We are going to Paris soon and intend to visit the Musee du Louvre. However we are completely ignorant when it comes to matters cultural and so far, all we know is that we will be able to see %26quot;The last supper%26quot; (just read %26quot;The Davinci Code%26quot;) and the Mona Lisa. What else is a %26quot;must see%26quot; when visiting La Musee du Louvre? Merci!
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Sorry to break the news, but Da Vinci%26#39;s %26quot;The Last Supper%26quot; is in Milan, not the Louvre. %26quot;The Last Supper%26quot; was painted, essentially, into plaster in church and cannot be moved.
There are some of Da Vinci%26#39;s works in the Louvre - the Mona Lisa is probably the most popular.
If you%26#39;re not a serious art buff, the Louvre can be overwhelming. Spend the money and buy the audio guide offered by the museum. Wandering around can be exhausting, especially if you don%26#39;t know exactly what you%26#39;re looking at.
Don%26#39;t miss the Musee D%26#39;Orsay. (That%26#39;s where the Impressionist paintings are!)
And if you%26#39;re in Paris and art isn%26#39;t your thing, don%26#39;t feel guilty about not going to the museums. People were shocked when I said I could care less about seeing the Mona Lisa, but I was so excited I was shaking when I saw a Lichtenstein for the first time. I remember holding my breath when I saw Degas%26#39; Little Dancer for the first time and being near Van Goughs%26#39; Self Portrait.
Do what pleases you, not what you think you %26quot;should%26quot; do!!
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Why don%26#39;t you pick up a copy of Rick Steves%26#39; PARIS? He has an excellent do-it-yourself tour of the Louvre, concentrating on some of the more famous works (including the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and Venus de Milo) in an easy-to-read manner. He also covers most everything you need to know about the museum.
Another book you might like is DK%26#39;s TOP 10-PARIS which also includes the Louvre and much of the other %26quot;good stuff%26quot;. It%26#39;s very compact and easy to carry.
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The Louvre is a little bit overwhelming due to how large it is and so many differents gallleries, maybe you can start with D%26#39;Orsay which is much smaller and have great masters in its galleries and also its a beautiful museum that used to be a train station.
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One note about Rick Steve%26#39;s book, Mona Winks. This is his museum guide and we just used it for the Louvre and the Doge%26#39;s Palace in Venice, but I think our copy was outdated (it was about nine years old, so probably should buy a new one!). We got completely turned around doing the Louvre with it and some of the Doge%26#39;s Palace stuff was not as he said in the book (they have changed where you enter from what his book said). I do know that they have done some switching around in some of the rooms in the Louvre since we used the book last.
The book is great to help you hit the highlights, but do allow yourself time to be in %26quot;awe%26quot; of something that strikes your fancy. The first time we went to the Louvre, we had built up all of the %26quot;great%26quot; works of art our children would see and they were truly excited to be in the same room with them. But when we got there, our second daughter, age 5 at the time, walked right past the Mona Lisa and took a photo (yes, you could still take photos in there then!) of a painting of a dog nearby! It is a classic story of finding what work hits home to you and enjoying it!
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Well since I took my 14 yr old son, and he is not into art nor is he particularily into history..... I offer a few suggestions of things we saw, that he enjoyed.. enough to request a second visit to the Lourve!
Everyone knows a bit aobut Egypt right? Mummies and treasures from pyrimids, so,,, go and see the Egyptian section. Mummies and treasures thousands of years old!
Napoleons apartments, a section of the Lourve that Napoleon entertained ( and lived) in , chandilers the size of small cars, incredible tables set for 70 or 80! Amazing wealth.
The Crown Jewels, well, what can I say, diamonds the size of small plums, rubys by the handful, strings of pearsl, dazzles everywhere.
The Medeviel Lourve is interesting, it shows you the old foundation and part of the walls, shows how incrediblely old parts are.
And of course the Mona Lisa, ....one fun trick to do, look at her eyes , she is looking at your, now, move 10 to 20 ft away to a different angle, look, she is STILL looking at you!
Get the audio guide, it is 5 euros, and worth it, doesn%26#39;t cover eveything, but hey, covers more then I would have known on my own. Make sure you bring either a DL or Passport as they won%26#39;t rent the audioguide to you without id. They did accept my atm card, although I had to talk them into that, didn%26#39;t take id the first time I went .
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Debsunberg -
That%26#39;s too funny.....I did the same thing as your 5-yr old at the Louvre last month. Saw Mona, then turned to the right and was dumbstruck by the beautiful dog painting! Actually, there are TWO dogs painted on a vivid blue background. Wish I%26#39;d noted, in writing, the name of it and the painter. The photo came out beautifully and very clear, in only natural light. It%26#39;s one of the best of all those we took there. Small world, huh?
Re MONA WINKS.....Think that book has recently been discontinued. Yeah, guess things WOULD change after 9 years! (:
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You can still get a copy of %26quot; Mona Winks%26quot; at the library. I got a copy last week.
Have a great itme seeing all the lovely items.
The Louvre also has a museum of French Costume which is about a 1/2 block away. It was very interesting too.
The Apartments of Napeloen are very beautiful. The objects of Arts are also, the crown jewels, the lowest level which shows the medival section, the Egypt section. You could spent a lifetime there!
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I believe the Louvre is the largest museum in the world. If it isn%26#39;t, it must be close. I believe your trip to the Louvre should be carefully planned or you will find yourself overwhelmed and you will not enjoy your visit.
If I were you, I would research what you want to see. I would also suggest that you go to the Louvre when it is open at night - far fewer crowds. In fact, one night I practically had Mona all to myself. During the day, the crowds can be tough to deal with.
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There are three wings in the Louvre...I suggest you take one wing a day if you%26#39;re up for it and have the time..Maybe not what you want on your first trip to Paris or the Louvre when you might just want to checked out the Winged Samothrace and the Venus de Milo along with the Mona Lisa...before heading out for some more sightseeing..
On about my third visit to Paris I vowed to %26#39;do%26#39; the Louvre...and so we did.....It was well worth it but not something you%26#39;ll accomplish in a day..or even two...
I second all the specific recommendations made already for good things to see in the Louvre beyond the famous few...enjoy..
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Another suggestion. The Louvre website has a %26quot;Masterpiece trail%26quot; which directs you to 12 masterpieces. It contains a brief description of each %26quot;masterpiece%26quot;.
I printed this and took it with us through the Louvre. Took us about 2.5 hours including stopping to see other eye-catching pieces.
It features such things as the Sphinx, Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa, Wings of Victory, etc. Very suitable if you are not an art buff.
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