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As soon as you reach the Second Floor of Wing Richelieu by the main escalator you will see the large Gallery Medicis with 24 large paintings (1622-1625) by Rubens(photo 5). These paintings ordered by Queen Marie de Medicis glorify this famous Queen of France (wife of Henri IV and mother of Louis XIII).
From here you may visit about 40 smaller rooms with a large collection of Flemish, Dutch and German paintings from the 15th to the 17th century.
The highlights of this collection are from the Flemish School (Flemish Primitives):
Jan Van Eyck "La vierge du Chevalier Rolin" (1434), Rogier van der Weyden "L'Annonciation" (1435). Room 5 shows six paintings of Hans Memling (photo 4) what makes of Le Louvre the second museum outside the town of Brugge to have so many Memling's. From the 16th c. is shown the famous painting "Prêteur et sa femme" (1514) from Quentin Metsys (photo 1) and a small Pieter Bruegel "Les mendiants" (1568).
The Dutch School is very well represented by two Vermeer's "La Dentellière" and "l'Astronome" in room 38 (photo 2). I was pleased to see that tourists, mainly from Asia, have now discovered the existence of these two Vermeer's at the Louvre; on my previous visits I was nearly alone in that section, no more now. Nearly all famous Dutch painters of the 17th c. are on display here: Rembrandt with "Bethsabée au bain" (1654), Frans Hals with the excellent "la Bohémienne" (1666) (photo 3), Pieter de Hooch, Van Ruysdael, Wouverman and many others shown in small cabinets.
The German school is present with great names such as Dürer, Cranach and Holbein with a famous portrait of "Erasmus" (1523).
Even the tourist on a 1 day visit of Le Louvre should not omit to spend some time on this 2nd Floor of Richelieu Wing. Address: Richelieu wing - Second floor.Directions: Métro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
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At the beginning of the sixties I visited for the first time Le Louvre.
There was no pyramid; the facades of the Louvre were of a dirty grey colour as most of the buildings of Paris. No queue at the entrance of the museum. We were only four visitors in front of Mona Lisa. I returned in the nineties; the pyramid was standing there as well as the queues. We were more than forty to admire Mona Lisa.
In the spring of 2005, I was again in the Louvre where the Joconde had just been installed in a new bigger room (Wing Denon, 1st floor, room 6). By curiosity I went to this new room to find inside and around a crowd of about 400 persons.
In 40 years there had been a hundredfold increase of visitors to Mona Lisa!
I abandoned and went to the Richelieu wing with on the 2nd floor the collections of the Dutch and Flemish painters. I was almost alone and could admire in all quietness (room 38) two Vermeer "The Lace maker" and "The Astronomer" and one painting of Pieter de Hooch.
Shall I add that there are only few museums in the world which have two Vermeer's. On the first floor I paid a visit to the tapestries of Brussels with the famous "Hunting's of Maximilien".
A bit before the closing time I returned to the room of La Joconde which I could finally approach.
I was amazed at the Mona Lisa's bad look; she showed a greenish complexion; or is it the effect from the thick glass panel which protects her?
I read that the Joconde would need a restoration; the wooden panel bends. But who in France will dare to make the decision to remove Mona Lisa from the Louvre for a restoration?
By her attraction on the world tourism, Mona Lisa represents an important part of the GNP of France!
No mystery anymore.
Experts of the University library of Heidelberg have found a book belonging to Agostino Vespucci, an acquaintance of Da Vinci. A note in this book indicates that Mona Lisa was Lisa del Giocondo wife of Francesco del Giocondo a rich merchant of Florence. Address: Wing Denon, 1st floor, room 6Directions: Métro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
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The National Museum of the Middle Ages is reputed for its magnificent collection of tapestries.
The so called "Mille fleurs" thousand flowers tapestries are typical of the 15th c. and owe their name to the multitude of flowers and blooming branches spread over them. This is a background on which persons and animals are represented. The most sumptuous examples of these "mille fleurs" tapestries are the six "Lady with the Unicorn - Dame à la licorne " tapestries in this museum of the former Cluny Abbey hotel.
The name Cluny comes from the famous Abbey de Cluny in Burgundy to which belonged this Parisian abbey residence.
"La Dame à la Licorne" is the title of a series of six Flemish (Brussels?) tapestries from around 1490, made of wool and silk, often considered as one of the greatest works of art of the Middle Ages. The cartons were made in Paris. The harmony of the range of colours is exceptional as well as their iconography and the fact that they always remained together.
These 6 tapestries of about 3 x 4 m are on display in a special very dark circular room of the museum
Five of these tapestries illustrate each of the five senses : taste, hearing, sight, smell and touch. In each there is the Lady with the unicorn, a lion, other animals, a maidservant.
The sixth tapestry, wider than the others, shows the lady standing in front of a tent which reads "A Mon Seul Désir - To My Only Desire".
There are various interpretations, the meaning of this sixth piece remains mysterious.
These six tapestries were discovered in 1841 by the French author Prosper Mérimée in the castle of Boussac. They were probably manufactured for Jean Le Viste, a personage close to King Charles VII.
As there is some mystery about this "Dame à la Licorne", books were written about these allegoric tapestries, recently by Tracy Chevalier author of the book "Girl with the pearl earring".
There are other beautiful tapestries such as the "Seigniorial Life", the "Grape Harvest", "The Liberal Arts" etc all of Flanders begin 16th c. Address: 6, place Paul PainlevéDirections: Where Boulevard Saint-Michel meets Boulevard Saint-Germain... couldn't be easier. Metro Cluny-Sorbonne (closer) or Saint-Michel (not far at all).Website: www.musee-moyenage.fr
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The best department of this museum, i.e. the Département Moderne (1648 - 1871) with the splendid collections from King Louis XIV to Napoleon III is closed for renovation.
Fortunately for the visitor, the WW I and WW II department has been renovated and extended what is a good thing because this part of the Invalides Army Museum was somewhat short in the previous years.
This department deals with the military history from 1871 to 1945 on an expanded surface of 3500 m2 since July 2006.
I was pleased to see that this period of history in which France had a central position is now up to other museums WW departments like the ones of Brussels, London or Vienna for example.
Are exposed French and foreign uniforms, certain having belonged to major figures - Foch, Joffre, de Lattre, Leclerc - diverse armaments and objects of the everyday equipment of the soldier.
I found very interesting the windows showing proposals around 1900 for less visible uniforms as those inherited from Napoleon III. (see cavalry helms around 1900 on photo 1). But they were finally refused so that the French soldiers went into the WW I with "garance" red coloured trousers (photo 2) what made of them quite visible targets for the German riflemen.
I was much impressed by a model of the famous German heavy howitzer called "Grosse Bertha". My grand parents told me about that howitzer used in Belgium against the forts of Liège and Namur in 1914. It would fire 800 kg shells at 9 Km distance (photo 3).
Is also shown one of the "taxis de la Marne" (photo 4). In September 1914, 600 taxis from Paris were requisitioned to bring troops to the Marne battlefield. The movement started at the Invalides and conveyed 5 infantry battalions (total 5000 man).
What is not shown in this museum are heavy weapons like tanks or planes. For the tanks one should visit the "Musée des Blindés" in Saumur (on the Loire) where there are more than 800 tanks! Address: Invalides, Musée de l'Armée.Directions: Western wing of the Invalides.Website: www.invalides.org
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The museum has put together in one frame 3 landscape paintings of different impressionist painters: Sisley, Pissarro and Monet (from left to right) forming a kind of triptych.
The style of these 3 impressionist painters is very close in these landscapes; the visitor might hesitate about who belongs to whom. In other works Monet marks his difference with Pissaro or Sisley.
In this large room 32 from the upper level are many other paintings all of excellent quality from Monet, Pissaro, Sisley and Renoir. I dare say it is the best room of the upper level.
Among my favoured paintings in this room 32 there are the "Régates à Argentueil" from Monet, from Pissarro "la Bergère" and from Sisley the famous "Inondations à Port-Marly". There is also that highlight of Renoir "Le Bal au Moulin de la Galette" with the wonderful play of sunny spots and shade.
Open 9.30 - 18 h (on Thursday 21.45 h). Closed on Monday.
Tickets can be bought from 9 h on.
Price 8 €. Reduced 18 - 30 yr 5,50 €. Free less than 18 yr.
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Triptyque impressionniste.
Avoir réuni en un seul cadre 3 tableaux de différents peintres impressionnistes comme Sisley "L'île Saint-Denis", Pissarro "Entrée de village de Voisins" et Monet "Bateaux de plaisance" (de gauche à droite) est une idée originale. On a là un véritable triptyque de paysages de l'école impressionniste.
On remarquera que les styles et la facture de ces trois tableaux de peintres différents sont très proches à tel point qu'on peut hésiter à définir qui appartient à qui.
Il est évident que ces trois oeuvres ont été groupées à cause de leur ressemblance et qu'un Monet, par exemple, s'écartera fortement de ce style dans bien d'autres œuvres. Personnellement en matière de paysages mon préféré est Sisley.
Cette grande salle 32 comporte bien d'autres belles œuvres de Monet, Pissarro et Sisley ainsi que le merveilleux "Bal au Moulin de la Galette" avec les jeux d'ombre et de lumière qui font de ce tableau l'un des plus appréciés de Renoir. Address: Upper level - Niveau sipérieur 5, Room-Salle 32Directions: Métro: line 12, Solférino station; RER: line C, Musée d'Orsay stationWebsite: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/
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With more than 50.000 objects the Egyptian collection of the Louvre is the second in the world after Cairo. This is not surprising as the collection started with Napoleon Bonaparte's expedition to Egypt between 1798 and 1801.
It was the talented French linguist Jean-François Champollion who solved the enigma of Pharaonic writing in 1822 and was appointed curator of a new department in the Louvre that was inaugurated in 1827 under King Charles X.
Another famous name was the archaeologist Mariette who became the first director of Egyptian Antiquities.
In 1997, during the Grand Louvre renovation project, this huge collection was distributed on two different floors of Wing Sully. As the heaviest objects had to remain on the ground floor it was impossible to arrange the works by period.
This ground floor with 19 rooms, including the temple room (12) and the sarcophagi room (14), features a thematic installation centred on the major aspects of Egyptian civilization i.e. the daily life in Ancient Egypt.
The 1st floor of wing Sully (rooms 20 to 30) presents a chronological approach, highlighting the different historical periods and the development of Egyptian art from 4000 BC to 400 AD.
Numbers of visitors of Le Louvre are coming here with the sole aim to visit the Egyptian department; for the others it would be a real pity not to spend at least one hour here.
The most famous artefact which always impresses the visitors is "The Seated Scribe" (c. 2620-2500 BC) in room 22 on 1st floor wing Sully. The inlaid eyes are the most striking aspect of this sculpture; furthermore nothing is known about the person portrayed! Address: Wing Sully, Ground floor & 1st floor.Directions: Métro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
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Le musée d'Orsay comporte quelques tableaux de nus qui ont défrayé la chronique en leur temps (±1860) et dont l'un "l'Origine du Monde" (1866) de Gustave Courbet suscite encore des remous.
Cette même décennie 1860 produisit à la fois des nus aussi académiques que la "Naissance de Vénus" (1863) du néo-classique Alexandre Cabanel, des nus d'inspiration impressionniste comme "Déjeuner sur l'herbe" (1863) et "Olympia" (1863) d' Edouard Manet ainsi que des nus réalistes comme la "Femme nue avec chien" (1862) et "l'Origine du Monde" (1866) de Gustave Courbet.
Les deux nus de Manet, surtout le "Déjeuner sur l'herbe", déchaînèrent les sarcasmes et critiques au Salon de 1863. J'avoue que le contraste entre les deux messieurs en redingote et la dame nue m'interpellent. Qu'allait-elle faire nue dans la forêt; à moins qu'elle ne se soit baignée dans l'étang à l'arrière plan?
Quant à "l'Origine du Monde" de Courbet, acquis en 1995 je constate qu'aujourd'hui encore cette nudité crue, provocante, une description presque anatomique du sexe féminin, suscite de l'émotion: les messieurs la photographient, leur compagne se tient en retrait.
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"SCANDALOUS NUDES" at ORSAY!
The museum of Orsay shows some paintings of nudes which in their time (around 1860) where found scandalous.
The art amateur will notice that this decennia of 1860 produced academic nudes such as "Naissance de Vénus" (1863) of Alexandre Cabanel, impressionist nudes like "Déjeuner sur l'herbe" (1863) and "Olympia" (1863) from Edouard Manet as well as realistic nudes such as "Femme nue avec chien" (1862) and "l'Origine du Monde" (1866) from Gustave Courbet.
As for "l'Origine du Monde" of Courbet, acquired in 1995, I notice that today this provocating nudity, an almost anatomical description of the female organs, still arouses emotion. The first years that she was exhibited at Orsay a special security guard was posted in the room!
Now that the Courbet's nude "L'Origine du Monde" is travelling all over the world there is no reason for me not to publish the photo in this review.
Open 9.30 - 18 h (on Thursday 21.45 h). Closed on Monday.
Tickets can be bought from 9 h on.
Price 8 €. Reduced 18 - 30 yr 5,50 €. Free less than 18 yr. Address: Level 0 - ground floor, rooms 3, 14 & 15Directions: Métro: line 12, Solférino station; RER: line C, Musée d'Orsay stationWebsite: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/
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After our leisurely walk on the Rue de Rivoli, and my stomach happy after that delicious cup of hot chocolate at Angelina's, we are ready to explore more of Paris. And the Place the la Concorde is where we are heading to. Traffic is swirling around the square and the sun is smiling down on us. This is one of Paris' largest squares and a busy one as well. But the traffic couldn't hide the beauty of this place for me, even if it tried its best at doing so.
This octagon shaped square is dominated by a huge obelisk and I loved walking around here and taking it all in. Don't forget to go up to the Jardin the Tuileries before you cross the street towards the middle of the square though! From this point of view you have some really nice photo opportunities.... if you get here at the right time of the day that is. I arrived late afternoon, not the best of time of day. But when you go early during the day, you probably have the sun in your back, and you are able to get some lovely photos of the Place to Concorde, with the Eiffel tower in the background (see photo 1).
The statue in the foreground of the first photo is one of the 8 statues surrounding the square, created by Jacob Ignaz Hittorf. They are all placed in a corner of the octagon and represent the French cities of Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Brest and Rouen. In the second photo you can see the statue representing Nantes. Leave a Comment Address: Place de la ConcordeDirections: 8th arrondissement In between the Tuileries and the Champs-Elysées. Métro stop: Concorde
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Instead of walking towards the Arc de Triomphe from the Place de la Concorde, we made a left turn, towards the river Seine and the famous Pont Alexandre III. A bridge I just HAD to see! The bridge is famous for its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs and nymphs. It is just unbelievable to see all the decorations put on just one bridge! You can argue if you can call this 'beautiful', but it is surely special. And I loved it!
The bridge was build between 1896 and 1900 by the architects Résal and Alby. The inauguration of the bridge was just in time for the Universal Exposition of 1900. The first stone was placed in October 1896 by Tsar Nicholas II and the bridge was named after his father Tsar Alexander III.
In the photos you can se some of the sculptures ornamenting the bridge. In the first photo for example, you can see one of the sculptures at the base of the lamps on the bridge. These statues are by Henri Désiré Gauquié. In photo no. 2 ond of the lamps decorating the bridge. Third photo: you can see a sculpture by Léopold Morice: Young girl with seashell. In the fourth photo you can see a decoration on the outside of the bridge, by Abel Poulin and Grandzlin. And to top it off a fun little detail: a little lizzard watching the bridge.
The Pont Alexandre III is located in between the Grand and Petit Palais on the right bank of the river Seine and the Hôtel des Invalides on the left bank of the river. Leave a Comment Directions: Métro stop: Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau In between the Grand and Petit Palais and the Hôtel des Invalides.
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Congratulations; you followed my tip "Mona Lisa in the crowd" and thanks to your height over 1.90 m, weight of 100 kg and your practice of rugby or football you were able to approach "La Joconde" the goal of your quest for the "Holy Grail".
After the immobility of Mona Lisa you might like to discover the movement of the 19th century with the Romantic school as expressed by Théodore Géricault and his famous large painting (5 x 7 m.) "Le Radeau de la Méduse".
The terrible story of the wreck of the French frigate "La Méduse" is a real one (1816) and Géricault put a lot of realism in his painting.
From the 150 man on the raft only five survived and it was said that there was cannibalism!
No doubt that Géricault expressed a paradox: how to make a strong painting of a hideous motive, how to reconcile the art and the reality? He refused the constraints of the classic standards and looked for a more free way of painting. He used morbid, macabre colours, illustrating the death. Unfortunately, for the conservation of this painting, Géricault used dark pigments based on bitumen which don't dry well and, by passing through the paint layers, cause cracks and a general darkening effect.
The horror of this subject fascinated and divided critics when it was shown at the Salon of 1819 as well as it does now in contrast with the placid Mona Lisa.
For the full story of the "Méduse" I recommend (in French):
www.paranormal-fr.net/dossiers/radeau-de-la-meduse.php Address: Denon wing, 1st floor, room 77.Directions: Métro: Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
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on September 4, 2007
on November 19, 2006
