The Louvre, Paris

I really enjoyed visiting this museum and observing all of the famous and spectacular works of art. My favorite piece was The Annunciation by Guido Reni with an Angel holding lilies, the colors are so pretty and I love the angels´ wings. Of course it was really awesome to see the Mona Lisa, even if it might not be the real one, it is so mysterious. The Venus de Milo was really pretty and I loved the lady with the scorpion. We saw many brilliant and classic works of art, the museum was huge so I know we missed some art work. It was still a very fulfilling day.

History on the Louvre:

The Louvre, or the Louvre Museum, is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris, France. Approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 72,735 square meters. In 2018, the Louvre was the world´s most visited art museum, receiving 10.2 million visitors per year. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as the Louvre castle in the late 12th to 13th century. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum.

History on the Mona Lisa:

The Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci is also one of the most valuable paintings in the world. The Mona Lisa has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world". The painting is thought to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Unfortunately, we cannot be absolutely certain that this portrait of Lisa Gherardini is the painting in the Louvre. -Angelina

Our first day in Paris was a rainy one, so the Louvre was our choice from our list. I had been once before with my friend, Kevin and I remember we felt like we were running to see all the masterpieces we wanted to see. This was much more relaxed and we learned that the museum stays open until 10:00 PM, so we were able to take our time. My favorite areas are the French and Italian paintings and the sculptures. I used to own the print of the Young Martyr by Paul Delaroche, it hung above the couch in the living room. When Angelina was born, my Mom said it was too morose, so I sold it on Craig´s List. I also love the sculpture of Psyche and Cupid, and the Raphael paintings, his blues and pinks are so vivid. Of course, I admire and appreciate all the traditional pieces and thank Mr. Ellis (my Western Civics instructor at Stevenson) for all the awesome classes, where I learned to know most of them. What I find impressive is the building itself, and it is magnificent! I could spend my entire life in this museum and would still not see everything. I highly recommend two days here. -Mona