The Louvre

The Louvre. Home to some of the finest art in the world. Home to the famous Mona Lisa. The Louvre itself is impressive. I have heard that Parisians ask tourists if they like pyramids over the entrance. This is of course a trick question. Whichever answer they give, it is always wrong. They pyramids are either a disgrace and an eyesore, or one of the greatest works of art the gallery has. Whichever one you answer it's the opposite. But I have a different answer. Like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, or the Seine itself, the pyramids, whether ugly or beautiful (I lean towards the latter) are a part of Paris, and without them, it wouldn't be them same. 


Inside the Louvre, is a large entrance hall with stairs leading off to the different wings. We took advantage of the later opening time to see the Louvre, but still only had 4 hours, which was only long enough to see one wing, and then only briefly. We picked the Denon wing, home of the famous Mona Lisa. But I will say, we did not just skip the rest. I looked at every single piece of art we came across, and I appreciated most of it. I have to say though, excepting a few outstanding examples, I am generally more a fan of sculpture than paintings. All of the paintings were beautiful, but only a fe of them spoke to me. Whereas with sculptures, they all manage to resonate with something. If I had to choose a favourite piece of art in the Louvre (forced at gunpoint or other deadly method) I would have to admit it to be the statue of Psyche and Eros. It is apparently rather famous, as I managed to find a miniature of it, which was one of the few souvenirs I bought for myself. The story of Psyche and Eros is very beautiful, but also very sad. In the end, the only God who truly loved was Love himself. A very close second is Michelangelo's  Slaves. Their expressions are heartbreaking. 


The painting by David of Napoleons Coronation was one I deliberately sought out. It is very large, and is one of my favourite paintings, just because of the story behind it. In another example of Napoleons flair and style, he crowned himself. Originally, he invited the Pope to Paris for the event, in an attempt to reconcile with the Church. But as the poor old Pope was about to put to crown on his head, Napoleon snatched it off him, crowning himself and declaring himself King. As I've said, the man had style. This of course, damaged relationships with the church even further, as many believed he did it on purpose to embarrass the Pope. Another interesting thing about the painting, is that originally, Napoleon's mother wasn't at the coronation, but Napoleon had David paint her in anyway. 


As for the famous Mona Lisa, it was beautiful. Some people complain that it is much smaller and much darker than they thought. I had heard this before I saw it though, so I was prepared. It was actually larger than I anticipated. It is exquisitely painted and it is a painting I can honestly say resonated with me. So I did enjoy seeing it. Even if it was behind glass. There are so many amazing artworks in the Louvre it would be impossible to describe even the fraction I saw. If ever you get the chance to go, don't just run in to see Mona. Take the chance to look at some of the other art as well.