A Weekend to Remember - III

Note: It can be read as a single entry or you can take same time out to understand the contextual meaning better by reading this first and second parts. No compulsion though.

Visit to Louvre-

Louvre was originally a palace and a fort to fend off the enemies built by Napoleon the third. It then took on many forms before finally succumbing to being a museum. According to statistics, nearly 8 million people visit Louvre every year. It’s every art lover’s dream to be here like Mecca call to its pilgrims. The glass pyramid as entrance has been the newest addition to this historical monumental piece or architecture. On enquiry with the lady at the reception and guaging by the time we intended to spend which was around 2-3 hours, she suggested us to take the Masterpiece tour which was of one hour duration guiding us along the most worthy monuments ending it with Mona Lisa.

Interesting thing about guided tour is it has the simulation for number of steps you need to climb or walk along with a real panting and breathing that  a person experience. Frankly you can walk faster than the guy in the simulation. But you gotta be careful, otherwise you will definitely get lost.

As you start this tour, the first thing you come across is the replica of the Louvre Castle in a glass enforcement where you can see the building in its entirety.

Louvre Museum – Replica

It gives you certain architectural details of it and then proceeds to show you the last remaining towers or broken towers which was restored. The next to be seen is the Egyptian sphinx. This was my first look ever at a Sphinx. It was majestic. Though it might be 1/20th of the actual size to the ones at Egypt, it was still amazing to look at.

   

Egyptian Sphinx

We next come to one of the museum's most famous works  - Venus De Milo.

Venus de Milo – As seen from the Front

Its an ancient Greek statute that is known for the mystery it shrouds upon people of its missing arms. It is believed that the Goddess of love and beauty is looking at the apple she was holding in her left hand. What is amazing is to see the drapery around her lower half seems to be slipping off the figure giving it a sensual look.

Venus de Milo- As seen from the Back

Seen from its back the lower half of the statue seems hastily done and not having the finest details as seen from the front. This was because the statue was intended to be placed on one of the sides of the walls of a hall.

The next up is another masterpiece – Victory of Samothrace or Goddess Nike.

Nike of Samothrace (As seen from the front)

The greatest thing about this masterpiece is the complete improbable structure that it represents. It is believed the Goddess of Victory Nike has descended upon the ship to honor the sea battle. Taking a look at the statue closely one can see that Goddess standing upon a square piece has landed on arched bow of the ship which in turn is perfectly docked on a plain surface. In reality such objects would dislodge the piece from its standing.

Nike of Samothrace (As seen from the side)

Another thing to notice is, the sculpture itself is so formidable that one does not notice the missing hands or the head. It signifies a grand presence of its own. As seen from the side the drapery is seen as blowing against the wind combining the motion of the descent and the stillness of the Goddess. And then…

Mona Lisa

As Seen from the center and just before the cordon

Zoomed in

Mona Lisa is beauty to be experienced. It has one of the grandest showcase possible. As you enter the room, where Mona Lisa is showcased first thing you notice is the huge crowd thronging all around the room. At three quarters of the room and in the center a huge wall with its sides chipped so that there is room for 3-4 people to pass through side by side on either ends. The wall though doesn’t touch the roof. Right at the center of this wall and at a height of about average height of person i.e. 5ft 8 in from the base you can see Mona Lisa. The height is one of the key factors to appreciate the beauty of the painting.

As you move around from one side to other side, you see her eyes moving along with you. This is one of the well known facts but it is the height that adds to this effect. Apart from that one of the mysteries is behind her smile, its like she is about to tell a secret but she is held back at the last moment. Mona Lisa attained fame because it was once robbed off its existence for over 2 years before the thief was caught and painting brought back to safety. The fervent search piqued the curiosity and increased the aura surrounding the painting making it one of the greatest masterpieces.

We then went on to see some of the finest pieces of Renissance art of 17th century. Nikmo was very keen on seeing all and somehow for him this is what real art is and his goal was only to cover these. I still can’t understand how he has got about knowing art and what to like. Its really strange. What I mean by saying all this is, for a meusuem with its artifacts and paintings enough to satiate one for over 5 days, for him that 2-3 hours we spent was the only thing that mattered. I did force him along to cover all the floors anyway.

Having seen Muse De ORsay before his arrival, I knew art is something you need to experience. I mean listening about the background of the painting, the symbolism, the material used, the age of the painting, one need to have patience enough to go through them all and enjoy it. You can’t say one period is all that matters. That’s what I think though.

Here are some of the other masterworks -

    

Death of a Virgin (A controversial Painting)

And few others just to conclude my Louvre Experience. Coming up next Arch De Triumphe and Versailles Palace.

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