PARIS — At first glance, the logo for the Paris Olympics appears straightforward enough: the silhouette of a flame against a gold background. But look a little closer, open your mind a touch, and a new image will take shape.
Viewed from a slightly different perspective, the flickers of flame turn to locks of hair. The lips become visible. And what was a flame is now the image of a woman with the slightest hint of a smile. This is Marianne, an enduring symbol of France since the French Revolution.