the louvre is insanely overwhelming and yes, a bit touristy. if you don't want to spend the day, get there early and hit the high points (the mona lisa, venus de milo, etc).
swerve around the fanny packers and don't forget to LOOK UP. the best art is on the ceiling.
also essential to take photos of the iconic louvre triangle.
more photos on facebook.
20 comments:
Isn't it the best?! I was constantly being yelled at for taking photographs. Yours are wonderful!
I love the Louvre pup! I traveled to Europe after law school (it was more of a "major cities in Western Europe tour") and definitely had to give up the notion of seeing ever single thing in every single museum. I think I had a better experience because I got to truly enjoy the things I went out of my way to see.
drooling over these pics. you have to take me with you next time.
Crikey, that pup is so cool:) We loved louvre and as you, we went pretty early to have a head start before the crowds sneaked in. Happy Monday. xo
I never actually made it in, the queue was massive and we were only in Paris for a couple of days and I wanted to spend as much of that soaking up the atmosphere of the city.
But I really want to go back and see it.
Wow, it looks super crowded in there! I'm actually debating whether the Louvre is worth seeing (I despise crowds). Bob's on the fence too. But if mornings aren't too bad, then I might do it.
I'm pretty psyched to see your next batch of photos from Paris!
It's a must-go, but the secret is to avoid seeing the mainstays and head into the some of the lesser-visited galleries. The art is just as good, and believe it or not, the rooms are like tombs. The place is so huge that you could easily spend a week exploring!
I love all these photos. You really get a sense of the intensity of the place and the people who are there. I never really consider museums to be touristy. They're just so essential to the experience of visiting a new place or even where we live. I like to go to the Met and just sit in the sculpture garden or go inside the guggenheim just to look up at nothing and everything. The louvre is always packed no matter the hour -- isn't that nuts? But walking around there, even if you don't want to see the art itself, the place is a masterpiece on its own. And it's central enough in paris where if you're there long enough you're constantly passing by it or walking through the courtyard or downstairs in the carousel. I love it there.
This whole post makes me smile. I remember an afternoon my dad and I spent in the Rijksmuseum–not a single tourist was actually LOOKING at the art, just snapping it on their camera phones and then peering down at the screens!
Amazing and beautiful photos, thanks for sharing.
I'm so glad you mentioned the ceilings. Chris is a great admirer of Cy Twombly, and the ceiling of the Louvre's Salle des Bronzes with all the Greco-Roman antiquities was one of Twombly's last large scale works. I think it's amazing that a beautiful creation by a contemporary artist sits atop some of the worlds' most ancient treasures.
Ah, memories. I was there last September and October. I was in Paris with friends for a while, and then my family joined me. The day I took them to the Louvre it was stinking hot. I can still see, in my mind's eye, my 13yo stepdaughter and her cousin sitting together in the courtyard outside the Louvre, soaking their feet in the cool water. It was a simple, special moment.
Beautiful shots as always...that statue/sculpture atrium has the best light, doesn't it?!
smith and ratliff-
good tip! we were only there for 3 days so we hit the highlights and kept moving.
good point, we didn't have much time and i felt like we rushed through it. did see Mona though. seemed so small, you know??? :)
kitchu-
it was! i expected it to be so very big.
I recently went back to Paris and had the chance to check out the Louvre with my nine-year-old son. I found the Louvre to be pretty easy to get around and see the "famous" works in all three wings. Five hours, two meals, six potty breaks later, we called it a day. Your photographs are lovely. So much nicer than my iphones ones.
I studied abroad in Paris in 2004 and this is wrenching my heart with envy. Love love love.
We went with a specific action plan and I'm proud to say I've seen the entire museum in a few hours. We did a lot of jogging that day.
lonely wife-
no doubt. i'm impressed.
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