Whitney
Wickham
Paris Essay Contest
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
15 August 2003
Le
Louvre
At the start of this summer,
I had the privilege to visit some of the most
famous museums in Paris. For me the most memorable
would be Le Louvre. This massive museum is not
what it appears to be, unless you think it looks
like a palace. If so, this thought is true. Le
Louvre was home to some of Frances leaders
at one time, however now it holds some of the
worlds famous paintings, sculptures, and
historical items.
Not only is the Louvre a palace, but it holds a palace in Sully
Access. The remains of the Phillippe-Auguste fort, built in 1190,
still stand within the walls of the Louvre. Because the Phillippe-Auguste
fort was built in the middle ages you are not allowed to go to
close or touch the stone, however it is an amazing site to see
a thirty or so foot wall from 1190 still standing. The Louvre
has even constructed a small model of what they believe the fort
looked like in the days before the Louvre.
In the actual Louvre, there are also the remains of Napoleon
the III apartments. I did not actually witness all of the rooms
because of restoration, but what I did see was amazing. Connecting
the starting room to the actual apartments there is a hallway
with a grand staircase to the right. There were beautiful red
carpets stretching along the corridor. This gave the room the
flare of royalty. As well as Henri and Napoleon, there was Louis
the XIV. Louis was the last King to live in the Louvre before
the Palace at Versailles was built, in which he later moved.
The paintings in the Louvre are something to
behold as well. To walk the entire museum and
see every painting I was one would
need to walk thirty-five miles. I myself did not walk the entire
thirty-five, however I did make my way to the Mona Lisa. This
painting is probably the most well known throughout the entire
museum. Because it is a painting from the renisance and the famous
Da Vinci there is no flash photography, and once again, there
is an issue of closeness. Moving on down the hall there was The
Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese. This massive painting was
astounding to look at. Its size was enormous and the detail
even more so. On the main staircase to the paintings, The Winged
Victory of Samothrace stands towering over the onlookers. The
Louvre also houses the Venus de Milo.
Not only do the Louvre house paintings and sculptures, but also
some artifacts from the orient, Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They
have their own Mummy. There are halls dedicated to each of these
areas. I spent most of my time in Egypt. I walked into an Egyptian
tomb and learned about their history. I also saw through diagrams
how they made mummies. They even had a section from the book
of the dead.
In conclusion the Louvre not only was once a palace, it is now
one of the most amazing museums in the world. The Louvre have
a history of its own, but it also houses history. I recommend
everyone to visit at least once in his or her lifetime.
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