Belledame

I was amazed by the Spanish artists which are at the far end of the Italian wing. The Italians were fabulous, Mona Lisa not impressing me overmuch. But you can't get close to Mona Lisa and it is quite small compared to some of those humongous beauties. Anyway, the Spaniards used a very bright gold paint that is marvelous, rich bright color and the style of drawing is very interesting. I loved them.

Also, being a mythology buff, the Greco-Roman statuary was fabulous. The marble...

You'll need more than one trip for sure. It is a vast structure. And when you consider that there were no elevators/escalators when it was a palace... The poor servants.

worldinabag

Hi

To avoid queuing for tickets:

Evening openings until 9.45pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. We went on a Wednesday, around 3pm. Quite a few people but didn't feel crushed. For tickets see the Tourist Office or at train stations (for return train ticket and admission to the permanent collections NOT temporary exhibits). A highly-recommended entrance is the underground entrance from the metro stop “Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre”. Coming off a metro train, exit at the far end of the platform where the sign says “direct access to the Louvre” and you will walk through a security check, then the Carrousel shops, and into the central ticket and information area. We took this advice and walked straight through into the Louvre - no queues.

Game Plan:

There's no way you will see everything in the Louvre in a day. The displays in there are just so vast. When you redeem your entrance ticket you will be given a pamphlet which provides a map of the museum, what the star exhibits are and where they are located. Before you go try to get an idea what you would like to see (obviously tips in this forum will be handy!) and where they are located. This coupled with the pamphlet is a good starting point. Bear in mind that some exhibits are closed on a rotational basis due to staff shortages (can you believe it!).

Be prepared to blow your mind!

CotswoldScouser

You can't possibly take more than a tiny percentage in. Other people's likes are absolutely no guide to what you're going to take to. And most people's heads start bursting after a certain time in a museum: generally 2 hours, but Head Explosion thresholds vary immensely between people.

Here's my couple of eurocents.
1. Research in advance the things you think you'll like. Ignore virtualy everyone else's advice on this: they're not you.
2. Visit just the things you've preselected. But keep your eyes open on the way. Organise your time to allow for being diverted - and allow yourself to follow what intrigues you.
3. Me, I leave a museum the monment Head Explosion strikes. Go back tomorrow, or just save it till next time. Personally, I don't find having a meal in a museum helps. You're still in its stuffy atmosphere: carrying on after the onset of Head Explosion means you won't appreciate anything, and it really risks turning you off that painter or art in general for life. Show me even a sniff of Delacroix and I get a flashback. I believe you have to get out, do something completely different and then start again with a new head. In an emergency, though, rehydrating yourself will give you enough of a boost to last out till your companion's got an attack too.
4. The Mona Lisa has to be the single most over-rated artefact on the planet. Practically every other tourist's greatest hit - the Chrysler Building, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Last Supper, the Taj Mahal, even Winged Victory - feels different when you experience it on the spot from the billion pictures you've seen. The Mona Lisa, because of the crush around it, is actually less impressive than the reproductions. Indeed the sense of complete anticlimax is itself an experience worth having. BUT, when you've had the anticlimax, look at its neighbours.

kerouac

It can be extremely pleasant to discover wings of the museum that are devoid of visitors -- I remember one time, on a free Sunday when the Louvre was jam packed, I had a whole floor of 19th century Scandinavian paintings all to myself -- the sort of thing I would have never sought out if I had been following a list of must-sees.

nessundorma

It's really unfortunate what has happened to the Mona Lisa. Many years ago, when I lived in Paris, I went to the Louvre at least twice a week. I had little interest in seeing the Mona Lisa, having not liked it in reproductions, so I never sought it out.

One day I walked into the Louvre and found the Mona Lisa and only a half dozen people were there. Within a few minutes, I was the only person there.

The Mona Lisa greatly exceeded my expecations and I learned a great deal about not Leonorado Da Vinci from that day, but about art and painting, too.

The last time I was in Louvre, there were hundreds of people waiting to jam into the small gallery where the painting was hanging. When the reached the Mona Lisa, they began furiously snapping flash cameras that blinded everyone else. People had no compunction about standing directly in front of the painting to have a friend take a picture of themselves. You couldn't see anything.

I'm sorry it is now impossible for people to actually see the Mona Lisa anymore. It's a great loss.

Heavens,

Please remember that with few exceptions, the Louvre displays paintings that were painted and sculpture that was sculpted to speak to people with no art education whatsoever. You'd be missing the chance of lifetime to go in there without preconceptions and just look. If you are at all interested in what you see, go back with a guidebook.

AGM_Cape_Cod

I had a hard time getting my husband away from the display of Charlemagne's sword.

sweetbippity

I fell in love with David's depiction of the coronation of Napoleon and Josephine. I'm not sure why, but it's just stuck with me all these years - it's come in handy in answering some trivia here and there too.

Nikki

When I was a kid, the Mona Lisa came to New York and we made a pilgrimage to the Met to see it. I don't remember being overly impressed by the painting, but the experience felt important. A few years ago I went to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and this time I was impressed by neither the painting nor the experience.

Some things I have enjoyed a lot personally include the Rubens room with the Marie de Medici paintings, the wing with Dutch and Flemish art including Rembrandt and Vermeer, the Winged Victory, and the Napoleon III rooms.

If there is something you are hoping to see, be sure to check the Louvre website to see whether the gallery you are interested in is open the day you plan to visit.

I had lunch at a large international food court in the underground mall attached to the Louvre which wasn't bad.

DejaVu

Everyone's got their faves; it's all about personal taste. Greek and Roman art is my favorite area, but I also like the ancient Near Eastern art, esp. the Khorsabad sculptures; the Islamic collection; the French paintings section; and the Cour Marly (sculpture court) as a quiet place to relax and take a breather. Fave artists include Delacroix, David, Lebrun (all hail his Alexander the Great cycle!), Watteau (fluffy as he is), and Jan van Eyck.

Agree with suggestion to research website ahead of time, especially the point about certain galleries being closed on certain days. The schedule is online.

Also agree that the Mona Lisa experience doesn't live up to the hype!

missypie

1. Look at the website or a reference book and familiarize yourself with what is there. Choose your favorite era or type of art.

2. Go at opening and go straight to Mona. We were early - but by no means the first in the door - and went straight to the Mona Lisa ans were able to enjoy her with no lines and only three other people in the room.

3. Take Rick Steves walking tour. It hits the high points and his text is entertaining.

4. Stop for lunch.

5. If you're tired of art, leave after lunch. If not, go to the area of the museum that houses the type/era of art in which you are most interested. For our family it was the ancient Egyptian section.

Neopolitan

About the Mona Lisa. Let's face it. We've all seen about a million copies of the painting, often displayed in a much larger size even. So looking at the original behind glass from a bit of a distance can't be much of anything special except for the knowledge of knowing this is indeed the original. To be honest, is there a person here who at that distance and through the glass could actually see any difference if it were just a copy? No.

Now I'm not begrudging the idea of standing there admiring one of the "world's greatest paintings". I really do understand why it is special to know you are looking at the original, but I'm just explaining why I don't think it ends up being the big deal a lot of people expect.

On the other hand, I sort of expected the same sort of "so what?" on going to see the David in Florence. After all, I had seen about a million copies of that sculpture. But seeing that original in its full glory, beautifully displayed and lit really did take my breath away. A totally different experience from seeing the Mona Lisa.

Anyone agree with that assessment?

DejaVu

You bet I agree. No matter how many times you've seen the David in pictures or tacky souvenirs, NOTHING compares to the original. He's more gorgeous than one could imagine or be prepared for. The Mona Lisa was a letdown for me; the David was in contrast a sublime experience.

nessundorma

I was very encouraged to read the report that by going early in the morning, one can still have a chance to see the Mona Lisa in relative peace, and that cameras have been banned.

I, too, had seen many reproductions of the Mona Lisa and avoided it because I thought I would react as Neopolitan is describing. To this day, I cite my experience of seeing the actual painting by Leonardo da Vinci as an example of how reality overturns preconceptions. I had no trouble whatsoever seeing in an instant why this painting had become world famous and why its reputation for art and craft and mystery had endured through the centuries -- and all this through the glass, too!

Few other paintings transmit such power. And, again, I was expecting to be indifferent.

Whether or not one feels or experiences the impact of a painting has a lot to do with the circumstances of the viewing. Feeling hungry, tired, distracted, in a bothersome crowd can block the appreciation -- as well as individual taste or expectations, etc.

There is no reason one must appreciate the Mona Lisa. And many people can't discern the difference between the real thing and a copy. But to imagine such apprecation is impossible for others is inaccurate.

I can't comment or compare to David -- and I don't know what would be the point of comparing a painting to a sculpture -- but I've never seen the original David in Firenze because Michaelangelo's work holds so little interest for me. If I see it the next time I am in Firenze, I hope I have the same insights I had viewing the Mona Lisa, but if I don't, I'll hardly come back to Fodor's and post it's a crock.

For many of us, there is a distinct difference between seeing the original of a painting and reproductions, whether we are talking about Mondrian or the Mona Lisa. And the original is so often a revelation, we are drawn to museumgoing as a major part of our lives.

I have to say, I do wish the people who can't tell the difference would stay home and look at art books. I am mystified why so many people pack into museums on vacations when they are not really interested.

chepar

I enjoyed the large courtyard with sculpture the most, too.

Even with a map, my sense of direction got turned around a couple of times and I was wandering aimlessly through the museum. My feet were really starting to hurt, and I entered the courtyard - which was almost completely empty and really quiet.

It was wonderful to sit on a bench, rest my feet and just look at all the sculpture around me.

mamc

The Louvre is one of the top museums in the world. And it is definitely the most exhausting. After several trips trying to "see it all", we realized that a little at a time is better.

If you have a chance and have a three or five day museum pass, do a little research and choose a few things or areas that you want to visit. Go for an hour or two on three different days.

I love the building as a whole, inside and out, and recently have enjoyed the History of the Louvre exhibit, the Napoleon III apartments, the Dutch and Flemish paintings and some of the French collection, especially the Davids.

However, each time I visit Paris, I make a point to see the Winged Victory -my favorite sculpture after Michelangelo's David. It is beyond imagining to me how a regular human being could have created either of these monumental yet moving works of art.
The Louvre is best taken in small doses, concentrating on the things you like.

Margaretlb

As mentioned by an earlier post, don't overlook the two (I think it's two but maybe three?) other Leonardo's as these you can get up close and personal with! Also, my fav Venetian, Veronese's "Wedding Party at Cana" which he actually painted as a Last Supper but the Inquisition helped him understand that it was really a wedding not a seder The ancient Sumerian and Mesopatomian (yikes, I cannot spell) are great, too.

wliwl

My favorite things in the Louvre are Michelangelo's Slaves, Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave. They are in the Denon Wing, room 4, ground floor. Especially poignant if you've read The Ecsatsy and the Agony.

The Louvre is so wonderful. You could find news things in there if you went everyday for your whole life.

Scarlett

I was excited about seeing the Mona Lisa, figuring it had to be better in person..I am one of those that just felt a bit of a letdown - it did not move me.
But, copies of or the real thing, the Pieta will bring me to tears!
After reading about various friends meeting up with David , in a crowd or lucky enough to be alone with him, the raves were all the same..he/it is magnificent!
I just hope I get to see more and more of these wonders before something happens to make it impossible..thank goodness for museums who send their treasures out so we can all hope to glimpse them when we are unable to go traveling anymore.
Although, I do intend to travel waaay into my dotage, when someone will be annoyed by that little old lady (me) who has to stand right on top of the painting , squinting, to see it

lyndash

May I suggest bookmarks as souvenirs? They are small,flat,cheap and really pretty and make great reminders of all the wonderful art and most are labeled as to the museum as well as the work of art on the back. I bring them back as gifts as well as gifts to me!

The Persian antiquities were such a surprise to me---very beautiful and different. As to how much time to schedule, I spent 3 days not 3 hours so I'm the wrong gal to help you with that decision!...lynda

AnthonyGA

The <i>Mona Lisa</i> is famous only because it is famous. There's nothing particularly special about it. It doesn't stand out much from other paintings in general, nor does it stand out much compared to the full body of Leonardo's work.

People go to see it just because it is famous. That's why everyone wanted their picture in front of it (especially when everyone was Japanese or Chinese) before photography was prohibited last September.

Few people stop to really appreciate the painting; then again, it's not the sort of painting that has a lot to appreciate &hellip; certainly nothing close to the hype it receives.

But it <i>is</i> the major cash cow for the Louvre. Without the <i>Mona Lisa</i>, the museum would be very quiet most of the time. Even now, most of the museum is very quiet all of the time; tourists generally keep to a few small, well-beaten paths to the aforementioned painting and the <i>Venus de Milo</i>.