"What did you think of the Louvre?" has been a question I've been avoiding for three weeks now. What kind of tourist doesn't go straight to the Louvre? Well, I'm not someone that really considers myself a "museum person," but I obviously can't head home explaining that I didn't quite catch that one.
Right from my first glimpse, the Louvre really proved what the fuss is all about. Was this royal palace really not good enough for Louis XIV?! From the cobblestone courtyard surrounding the fountains to the extravagant architecture, I would have gladly settled for what is easily considered Paris' most extravagant monument. But, kings will be kings, I suppose and Louis needed something bigger, hence, Versailles.
Luckily, we pre-ordered our tickets and were able to skip some of the chaotic lines. Once we entered through the pyramid dome, we headed for the most obvious and well-renowned exhibit: the Mona Lisa! For once, it didn't take much language decoding, because the crowds helped lead the way. My first observation of da Vinci's famous masterpiece is... well.. it's a bit smaller than expected. I guess when he was creating he Mona Lisa, da Vinci didn't realize it would be one of the most famous paintings in history. The painting is more protected than our country's constitution and crowded by a swarm of people, so it is difficult to get a good shot. I did manage to raise my camera above the crowd though and snap one. Oops, there goes my flash! A big no-no in the museum business, as I've learned during my trip. I tried to walk away discretely, but I could feel the eyes lingering on the back of my head. Sorry, Mona!
The next stop on my list was the statue, Aphrodite of Milos, by Alexandros of Antioch. It may not ring a bell at first, but once you see the picture, you will recognize the piece. Surprisingly, the Aphrodite didn't draw quite the same crowd as Mona Lisa. I was sure, being the art amateur that I am, that if I was dedicated to seeing the statue, everyone else would be as well. Even more surprisingly, is how many Aphrodite statues are on display at the Louvre. Some are simply miscellaneous pieces discovered over the years, but others are completely intact sculptures of the Greek goddess in various poses. This got me wondering, With so many miraculously complete statues, why is it that the armless Aphrodite is the well-recognized variation? There may be some obvious answer to this, but either way I am set to figure it out!
Luckily, we pre-ordered our tickets and were able to skip some of the chaotic lines. Once we entered through the pyramid dome, we headed for the most obvious and well-renowned exhibit: the Mona Lisa! For once, it didn't take much language decoding, because the crowds helped lead the way. My first observation of da Vinci's famous masterpiece is... well.. it's a bit smaller than expected. I guess when he was creating he Mona Lisa, da Vinci didn't realize it would be one of the most famous paintings in history. The painting is more protected than our country's constitution and crowded by a swarm of people, so it is difficult to get a good shot. I did manage to raise my camera above the crowd though and snap one. Oops, there goes my flash! A big no-no in the museum business, as I've learned during my trip. I tried to walk away discretely, but I could feel the eyes lingering on the back of my head. Sorry, Mona!
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| Take note of all the people in the reflection! |
The next stop on my list was the statue, Aphrodite of Milos, by Alexandros of Antioch. It may not ring a bell at first, but once you see the picture, you will recognize the piece. Surprisingly, the Aphrodite didn't draw quite the same crowd as Mona Lisa. I was sure, being the art amateur that I am, that if I was dedicated to seeing the statue, everyone else would be as well. Even more surprisingly, is how many Aphrodite statues are on display at the Louvre. Some are simply miscellaneous pieces discovered over the years, but others are completely intact sculptures of the Greek goddess in various poses. This got me wondering, With so many miraculously complete statues, why is it that the armless Aphrodite is the well-recognized variation? There may be some obvious answer to this, but either way I am set to figure it out!
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| Not as famous, complete Aphrodite. |
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| Famous armless Aphrodite |
After seeing a few more popular exhibits we finally started heading towards the sortie near the Jardin Tuileries. While walking, I realized maybe I'm not entirely immune to art, I just never took the opportunity to understand it. After the Louvre's impression on me, maybe I will start to change that...
All thoughts of the Louvre were pushed aside though as we climbed the steps above ground to the garden. The landscaping the royal property is in itself a form of art. The mazes of bushes and bouquets of flowers perfectly cushion the center fountain. To the left is a postcard view of the Tour Eiffel and to the right the picturesque Roue du Paris. We strolled through the gardens and then headed right for the quaint amusement park. After loading up on churros and ice cream we were drawn to the Ferris wheel like a couple of magnets. The ten euros were well worth the view from the top. You get a clear picture of Paris' flat top landscape, only interrupted by the occasional towering monument. It was beyond incredible. As much as I love my new professional Cannon, pictures will simply never do it justice.
Once we stepped of the roué, we decided to head back to the Louvre. Since we arrived to the museum so late in the evening, I rushed Lindsay along without allowing any photo opportunities. So, we decided to take full advantage now that the night was coming to an end. I mean, no day trip is complete without the obnoxious photo shoot, right? Well, this blogpost wouldn't be, either!
Inconveniently, this post was supposed to be posted a couple days ago. Now, I am rushing it together from my iphone will using a hostel's wifi. (By the way, the next post will be all about my time in Barcelona!)
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