Tour the cultures of an entire world, under one roof!
Written: Feb 22 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price, variety, stunning location
Cons: Very crowded during peak season
The Bottom Line: Definitely visit the Musee du Louvre - one of the greatest museums in the world, and truly a fascinating display of the world's art and culture.
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| jakhtar's Full Review: Musée du Louvre |
I visited the Louvre in May 2003, and I absolutely loved it. It was my first time in Paris, and the Louvre was definitely the highlight.
The building began life as a medieval fortress, then became a palace for the kings of France, and finally becoming a museum in 1793, making it one of the earliest European museums. for you trivia buffs, the Ashmolean museum (1683), The Dresden Museum (1744), and the Vatican Museum (1784) are the only earlier museums in Europe. The renovations of the "Grand Louvre" are a part of the "Grand Travaux" or Major Works defined by the President of the Republic François Mitterrand, which also includes the new Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Opéra Bastille and the Grande Arche de la Défense.
There are a few ways to get into the Louvre. The most well-known way is through the main entrance, under the glass pyramid across from Le Jardin des Tuilleries. The pyramid is truly a sight to behold. It was designed by the Chinese-born American architect A.M. Pei, and was quite controversial at the time, because of the clash with the architectural styles of the surrounding building. Over time Parisians have developed a love-hate relationship with it, and the pyramid now become one of the most famous images of The Louvre, known the world over. Unfortunately, this entrance also has the longest lines.
I entered through the Louvre-Carousel shopping centre on Rue de Rivoli. This is directly accessible through the Musee de Louvre metro station. We encountered no line-ups for tickets (only 7 euros!!) or for security. Although I must admit I cringed when the security guard passed my camera bag through the x-ray device, film and all.
Once inside the atrium, found myself in a grand, modern-looking hall with entrances to the three wings of the Louvre: Denon, Richelieu, and Sully. These three wings contain a total of seven different departments:
- Oriental Antiquities and Islamic Art
- Egyptian Antiquities
- Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities
- Sculptures
- Objets d'art
- Paintings (home to the famous Mona Lisa)
- Prints and Drawings
- History of The Louvre and Medieval Louvre
- Arts and Civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas
This is all very confusing, with all the wings and departments. Thankfully, there is a free map available in several different languages in the atrium of the museum. There is also a listening device available for an additional fee that will give you a 4-hour narrated walking tour of the museum.
There is no point is describing each department or wing in detail, as they are all wonderful and full of beauty. My personal favorites were
History of the Louvre and Medieval Louvre:
At the beginning of this department, we see the original wall of the Louvre, as well as a portion of the (now empty) moat that surrounded the fortress in its heyday. We then venture upstairs and walk through Napoleon's apartments. This is fascinating, and a beautiful way to see how the French aristocracy of yesteryear lived. this wing is also home to the French crown jewels, as well as some AMAZING ceiling artwork. I photographed many of the ceilings without flash by activating the timer on my camera, and laying it on the floor while it took the photo, which often had exposure times of more than 1 second because of the low levels of ambient light.
Paintings:
Possibly the most famous of all of the Louvre's departments. This includes the grand gallery of old masters by just about any European painter that you can think of. This is also home to the famous Mona Lisa.... which is much smaller than you would expect, and always has a large crowd jostling for pictures and a mere glimpse of the famous painting. The other works in the hall are truly a sight to behold as well, and include such works as:
- The Oath of the Horatii, by Louis David
- The Pont du Gard, by Hubert Robert
- The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine by Louis David
- The Carrying off of the Sabines by Nicolas Poussin
This is just a small sampling of the works on display here. The Louvre is truly a treasure of this world, and is sure to captivate anyone with even a passing interest in art of culture.
A few general points:
- The signs and information panels beside each work throughout the museum are in French only. This was not an issue for me, but if you don't understand French, I would suggest you use one of the audio-guided tours.
- Flash photography is not allowed, unless you fancy being escorted out of the museum by security guards. I don't recall ever seeing anyone with a tripod either, so it may be a good idea to leave that in your hotel room as well.
- Plan on spending a whole day there. Even then, you won't get to see everything
- Food is available in a food court in the Louvre-Carousel shopping centre, accessible through the atrium of the museum. This is much cheaper than eating in the museum itself.
The Louvre is one of the greatest museums in the world, and you would be cheating yourself if you didn't spend at least an afternoon wandering at least one of its splendid departments. Afterwards, take a stroll through the Jardin des Tuilleries in front of the museum.
Enjoy your stay in Paris!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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Epinions.com ID:
jakhtar
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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