Paris 3: Le Louvre

Wednesday 5th February 2020.

We had a great visit to Le Louvre.  Here are some highlights:

 

Firstly we went to the Islamic art.  They had a large screen at the entrance showing images of the art in mosques around the world, and the first one I recognised instantly as the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus which I had seen with Pat on a wonderful visit.  Brought back some memories ......

The "Big Three" of Le Louvre are Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Victory, with Mona Lisa well out in front.  Perhaps to save the staff from answering the same question over and over again, there are signs directing visitors, placed all over the building.
Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503,  has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world." (Wikipedia). 



As you can see, a lot of people had successfully followed the signs, and there were lanes set up for people to walk past, like at an airport, or viewing the dead body of a prominent person.  We had both seen Mona before (about 50 years ago for me) so we elected not to join the queue.

This was the best picture I could get standing at the back of the room and holding my phone over my head.  Then we left.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace is "one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world."  These people were certainly celebrating it.  It was created in about the 2nd century BC, but only rediscovered in 1863, and displayed in the Louvre since 1884.  They picked a good spot for it.

Winged Victory, closer view.  The sculpture is of the goddess Nike as she descends from the skies to the triumphant fleet who have just won a battle. When discovered, the figure stood on a pedestal of grey marble representing the prow of a ship, which is shown here.  Placed at the top of the stairs here, she really gives the impression that she is descending from above. 

Venus de Milo, created between 130 and 100 BC, was also very popular.  She is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture, initially attributed to the sculptor Praxiteles, but now thought to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch.  She was unearthed on the Greek island of Melos in 1820, and has been at the Louvre since 1821, apart from six months of restoration in 2010.

I thought she was absolutely beautiful.

During the current corona virus threat, many people around Paris are wearing masks.

The following three mosaics are from the floor decoration of a large room or courtyard, representing the four seasons.  This entire stunning  mosaic, meant to be seen from all four sides, is from a region of Turkey, dating back to about 325AD.  It was beautifully displayed.

This pattern formed part of the border of this spectacular mosaic.  Stuart pointed out that the swastika design had been used in ancient Greece and Rome - it has also been used by Hindus and Buddhists in India and other Asian countries, ancient Druids and Celts, Nordic tribes, Phoenicians, Navaho Indians and even early Christians.  "Swastika" is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘It is’, ‘Well Being’, ‘Good Existence, and ‘Good Luck’.  So there.

The Louvre was originally built as a fortress in 1190, reconstructed in the 16th century as a royal palace, and finally became a fine-arts museum from 1793.

Reminders of its days as a palace can be seen in its magnificent ceilings .....

..... and marble mosaic floors.   

Just being silly, I thought our kitchen floor shaped up quite well beside those of the Louvre.

Looking out the window at the Pyramid.  What a view.

No, this is not the main Arc de Triomphe, but a smaller version, built between 1806-1808 to celebrate Napolean's military victories. It is located at the Place du Carrousel just beyond the Louvre, where you can see the glass Pyramid.  Now we are heading off to stroll through the Jardin du Tuileries.