An Affair to Remember or is it Really One For The Ages

I told my husband that I am having an affair!  Now, now; it's not with another man but rather with a museum.  Growing up I remember telling my mother in my early teens that I was going to go visit Paris to see Versailles and the Louvre. I can't remember why I wanted to see them, but for some reason I did. My first overseas trip was to London and then onto Paris; my own modern version of "a tale of two cities".  My love affair with the Louvre started before I visited and continues to this very day, even after multiple visits.  

The Louvre is massive and IS NOT for everyone (embrace that) because to be honest art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The Louvre in reality is a place that should be savoured like a meal prepared by the finest chef and not like fast food. Alas for many of us tourists, the fast food version is often all the time we can spare. I probably have walked most if not all the rooms and the permanent exhibits housed within the Louvre; but I can honestly say I have yet to see everything.  Every visit I discover something new. The most important thing when visiting the Louvre is to plan a day or two (yes that can indeed mean 7 or 8 hours) for your visit (it's closed on Tuesdays) and to buy your tickets in advance; else expect long queues (lines) and to use a year's quota or more of patience in them. Choose your entrance wisely; there are four or five entrances and with some preplanning you can avoid the long queues. My recommendation would be to enter through the Carousel entrance (or preferably the Porte des Lions entrance (do confirm that it is open on day of your visit)) and exit through the Pyramid entrance. You get in quickly while still experiencing the chaos and wonder that is part of the pyramid entrance experience.

A small crowd visiting Mona (yes this qualifies as small).

This is the one place I truly recommend doing research and planning in advance of your visit to determine what you want to see. Also to be blunt, focus on your interests not on someone else's top 20 list. The least crowded areas of the Louvre are the top floors of Richelieu and Sully Wings which house the French and northern-European paintings (they really are fantastic by the way). These areas were nearly always empty on all my visits as most visitors (and tours) don't seem make it that far and therefore it will be quieter and cooler. Also expect to be subjected to a form of sensory overload as art can invades ones every sense and to be honest can exhaust you in ways you will never expect or can explain.

The Mona Lisa is arguably the Louvre's most famous piece, and seeing her is a bucket list cliche. Why I really can't explain; other than most people go to see it because it's famous (albeit only after it was stolen in 1911). I have seen it and am still amazed at how small it is (77 x 53 cm or 30 x 20 inches). Of course having it showcased directly across from one of the largest (if not the largest) painting in the Louvre (Veronese's "The Wedding Feast at Cana") does emphasize how small it actually is. Furthermore it is a dark piece, covered with bullet-proof glass and flanked by guards. So you may get to see it close up for 30 seconds and maybe snap a not so great picture if you are lucky. Most days you can hear the crowds in that section of the gallery long before you see them. Honestly there are many other treasures by Da Vinci that are far more worthy of one's attention but IMHO Mona probably isn't one. I am obviously not a fan but I will admit it took viewing it, to reconfirm that original impression.

As good as it gets during tourist season.
Take with 5D Mark III, ISO 800, Sigma 35mm F1.4 

With over 35,000 works on display at any given time, there really is something for everyone. When I first visited the Louvre, I found I was much more interested in the sculptures than the paintings. That position has evolved over time and with multiple visits. The Louvre is much more that the art that is housed within. It's grand scale and architecture including the breath-taking ceilings and opulent marble fireplaces make the building itself is a piece of art.  Remember to "Look up, waaaaay up!" (my shout out to a beloved Canadian children's show; "The Friendly Giant") ....as the ceiling panels are as beautiful and ornate as many of the artworks housed within.

The Louvre has an extensive online database at
(http://www.louvre.fr/en/moteur-de-recherche-oeuvres?tab=3#tabs) which provides basic information on a vast number of the pieces on display and lots of good information about the museum as well. If paintings are your thing, than the "The Louvre All the Paintings" by Erich Lessing and Vincent Pomarède is a fantastic reference.

A Few of My Louvre Favourites

The Wedding Feast at Cana; Paolo Veronese ca 1563 (approximately 1/6 of the painting is shown here).
Depicts the Bible story of a wedding banquet at which Jesus converts water to wine
Located across from the Mona Lisa.  

Centaur & Cupid, Marble. Ca 1st - 2nd A.D. Imperial Roman
Roman copy of Greek statue by a sculptor of Aphrodisias

The Caryatid Hall, Ground floor, Sully Wing.
Four female figures sculpted by Jean Goujon in 1550 that supported the musicians' gallery

Aphrodite of Milos better known as the Venus de Milo; Hellenistic marble
Attributed to Alexandros of Antioch ca 130-100 BC 

The Vow to the Madonna.  Jean Victor Schnetz 1831
This painting was originally intended for the Church Saint-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris

Assembly of the Gods. 1868.Louis Matout.
Study for the ceiling of the Salle d'Auguste in the Louvre Museum 

The Death of Sardanapalus, Eugène Delacroix 1827.
  Portrays the legendary Assyrian king, destroying his possessions before committing suicide.
His concubines, his horses, and his slaves would all be burned and destroyed.

Venus and the Three Graces Presenting Gifts to a Young Woman 1483. Sandro Botticelli
Originally decorated the walls of Villa Lemmi, a country villa near Florence owned by Giovanni Tornabuoni
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