Louvre

The Louvre, Le Louvre, Museo del Louvre - this place sounds the same in most languages and is not confused with any other. Even a small child knows that Louvre is an art gallery, or actually the biggest art gallery in the world, located in the heart of Paris in France. Behind this small description stands much more - Louvre is the world, the world with its own rules, system and structure.

Of course, when I came to Paris, Louvre was on my top of the top lists. Many people give advice on the Internet concerning when is best to visit the Louvre. Some people say that it is better to come during the morning, some consider that you should go in from a "secret" entrance, some advise coming on Wednesday after 4 p. m. (when the Louvre is open till 6 or 7). I have read all the advice, but I couldn't find the best one and decided to come when I had the time. In the end, I could go on Monday around 2 p. m. Well, I did follow one advice and decided to enter from the so called "secret" entrance: the entrance in the shopping gallery. Of course, I still had to stand in the line but it took me only 20 minutes of waiting time whereas if I had entered from the main entrance, I would have waited for 1-5 hours. This happens because not so many people know about different entrances and also there is a faster security check in the shop. The interesting fact is that in this shopping mall you can see another pyramid which stands upside down. Some specialists claim that this pyramid shows the harmony in nature (the upside down pyramid shows a man and the normal pyramid shows a woman):

Once you enter the Louvre, at first you don't realize that you're already in the museum. You first go through Starbucks, small cafes, offices and toilets. It didn't really feel like I was in an art world. After you enter into the big hall, you see ticket offices and reception. This hall is actually located straight under the normal pyramid and under the main entrance to the museum.

Take a map from reception or otherwise you will get lost. If you are an European Citizen (or your country has some connection to the EU) and under 25 years old, you get a free entrance to Louvre without a ticket so don't waste your time standing in the line to the ticket office. The rest will need to pay around 10 euros per person (not taking into consideration audio guides and excursions).

There are three main entrances to the gallery and they have different names. The tickets are checked on all the entrances. Basically Louvre has 5 flours (or even 6) including the 1st floor. It is advised to spend no more than 3 - 3 and a half hours per visit, otherwise, you might go crazy.

Louvre has indeed everything! I suggest that you decide first what is your favourite art time or art flow, investigate it with more attention and then take a look at the most famous works of other ages. It is quite easy to do: the map shows what is important to see in the museum and also, there is a lot of information on the Internet. So don't waste your precious time exploring something you're not interested in.

What I did is tried to explore some famous sculptures, i. e. Nika the Victory, Venus de Milo, some rare works of the middle-ages and old Egyptian works:

There is usually a lot of people near these sculptures so you need to be careful with your belongings. I lost my book in Louvre (or it was stolen).

After I saw all the famous, but not so interesting to me, pieces of art, I have decided to explore my favourite art age: Dutch and French paintings from 18-19 centuries. Louvre has a wide collection of such paintings and while I was walking in the gallery I faced a problem: some of the gallery wings were closed. I found out that on working days Louvre closes some gallery wings for restauration works and ventilation. That is why if you're coming here to enjoy a specific piece of art, make sure that it is not closed on that day (information is available on the website). I was quite lucky and there was only one painting I wanted to see which was closed.

When I had seen nearly all the top things and there was only the most important painting left (which is of course Mona Lisa), I decided to take a break and have a snack at a local cafe. To tell the truth, the prices are really expensive and definitely not worth it.

My last destination was, as I mentioned, Mona Lisa painted by the famous Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. There are loads of signs leading to this painting and you can also see that most people go in that direction. Then, you enter a big room where it hangs on a big wall, surrounded by security systems, you try to squeeze between the people to make the best photo of it, you take the selfie and then... you try to understand why this picture is so famous.

It is famous because it was stolen in the beginning of 20th century. Yes, nowadays marketing managers would call this black PR. One day a young worker from Italy, being his last day working in the Louvre, decided to steal the picture (which wasn't famous at all back then) because he thought it was Italian heritage. There was a big scandal, all forces were thrown to find the painting and finally it was found in Italy, hidden under the bed of the former worker. Of course, Italy decided to give the painting back to the Louvre but before it made a big tour around Italy to participate in different exhibitions and fairs. People got interested in this controversial painting and went to see it. After the painting was brought back to Louvre, a lot of "specialists" came to see the painting once more and dedicated their works to it. This is the reason why we have so many books that consider that Mona Lisa to be a unique painting, that tells the history of the world. The smile of Mona Lisa is considered mysterious and magical. From the artists point of view, I should say that the smile of Mona Lisa is an interesting play of oil paint, light and shadow, the explanation can be found in text books. But in any ways, that is how Mona Lisa became the most famous painting in Louvre.

After I took a selfie with Mona Lisa, I came to the sad conclusion that many tourists come to Louvre just to see this painting and not to enjoy other works of art. I strongly suggest to everyone that you spend more time in Louvre and dedicate your attention to other pieces of art as well, that are comparable, if not better, than Mona Lisa.

P. S. As I mentioned, I lost my book somewhere in Louvre. I was very sad and decided to come back to Louvre in order to find it. The next day it was open, I came around 11 a. m. and I should say it is not the best time for visiting because there was a big queue already for around 30 minutes. They didn't allow me to go "just to ask" and that's why I had to stand in the main line. There are volunteer workers running along the line, changing the signs of waiting time. They are friendly and usually bored so you can spend your time talking to them. So I finally came in and went straight to the reception desk. Unfortunately, my book hadn't been found but still I was satisfied with the lost and found service. Anyway, I specify one more time to take a constant care of your belongings while looking at the marvelous pieces of art!

The Louvre Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world, and therefore the most visited.

It's situated in Paris (France), I would say in the city centre, near the Tuileries Garden, Place Vendôme, and in the Notre Dame area, so you can't miss it.

Without a doubt, it's one of my favourite parts of Paris, and although I don't value the art inside as I don't understand it very well, I love the outside of the museum. I was amazed the first time I saw it, and it continues to amaze me, and I was lucky to return a little while ago. I love the immensity of the museum courtyard, that is connected to the Tuileries Garden which makes it even more impressive.

This museum was previously the Royal Palace of the Louvre. The construction of course is majestic; when you're in the middle of the courtyard, you can go back to the era of Luis XIV and imagine the magnificence of that time. Since the construction of the Palace of Versalles, when royal residence lost its importance and it started to allocate the artwork, it finally opened as a museum in 1793, so that society could appreciate its works.

The pyramid in the courtyard is very famous and, although it has been the subject of dispute due to the contrast it has with the style of the Palace, it has as many critics as it has admirers. It's made from glass and aluminium, it measures 20. 6m and comprises of another inverted pyramid on the underground level. It's also one of the entrances to the museum.

The museum covers a vast area (several kilometres) and, to be able to see everything, you need at least half a day. Don't forget to visit the famous painting La Gioconda by Leonardo Da Vinci, also known as the Mona Lisa; when I went there, it was full of tourists taking pictures of the world's most famous painting.

This museum is also famous because of the setting of several books and films. I think that the most famous would be the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, a novel in which part of the plot develops in the Louvre, and thus, in it's film version.

It has a replica in the United Arab Emirates; the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The opening times are as follows: open every day from 9am to 6pm, except for Tuesdays; the galleries close at 5. 30pm. If you want to go at night, you can go on Wednesdays and Fridays until 9. 45pm.

The ticket price is 12€, but there are many ways to gain free entry: the first Sunday of every month is free; it's also free for members of the European Union under 26, or by showing your student card, so don't forget your ID, since it saved me from paying to get into monuments across the world.

If you take the metro, you have to take lines 1 or 7, and the stop is called "Palais Royal, Musée du Louvre".

Louvre is the world's largest Museum. The museum was originally a palace in the mideval times and now is host to this famous museum with its iconic glass pyramid in front of it. It has splendid architecture and thousands of artifacts. All of these carry historic, artistic and intellectual significance and have been well managed ever since a few mishaps alarmed the authorities. Articles older than thousands of years are a part of the vast collection of displayed items in this museum

If you have seen the famous movie “The Da Vinci Code” you would already be familiar with a lot of places within this museum. For example, the point where the inverted pyramid almost meets another pyramid and creates a Spectrum as the sunlight bunches falls on them.

The Louvre Museum attracts millions of tourists every year, thanks to the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci known as Mona Lisa. In French, the painting is known as La Joconde.

Tickets

Right from the moment when you enter the arena of the Louvre Museum, you can be left spell bounded by the architectural beauty of the place. The pyramid at the center of the beautiful building of the museum provides a beautiful view and normally, there would be a long queue of people waiting to get inside. While taking pictures, or admiring the beauty and the history of the museum’s exterior, you can slowly move towards the security checkpoint along the queue. Before you enter the museum, if you have any questions, you can approach the information help desk or else you can proceed to enter the museum. For students below the age of 25, the museum is once again free of cost to visit upon furnishing a valid student ID with the date of birth clearly mentioned on it. All children under the age of 18 are exempt from paying the ticket price. Also some other people, for example visitors from the European Union who are aged between 18 to 25 years, can enter without having to pay for a ticket.

The Pyramid of the Louvre with the meuseum's blocks on either sides.

Louvre is closed on Tuesdays and has varying timings on the rest of the days. To know more about the Museum, you can visit its official website and find all the information in English (or in French, if you prefer). The nearest metro to Louvre is Palais Royal Musée du Louvre which can be reached via Metro line 1 as well as Metro line 7. Further information about nearby touristic spots: Ile de la Cite which has the beautiful and ancient Gothic Sainte-Chapelle church is at a walking distance.

Preparing to Visit the Museum

To see the Louvre Museum, probably you should set aside a time of around two to three days. Despite Mona Lisa being the center of attraction at this museum ever since it was stolen, there are plenty of others things that are interesting to discover as a tourist.

Louvre can be visited only from the outside at night. The gallery has a closing time in the evening. However, it will be great to go and look at the pyramid and the meuseum's exterior at night.

Louvre at night.

It could be handy to carry a map inside the museum but if not Louvre has employed people to help you with the directions not only that there are directions and maps provided within the museum however it is still tricky to navigate especially if you're searching for something particularly. This explains the vastness of the museum.

The Museum’s Impressive Collection & Architecture

The Louvre Pyramids are relatively very modern structures, they were completed in 1989. The external of the museum is as much worth appreciating as is the insides of the museum. The beautiful large building is actually the Louvre Palace. There are some beautiful fountains near the pyramid. Taking a stroll by the place before deciding to enter can be a great idea!

The collection of the world’s largest museum is indeed impressive. Notably, antiquities, paintings and drawings (some of which are unbelievably huge in size) are present in large numbers. There are also sculptures used by early humans and Ancient clocks on display, to talk about like a handful of sand on a huge beach. There are diamond jewelry and crowns with hundreds of diamonds embedded within them.

Talk of the town - Mona Lisa aka La Joconde

As known to most of the people, Mona Lisa is the most popular artwork put on display in the Louvre. After you manage to find the huge chamber whose center Mona Lisa proudly occupies, you will realize how crowdy the area around her is. But there is not a lot to worry as the crowd moves forward slowly and patiently and everyone gets a chance to look at her and even take a few quick pictures.

The Architecture of the Louvre is so beautiful that it is easily a part of the admirable things in the museum. The ceilings are different in different rooms and halls and teleport you to the Royal era. It is pointless to attempt to describe the appearance of the hundreds of rooms, but they have different carvings, different colors, and they are all very impressive.

Some might feel that the ceiling above a staircase is not the best place to spend time on beautification. But in Louvre, the seldom noticed ceiling above a staircase looks like this-

Beautiful ceiling above one of the many staircases inside the museum.

It is completely acceptable to take pictures of the displayed items inside the museum and once inside there is no time limit for staying in up until the closing hours.

If history fasciantes you and knowing about fascinating facts interests you, then you should visit the Louvre museum and gather all the knowledge for yourself. The museum has a lot to give to its visitors. There is also a beautiful open space within the museum with marble sculptures where you can spend some light moments and enjoy your time at Louvre to the fullest.

Bonus Information - The Louvre is opening a branch for the first time and it is in Abu Dhabi, UAE! So, if you plan to visit Dubai and its Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world), there is a bonus coming up. The Louvre ABu Dhabi is under construction and is projected to be completed very soon.

Such a wonderful museum, one of the world's most famous. I personally loved the Italian paintings and the huge egiptian exposition.

If you are in Paris for a long period, such as me, consider to visit this museum many times, so you can really appreciate all the expositions (it is just too big to be visited in one day). Plus, the access is free for young people under 25, so you can really go there as many times as you wish.

Louvre Museum, the core of the European art world ( part II ) 

Welcome to the Louvre, a small history of the museum 

We got the free map that is available for every visitor and besides the organization of the building, the paper also offered us some historical information about the construction we were about to discover. 

We found out that the origin of the Louvre dated back to the 1200s, when it was first built as a fortress under Philip II. Once a royal residence starting with the 16th century, it became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution and is now home to artworks dating from the 7th millennium BC to the 1850s. 

Over the years that had passed, the building suffered for sure many changes and challenges. For example, under the reign of Napoleon, the museum's collections were increased and the name was changed into Musée Napoléon. 

How the largest museum in the world was organised 

Louvre museum is the world's largest museum and by taking this fact in consideration, the collections were displayed on 5 levels, in 3 interconnecting wings named after the three prominent figures from French history: 

• Richelieu ( 1585-1642, chief minister of King Louis XIII )

• Sully ( 1559-1641, chief minister of Henry IV )

• Denon ( 1747-1825, first director of  Musée du Louvre )

We read all of the above on the museum map, a brochure that we would recommend everybody to use because it offered practical information needed in going around the huge labirint that Louvre was. 

The Northern Europe collection

We skipped the -1 Level and the 0 Level and climbed up the stairs until the last one, the 2 Level where we wanted to see the Northern Europe collection, located in the Richelieu wing between room 848 and room 825. 

Among the painters whose artworks we admired here there were:

• Rembrandt van Rijn

• Johannes Vermeer von Delft

• Franz Hals 

Rembrandt von Rijn and his self portraits 

We've been studying Rembrandt's style and paintings since high school and the moment to watch the masterpieces with our own eyes had finally come. We spend a couple of good minutes in front of his pictures trying to remember and observe some  specific and defining aspects of it. 

Rembrandt was a dutch baroque painter who worked in the 17th century on images depicting a vast matter of subjects from portraits to self-portraits to landscapes, genre scene, historical, biblical, mythological and allegorical themes. 

Some of his most famous works included the many self-portraits of which we also  saw in Louvre. 

"The Young man with a golden chain" and "Self Portrait at the Easel"  depicted two different ages and states in which the artist painted himself. In fact, during his whole artistical career, Rembrandt had a thing for representing his portrait in various stages of life, moods and atmospheres. Perhaps, on one hand, the young man looking very proud was supposed to be an image of a rich and flourish period, the present golden chain being used as a symbol of that time. It is known that he was not just a painter, but an art collector and a delear too. 

On the other hand, the other portrait showing an old face and a body dressed up normally with a simple white hat put on the head presumed to imagine a point when the artist returned to his first passion and all time devotion and that's why the golden chain was replaced with an easel. 

Johannes Vermeer von Delft 

I've been wanting to see as many paintings belonging to Vermeer since forever because he had been my favorite artist also since ever and in Louvre Museum I got the change to meet with two of his masterpieces, namely "The Astronomer" and "The Lacemaker". 

"The Astronomer" was a painting that proved the idea that the 17th century was an age of scientific discovery and revolution. The astronomer studied a celestial globe and on the table there is found an astrolabe, possibly of Persian origin. The man was wearing a dressing gown similiar to a kimono. Through his images, Vermeer wrote history in same way. In that case, the acces that Vermeer would have had to such items spoke about how Netherlands played a central role in international trade at that time. 

"The Lacemaker" featured a woman of high standing rather then an ordinary worker which were mainly represented in his paintings. To the left, a clusters of coloured thread were hunged out of a pincushion. Attention was drawn to the heads that were doing the job too. The downward gaze of the female created a quite contemplative feel to the whole image. 

Actually, that's the reason why I felt inlove with Vermeer's painting in the first place. He was not just copying the reality, but he was capturing moments, feelings, moods, atmospheres, day to day life aspects through right colours and smart, well thought compositions. The painter payed attention to the smallest details of his painting. In both artworks the pattern of the fabric is painted realistically but expressively in a way that the view could even observe the tiniest spots of light. 

Franz Hals

Frans Hals was a painter from Haarlem who painted mainly individual portraits and group portraits. Louvre was lucky to have two of his most known and famous masterpieces, namely "The Gypsy girl" and "Jester with a lute". We could see in those images playful and truly character that the painter attributes to his characters without any fear. 

An inside garden like place 

From the Level 2 of the museum we could observe by looking on the windows the interior square of the Sully wing in which there were exhibited the Greek and Roman Antiquities. The view was pretty awesome and worth watching. It added to the fact that we didn't went to that Level, so by seeing the sculptures from up there it was like visiting that part of the museum too.