Our second day in Paris, my daughter Joanna and I each followed our own artistic paths. She went for modern art and spent hours in one museum before returning to the hotel for a nap. I, on the other hand, love traditional art (think Louvre and Musee d'Orsay) and wanted to pack in as many quick visits to other major sites in Paris as I could reasonably do. Just typing that makes me lament that I couldn't spend at least a week or two in Paris. Sigh.
It didn't help that I got a late start. I don't even remember why. Maybe it was getting a little much needed sleep and then taking time for a sit down breakfast in the hotel. My intention was to be at the Louvre when they opened at 9, but I didn't arrive until almost 11. Fortunately, I had a Paris Pass, which gave me free entry to the Louvre, so my line was shorter. (As a side note, I'm not sure the Paris Pass saved me any money in the long run. I didn't go to as many of the covered attractions as I would have liked for the amount I paid for it.)
Entrance is through the big glass pyramid.
The ever-present French soldiers...
So here we go on my favorite art pieces at the Louvre. I had to cull this down from so many more.
Please note that my captions may not be complete or totally accurate. I usually took pictures of the information plaques next to the art, but not always, and sometimes they were fuzzy. I was moving very fast. In some cases there were alternate names for the piece or the artist. Also, the French do not capitalize all major words in a title.
My first category is Biblical art.
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| ~*~ Eve ~*~ |
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| ~*~ carved angels ~*~ |
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| "La vierge et l'enfant" by Barbiere, 15th century |
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| "Sainte Famille" bas relief by Jacques Sarazin |
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| "La Vierge et l'enfant" (partial name) by Cimabue (1272-1302) |
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| "La Nativite et l'annonce aux bergers" by Bernardino Luini (1485-1532) |
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| "L'Adoration de Mages" by Bernardino Luini |
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| "Le Christ Bennissant" by Bernardino Luini |
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| "Le Christ decloue de la croix" by Bourgogne |
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| "Le Retable de saint Denis" by Henri Bellechose |
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| Painting by Fra Angelico |
Next up: Napolean's apartments. What? You thought the Louvre was originally built as a museum? Nope! Palace!
Don't forget to look UP! Oh, I love these ceilings!
And here's the Mona Lisa! So, it's all a little fuzzy to me, but our eyes met from across a crowded room. Seriously, I couldn't get near her. Well, I could have wedged my way through to the front of the pack, but to be totally honest, I had no burning desire to do so. This may be one of the most famous paintings in the world, but I, uh, I just don't get the hype.
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| "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci |
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This lady? She's just as beautiful and intriguing as Mona. And I love the blue dress. And though she was in the same room at Mona, I could stand right in front of her all by myself. There's something to be said for that. I always tell my kids to look for the lonely ones in at a party. I guess I'm just following my own advice.
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| "La Belle Nani" by Paolo Caliari |
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| "La Lecture" by Auguste Renoir |
Then the "rock star" sculptures...
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| "The Winged Victory of Samothrace" aka, the goddess Nike Read about her discovery and recent restoration here. |
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| "L'Aurore" by Philippe Magnier, 1647-1715 |
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| "Muse de la tragedie" |
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| Athena |
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| Venus de Milo - Aphrodite by Alexandros of Antioch |
Well, that's all for the Louvre! Next up: Musee d'Orsay!
You can see my 15 Switzerland photo posts here: Switzerland.
You will find Paris posts here as I create them: Paris.
- Eiffel Tower and Seine River Cruise
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- La Sainte-Chapelle, the Glory of Paris
- A Little Louvre Love
- Musee d'Orsay in Paris
- Arc de Triomphe and a Late Night Dinner in Paris
- Basilique de Sacré-Cœur in Paris
- Palace of Versailles
- Gardens of Versailles in Autumn
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