Photos of Paris-Provence Part-7 of 8

[ Last : Photos of Paris-Provence, Part-6 of 8 ]

Photographs from Paris-Provence tour--2008-10

(Part-7: Louvre museum)

 

2008-10-09 Le Musee du Louvre

Louvre Palace started in 12th century by Philip II.  In 1682, Louis XIV chose Versaille as his residence.  Under the Louis XV in 1750's, the idea of turning Louvre into a royal museum became a policy.  The Musée du Louvre now contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments: Egyptian antiquities; Near Eastern antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman; Islamic art; Sculpture; Decorative art; Paintings; and Prints and drawings.  It is the most visited museum in the world, with average of 15,000 visitors daily.

 

Venus of Milo

I thought I should be able to find out the artist and the name of these works from books I purchased.  However, I could not!  There are 35,000 objects being exhibited.  Books usually chose only 300 considered "masterpieces".   They all look masterpieces to me.

 

One of the 135 bronze disks that form the Arago Rose Line, simply called the Rose Line in "The da Vinci Code". The Arago Rose Line is better known as the Paris Meridian, the once challenger to Greenwich as the zero-longitude line.The Arago Rose Line is named after the French astronomer Francois Arago. His recalculation of the Paris Meridian in the early 19th resulted in greater accuracy. 

Louvre is half a mile long, and 5 miles of exhibit halls in total!

 

The room with "Mona Lisa", in the far right.

 

Coronation of Napoleon

 

A Nap in Louvre

 

The best art class room in the world

 

Pei Glass pyramids

Le Brun's painting

Champaigne's paintings

 

 

(  continued to :  Photos of Paris-Provence, Part-8 of 8  )