Like the gargoyles that guard Notre Dame, the Gates protecting the Palais de Justice or Duchamp’s “Fountain” for that matter, sometimes things can be functional and art at the same time. We encountered just such a circumstance when we were visiting the Invalides. The courtyard is lined with 50 or so giant cannon. They are captivating. These cannons are simply glorious. With their dark blue / black hue shimmering against the sky and weighing in at over 3,000 lbs. each, they most certainly have great presence. Once you get closer however, you see that they are even more interesting than you originally thought. Each one is ornamented with a variety of features that make…