Another day of rain!!

We were part of a 3 hour guided tour of the Louvre.  Our tour was in the oldest section of the museum.

We started off looking at a portrait that was over 2000 years old called “Portrait of a Young Woman”. This portrait was a starting point to explain 2000 years ago artists knew how to create a realistic portrait.  Our tour would include exploring the evolution of portraits.

We were shown some of the most celebrated and famous pieces of art in the world.  Works by da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rafael, and David to name a few.  Each portrait or sculpture had a detailed story and history.  Aphrodite, known as the “Venus de Milo” is an original greek statue that is over 2000 years old dating back  between 130 and 100 BC. Nike of Samothrace, known as the “Winged Victory of Samothrace”, dates back to 200-190 BC. The story of da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” has many interesting details – what made the portrait famous was that the portrait was stolen by a worker and later returned, no one really knows who she is – her identity is speculation, and on his death bed da Vinci admitted his Mona Lisa was his favourite of all his paintings.  Napoleon stole the painting of “The Wedding at Cana” from Italy.  In this painting,  it captures the exact moment when Jesus is performing the miracle of turning water to wine.

The last stop of the tour was in the oldest room in the Louvre at 500 years old.  This room is where all kings and queens who lived in the grand palace over the centuries, danced.  The statue of “Diana of Versailles”, is in this room.

Arc du Carrousel

Arch in the Carrousel

Entering the main entrance of the Louvre before entering the Louvre…..

Looking up at the smaller pyramid.

Portrait of a Young Woman –

Giotto di Bondone – Crucifix – 1310-1315 (?)

Cenni di Pepi (Cimabue) – Maestà – 1280

Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, known as Sandro Botticelli – Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist, c. 1470–1475

Leonardo da Vinci – The Virgin and Child with St. Anne – 1500 until 1513

3 generations – Mary’s mother Anne, Mary and baby Jesus with a baby lamb (Lamb of God).

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino also known as Raphael – Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist – 1507

My very first look at the Mona Lisa!!

Paolo Caliari, known as Paolo Veronese – The Wedding at Cana – 1563. Jesus has that look on his face because at that moment he is performing the miracle of turning water into wine!

Jacques-Louis David – The Coronation of Napoleon – 1805–07

The little guy behind Napoleon, David put in in honour of Napoleon. That little guy is Julius Caesar. Napoleon was obsessed with Rome.

Théodore Géricault – The Raft of the Medusa – 1818–1819

Eugène Delacroix – Liberty Leading the People – 1830

Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace

Venus de Milo

Close up of her face.

Back of Venus de Milo

Michelangelo – Dying Slave – 1513–1516

Michelangelo – Dying Slave – 1513–1516

Michelangelo – Rebellious Slave – 1513

Antonio Canova – Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss – 1787

Giovanni Battista Foggini – Wild Boar – 1684

Diana of Versailles

Satyres en Atlante

Bust of Satyr

Face of Dancing Satyr

Ceiling

Ceiling

Ceiling

Ceiling

Ceiling

Ceiling

Walking home across the Seine!