The Louvre is one of the most popular museums in the world. It houses Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and its glass pyramid, which was built in 1988, is a globally recognizable landmark. I was told that the art and artifact collection here is massive and that visitors can easily spend hours inside the museum. Since I didn't have much time in Paris, I spent only half a day inside the Louvre. Despite my short visit, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
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| Louvre Pyramid |
I had a Lonely Planet book of Europe and it recommended going to the Louvre early since the lines can tend to get quite long but I didn't wake up early enough. I vaguely remember the queue being pretty sizeable when I arrived but I don't think it took too long before I got in.
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| The Louvre Palace |
There are several collections or departments inside the museum, and I spent a good portion of it in the paintings department. Visitors are allowed to take photos inside the museum except for the Mona Lisa. The paintings ranged in size, from smaller frames such as La Jeune Martyre (or The Young Martyr) by Paul Delaroche...
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| La Jeune Martyre (or The Young Martyr) |
...and The Virgin of the Annunciation by Pompeo Batoni...
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| The Virgin of the Annunciation |
...to much larger paintings that could completely fill your wall, such as Ancient Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini, which is 2.31 meters high and 3.03 meters wide...
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| Ancient Rome |
...and Le Radeau de la Méduse (The Raft of The Medusa) by Théodore Géricault which is 4.9 meters high and 7.16 meters wide.
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| Le Radeau de la Méduse (The Raft of The Medusa) |
Towering over them all, however, is The Wedding at Cana. This painting by Paolo Veronese is 6.77 meters high and 9.94 meters wide. It's the largest painting at the Louvre!
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| The Wedding at Cana |
I also spent some time at the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman department, where I saw the The Winged Victory of Samothrace...
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| The Winged Victory of Samothrace |
...and the famous Venus de Milo.
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| Venus de Milo |
I also took went to the Egyptian Antiquities department, where I saw many ancient artifacts, including the Great Sphinx of Tanis.
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| The Great Sphinx of Tanis |
By then, I had spent a few hours inside the museum and while there was a lot more to see, I felt it was time for me to leave so I could see more of Paris.
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| View of the pyramid from inside the Louvre |
Once I left, I took some time to appreciate the area around the Louvre. The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel can be found in the courtyard of the Louvre Palace.
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| Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel |
I then walked through the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries and exited at Place de la Concorde, where I saw the Luxor Obelisk. This obelisk is actually one of two that stood in front of the Luxor Temple in Egypt (the other some still remains at the temple).
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| Luxor Obelisk in Paris |
If I have a chance to go to Paris again in the future, I would love to revisit the Louvre.
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