Zooming through the Louvre

Old Aug 26th, 2011, 03:57 PM
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Zooming through the Louvre

In my experience, just about every tourist who visits the Louvre does so to see one thing: the Mona Lisa. Those who are a bit more artistically inclined sometimes also want to see the Venus de Milo. About one in ten billion is interested in some of the other 250,000 works of art in the museum.

For those concerned with speed, which includes many individual tourists and just about all tour groups, it's possible to get into the Louvre, see the "greatest hits," and get back out in about half an hour, if they know what they are doing and where to go. This little video follows the tourist track into the museum (via a shortcut) and visits the famed painting and sculpture:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmT-djHyo3E

In addition, there are a few minutes at the end that show some random other parts of the museum, just to show the contrast between the incredibly busy and crowded tourist path and the rest of the Louvre.

Most people follow the swift current of humanity flowing from the entrance to the Mona Lisa, take pictures of the painting themselves (even though there's no shortage of photographs of the painting in the world), get their own pictures taken in front of the painting by fellow travelers (very important for some tour groups from the Far East in particular), then wander back out and towards the exits, or towards the Venus de Milo if they are very much into art. About the only time tourists ever leave this well-worn trail is by accident if they get lost, or if they happen to have doctorates in the fine arts.

Although it doesn't show in the video (except for a few people fanning themselves), most of the Louvre is not air-conditioned, and in summer it is oppressively hot and humid, with no ventilation of any kind. I've seen people pass out in the museum during high season amidst the crowds.
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Old Aug 26th, 2011, 06:16 PM
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I've also done the quick touristy thing--on my first visit, and 2 additional times with family, since all they wanted to see were the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory.
But each time I've gone I've added to the list, so here are my personal favorites:

The Napoleon Apartments--absolutely amazing!

The crown jewels(nothing like the British collection-most items were sold during the revolution, but I'm a jeweler, so I can't resist)

The huge Egyptian collection

The Marly Horses

The Ancient Louvre

Large-scale French and Italian Paintings

What are your favorites?
Barb
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Old Aug 26th, 2011, 06:21 PM
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Hi Anthony,


You make a good point. Actually I am thinking of returning to Paris next year to “do” those museums that interest me. A few years back, I was part of a tour group such as you describe. I am not sure if I will return to the Lourve on this trip, but if I do, I will study the greater collections using the web and follow my own interests. Let’s face it, the size of the Louvre is intimidating, n’est-ce pas?


At this point the museums that I definitely want to visit include the Rodin, the Nissim de Camondo, the Carnavalet, and the Marmottan. (Hope I spelled these correctly.)

Anthony, what other collections in the Louvre do you suggest?
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Old Aug 26th, 2011, 06:57 PM
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I'm not a big art person, but I do find the Egyptian Antiquities collection to be interesting, especially the small objects that were used for everyday household chores and the like. There are some specific paintings that I like, including much of the work of Ingres, who did very nice portraits. A lot of people like the sculpture of Cupid and Psyche by Canova (Psyche revived by Cupid's kiss). Napoléon's apartments are interesting. The more you visit the museum, the more you find specific art that you like. But there is so much there that you're still overwhelmed by stuff that isn't really interesting.

The weird thing is that there's nothing really special about the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo. They are famous because they are famous, like Paris Hilton. I see people starting in rapt attention at the Mona Lisa, obviously convinced that they are looking at something magical. I guess they want to believe that it's special, or they're afraid that if they say it's boring, people will consider them uncultured (a very common reason for people to pretend that they like fine art).

As for other museums, the Orsay is nice, although you can't take pictures. The Carnavalet bored me. I didn't go into the Marmottan because they wouldn't let me take my camera. The Rodin museum is okay, some of the sculptures are nice. I'm not a big museum person, though. Museums seem mostly dead to me, and I'm more interested in the part of Paris that is alive.
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Old Aug 26th, 2011, 07:29 PM
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On my first visit to the Louvre, I became happily lost in the sculpture wing and spent 4 hours wandering. For most of those 4 hours, I was the only person in that wing. It remains my favorite part of the Louvre.

Is the "no photo" rule a new one at the Musee d'Orsay? I didn't go to the Orsay last year, but in the previous years photography was permitted.
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Old Aug 26th, 2011, 08:18 PM
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Here is an excerpt from a trip report from my last visit to Paris.

We have all seen those zombie movies where the zombies walk en masse, with an arm extended, dragging a foot, eyeball dangling, and dressed in tatters seeking their next victim. This is the scene at Louvre but the walking dead mumble “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa” as they limp without distraction toward Leonardo’s masterpiece. The sole difference being the extended arm has a digital point and shoot attached at the fingertips. Since I am the last living human yet to see or read “The Da Vinci Code” I am at disadvantage to understand the charm of the painting beyond the painting. I know it has something to do with the unusual trio of Opus Dei, Mary Magdalene, and Tom Hanks.

A friend of a friend who lives in Paris was kind enough to accompany me to lunch and share some of her vast knowledge of the City and the museum. We went to Bistrot Vivienne at 4 rue Des Petit Champs near the Palais Royal. I had the duck which was done to a turn accompanied by mashed potatoes with truffles and a spectacular bourbon sauce. (I assume it was a bourbon sauce, since I do not think there was ever the reign of Jim Beam in France.) On top of her recommendation, I add mine. She showed me a covered gallery that was built in the 1820’s as a shopping area to protect Parisians against the mud and the horse crap of the streets outside. The arched arcades with glass ceiling allow the light in to touch the small adornments and wide windows of the shops. There were once 120 of these galleries in Paris and now only 12 exist. The rest have been restored as malls near suburban Minneapolis.

We head for the Louvre. She could see my disdain for I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid. She explains there were a few reasons for his decision. There is an Egyptian obelisk from the Napoleon campaigns nearby so a pyramid is offers archaeological symmetry and the design allows for light to brighten the entrance for the museum. I always think of 20th century pyramids as manifestations of New Age thinking which like all things become Middle Aged with a glass equivalent of a paunch and unwanted wrinkles. But I.M. Pei is a genius and I have to pay to get in.

When asked what else could have been done, I suggested a neo-gothic design with large stained glass windows that would allowed light into the Louvre. The windows themselves would have been Chartres Blue and reds and bath the visitors in the colors depending on the position of the sun.

The entrance to the Louvre is a wide expanse filled with the frenetic energy of a train terminal at rush hour. The museum itself it is a reminder of the excess that led to the Revolution. This, the greatest repository of art in the world, gallery after gallery, floor after floor so crowded with extraordinary works that they almost touch one another, leaves little time for reflection or enjoyment. The idea is to overwhelm not consider.

The quality and quantity of the Egyptian collection, the Greek and Roman antiquities, and the French classical artists are extraordinary. I photograph the still vibrantly colored terre cotta ceramics of Della Robbia. I forget to visit the Code of Hammurabi.

On the way to the Metro there is a concourse of modern stores. I drown my troubles with milk and dark chocolate bars from Maison du Chocolate. Darker is better.

The following framed post card resides on my desk and fortunately or unfortunately reflect some of my reactions:
http://www.marcelduchamp.net/L.H.O.O.Q.php
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 03:50 AM
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Anthony - many thanks for this and your other filmed walks - would you mind advising the make and model of your camera please? (BTW there's no way that I would bother with a visit with anything like those crowds. The last time I visited the Louvre, earlier this year at night, I walked in without queueing and spent a magical few hours. The next afternoon at the D'Orsay (no photography) there was just a ten minute queue.)
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 05:42 AM
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It's just a little Sony Handycam. Carrying something bigger can attract a lot of unwanted attention (been there and done that), and inexpensive consumer models these days still provide good quality, especially when they are made by Sony.

I've taken people through those crowds many, many times, so I'm used to it, although that doesn't make it pleasant. It helps in that I know the way by heart, so I can concentrate just on filming it.

The Orsay museum put a no-photos policy in place shortly after the Louvre did, but the Louvre quickly backed down and removed the policy, whereas the Orsay did not and still has it in effect. There's no rational justification for the policy, and apparently the Orsay museum doesn't realize that, for some tourists, "no photos" means "don't bother to visit." Asian tourists in particular need to have a photo of themselves in front of every monument in order to show how harmoniously they fit in with their group, so denying them that gives them little incentive to visit at all.

The Orsay also has long lines almost all the time, whereas the Louvre, with its multiple entrances, is easy to get into even during peak periods (if you know where to go).

The Louvre is open late on Wednesdays and Fridays currently, and if you visit at night, there's hardly anyone there, since the large tour groups prefer to come during the day (and they need reservations, which aren't available at night if I recall correctly).
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 05:54 AM
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My very favorite is the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It is a beautiful sculpture and is beautifully situated at the top of a grand staircase. I visit it every time we are in Paris and if there isn't a huge crowd around it, sit and admire it from several angles. I haven't been to see the Mona Lisa for the last two or three trips - it is such a madhouse. Normally I choose a particular place to go and do that place in depth. Particular favorites are the ancient Louvre, the Egyptian Collection and the Napoleon Apartments.
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 05:57 AM
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If you don't have to see all the most famous works of art in the Louvre but are interested in art merely for art's sake it is quite easy to escape the crowds. Just move to the upper floors. If you've made the obligatory stop at the ML by the time you reach the top floor you'll feel like you have the place to yourself.
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 06:12 AM
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Out of curiosity, why do you insist on taking photos in an art museum? To show you've been there? I think incessant photographing takes away from the experience of the moment and certainly the experience of the art work. Now if there was one particularly nice piece of art not well-known and widely reproduced, I might buy a postcard of it.
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 07:56 AM
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I take photos because I want to share the works in question with the world. Not everyone can travel half the globe just to see a work of art in person. It's bad enough that anything less than a hundred years old is inaccessible without a check to a copyright holder (then again, most art that's less than 100 years old isn't worth looking at, anyway), but at least older works should still be shared.

The "experience of the moment" is meaningless for static works of art. That's only applicable to music, theater, etc. Standing in front of the Mona Lisa may be a special experience, but it has nothing to do with art. Just because you can afford to fly to France to see it in person doesn't mean that others should be deprived of it.

I photograph lots and lots of things that don't interest me personally, just for the purpose of showing them to people who are interested in them.
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 08:07 AM
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>...it's possible to get into the Louvre, see the "greatest hits," and get back out in about half an hour,....<

Pah. No where near world class.

Some years ago "...a young American student named Peter Stone broke the Six-Minute Louvre and brought glory and honor to American tourists everywhere".
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...011801620.html)

In the late 80's I was aiming to do a 10-min Louvre, but was slowed to 12 min by construction work on the pyramid.

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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 08:13 AM
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Hi ldt,

>the museums that I definitely want to visit include the Rodin, the Nissim de Camondo, the Carnavalet, and the Marmottan.<

If you have not yet been to www.musee-orangerie.fr/, I highly recommend it.
Also, particularly for Sunday brunch, www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/jacquemart/

Enjoy your visit.

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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 08:19 AM
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Out of curiosity, why do you insist on taking photos in an art museum?
____
Not all works are available in post card or poster form. I have taken photos in museums which I have shown in photgraphic exhibits because of the lighting, angles, composition. In fact the Met Museum in NYC had a photo competition earlier this year for works exhibited in their museums.
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 08:59 AM
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I just loved the whimsy behind the whole thing, adu - not many people would make a documentary about the crowds. Beautifully shot, too - not a lurch, a bump or a hiccup. Bravo.

Have you seen 'Russian Ark'?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Ark

Your piece reminded me very much of that...
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 09:05 AM
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Anthony, glad you brought up this interesting topic.


Ira, thank you for suggesting the Orangerie. I had considered it – so many choices, so little time! Also just read that it is open on Friday nights until 9. That should work for me. You probably know that Woody Allen’s new film MIDNIGHT IN PARIS contains a scene from the Orangerie. Quite funny – and enjoyable for those who love Paris.


Speaking of the Louvre, I can’t resist suggesting THE RAPE OF EUROPA: The Fate of Europe’s Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War by Lynn H. Nicholas which chronicles Hitler’s insatiable desire to acquire the world’s great art and “return” it to Germany. The book contains photos of the Lourvre stripped bare before the German entry into Paris in 1940.

Museum officials on both sides, in every capital of Europe, removed their treasures and hid them mostly in the country side. French works of art were hurried to the chateaux in the Loire. Many German masterpieces were stored in Neuschwanstein (had to look that one up) in Bavaria. THE RAPE OF EUROPA was also made into a documentary which I borrowed recently from the local library. It’s a great story for art lovers….
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 09:17 AM
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You can take pictures at the Orsay and the Marmottan--just not flash photography. And I think at the Rodin also. Too bad Anthony missed them.
To call the Rodin "okay" is really right up there with--I have no idea what. It isn't just Rodin also.
The Orsay is spectacular just for seeing the "space" let alone the collections in it. Impressionism, and the Art Nouveau furniture are my favorites.
The Orangerie would be a not to miss, now that it has finally reopened.
I am not a fan of the Louvre, but we usually look at the Michelin Green Guide and choose a wing to go see--after making sure that it will be open that particular day. Not everything is open every day.
The Marmottan is a not to miss--small, and a little hard to get to, but very worthwhile.
I am a BIG fan of the Carnavalet--particularly the floor of the French Revolution, and particularly the "cartoons" that were done during that time. The "hook" of the Carnavalet is that it is the history of Paris in art--so that the painting of Paris done by the 15th century artist IS how it looked then. It is also a free museum.
And of course, there is the Cluny. Go to see at least the Lady and the Unicorn.
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 09:22 AM
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Anthony, have you heard about the Museum Pass that lets you circumvent the "long lines all the time".
Also, one of the most interesting parts of the Louvre is its basement and how the chateau was built--I think that may be what one poster referred to as the ancient Louvre.
I take pictures just to call it to my mind when I am back home and think about the setting, etc.
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Old Aug 27th, 2011, 10:24 AM
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Sorry, Gretchen, but you cannot take photos or videos at all at the Orsay Museum, flash or no flash. There are signs about every ten feet to remind you of this, and staff to yell at you if you forget. It's pretty lame.

Photos are not restricted at the Rodin Museum, at least in the gardens (I haven't been inside in ages). To call the Rodin Museum "okay" is to be honest and realistic. The most interesting part of the museum for most visitors is the little cafeteria in the gardens. People take a picture in front of "The Thinker," and then they are ready to eat and leave.

Most people don't know anything about the Lady and the Unicorn, so they are very lukewarm about going to a museum just to see it. In fact, the Cluny Museum is probably one of the places that the throngs in the Latin Quarter visit least. The last time I was there, years ago, I had a migraine and could only think of finding a pharmacy to get something for it.

The Museum Pass is okay, but typically only the Orsay Museum has a significant line. Other places are pretty easy to get into, except for the Eiffel Tower, where the Museum Pass is useless. Also, the situation is different for groups.

The Orsay has long lines because there is only one normal entrance, and the museum does not have x-ray machines, only metal detectors and people who go through your stuff by hand, which takes forever. Plus it's popular, and that's a bad combination.

Most visitors have a limited tolerance for museums, so it's important not to drag them from one to another without carefully sounding them out to see if they are really interested.

Paris has tons and tons of things to draw visitors, and for many visitors, museums are actually quite low on the list. On my first visit to Paris (more than a week long), I never visited any museums at all.
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