A heartwarming thing happened on the way to the Louvre that defied one stereotype about Paris. We stopped by a breakfast place, Le Pain Quotidien, that prides itself with its organic fare. The food was fantastic and the service provided by a young lady was friendly and wholesome. The heartwarming part was that I inadvertently left my camera, a Fuji X-E2 I love so much, gifted to me by my oldest son, slung on the chair I sat on. She kept it for me until I retrieved it that afternoon. What a champ!
Once again, my wife’s foresight and research did not fail to impress me. The Louvre, as everyone knows, is the busiest museum in the world and the large number of visitors that day, a Monday, was no different. I’ve never seen anything like it! Most are here to see the Mona Lisa, which, according to our guide, is not even the best masterpiece the museum has. And that leads to the impressive foresight and research: hire a guide who will not only educate and entertain you on the vast collection of masterpieces but will skip you through the long lines and lead you directly to the more significant ones before the Mona Lisa, which is strategically positioned toward the exit of the museum. And as if on cue to prove the point during our tour, guess who we ran into, he and his wife listening attentively to their guide? Matthew McConaughey, the American actor. “Alright, alright, alright!”
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| Matthew McConaughey. |
My favorite masterpiece in the Louvre is the statue of Venus de Milo. As I’m sure you know, this is the armless sculpture of the goddess believed to be the perfect form of a woman. A woman’s form has always been the favorite subject of many artists, and this one by Alexander of Antioch (130-100 BC), is no exception. Venus de Milo is not skinny as many supermodels are today. Her proportions are more on what many may consider on the voluptuous side.
A close second would be the painting “Coronation of Mary” by Carvallio. The painting has dozens of of characters on the canvas, each one detailed so finely with unique facial expressions, including that of the painter looking bored (yup, he inserted himself in the painting). The altar in the middle where Mary is being crowned by Jesus is in the shape of a hexagon, expertly and intricately rendered with all the lines in accurate perspective projections. This work was so admired by artists during its time, including Leonardi da Vinci, who said that Carvallio must have visited heaven to be able to capture such fine details.
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| Coronation of Mary by Carvallio. |
To be able to get a full appreciation of all the masterpieces in the Louvre, one has to spend days in the museum. We spent three hours; not enough, but definitely a most rewarding experience.
Back: The Eiffel Tower Next: Menerbes
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| Oh yeah, almost forgot. The Mona Lisa.You literally have seconds to look at it before they ask you to move on. |
