in her family apartment in Paris, Carole Bellaïche has captured the beauty of the famous and the anonymous with the same verve, revealing their unique aura. Made during her residency with Le Champ des Impossibles in the Perche, this notebook offers a new and touching perspective on ageing. Although far from her usual milieu, she stayed faithful to her ethic of capturing the essence of each individual in a fitting image; she plunged into the unknown, exploring this virgin terrain with the same passion for authenticity and human relationship that characterises her work. In a region she had never explored before, she shows that, whether one is young or old, every face holds a presence, a singularity and an intimacy of universal value. She developed a deep relationship with the Perche, attached great importance to the choice of setting, and sought a personal connection with each model. The Norman houses of the Perche were a challenge because of the short light and dark interiors, yet she managed to create evocative rays of light, and the surprising places of the region inspired her portraits without prior scouting. She lived her stay as an offering to her gaze.