Who doesn't enjoy a good love story? It's almost Valentine's Day, after all. Inside the Musée du Louvre, I finally met the woman I'd been dreaming of my entire life... And as one of the most romantic cities in the world, what better place to set the scene than Paris: the City of Lights?
The day began queueing up in front of the historic pyramid in the central courtyard, the Cour Napoléon. Designed and constructed in 1988, this glass and steel structure led us down into the Hall Napoléon, one of the main entrances to the museum.
One must be somewhat strategic to enjoy as much of the Musée du Louvre as possible. Since I make relatively frequent trips to Paris, I have divided my visits into several sections. Today's walkthrough will be in the Denon Wing, one of three separate wings containing over 38,000 objects to discover. And, as I was about to find, filled with temptresses from around the world!
The first woman to attempt my seduction is Greek. She wasted little time capturing my attention. Brazenly, she bared her breasts at me as I rounded a corner to enter the Classical and Hellenistic Greek Art Room, #344. As if her scantily clad dress wasn't enough, She impishly offered an apple to help fuel my desire. As I had been roaming the museum for well over two hours by now, I'll admit; I was hungry.
The Greek Goddess of War, Aphrodite, stands like a woman made of Hymettus marble. She would not meet my eyes, as if ashamed of her promiscuous behavior, but towered over me at 1.94 meters. This wondrous woman had come to Paris by way of Rome. Her original haunt was in the Roman Theatre of Arles, where she had laid hidden until dug up by construction workers in 1651.
Aphrodite, or Venus as the Romans called her, is a copy of a Greek statue by Praxiteles around 360 B.C.
Her father, however, was nearby and pretty scary. The Greek God of Gods, Zeus, is the god of the sky and a reasonably jealous guy. As I approached, he made sure that I noticed the scepter he held in his left hand. He keeps an eagle at the heel, too, with which he could set at me like the lightning bolt in his other hand.
Zeus, too, had traveled to Paris by way of Rome. As the supreme ruler of all gods and humans, I thought it best to resist his daughter's charms and move along.
Looking less demure, more confident, a different but familiar woman blocked my path at the end of the long hall. She is Italian but was born on Milos (or Melos), an Aegean island. She, too, was partially disrobed but lacked the arms to hold a toga, so I cut her some slack.
Venus de Milo is the Roman version of Aphrodite. At 204 cm. and made of Parian marble, she was discovered on Melos in 1820. Hurried away to France, she debuted in the Louvre in 1821 and has been waiting to make her move on me ever since.
She is easily one of the most recognizable pieces of sculpture on the planet. The subject of a massive advertising campaign, she was used to help restore the glory of the Musée du Louvre following the return of many foreign artifacts after the fall of Napoleon.
Finding it impossible to embrace this gorgeous woman, I sought to continue my journey in pursuit of fairer faces. However, Love can be a fickle and funny thing.
The next grand dame I encountered didn't so much as look at me. Fully clothed in thick goatskin and robes, Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, had apparently already lost her head over me. From the gardens of the Villa Medici in Rome, she traveled to France in 1913 to take up residence in this marble-lined hall.
It is thought that she once wore an Attic helmet with plumes, her cloak decorated with the head of the Gorgon Medusa, and edged with snakes. She would have spoken of Greek power and strength if she had but a head, but alas, remained silent, although alluring.
She has a few years on me, a relic of the fifth century B.C., so I decided to look for someone closer to my own age.
And then, there she was.
Looking alone in a large room filled with gawkers, Lisa smiled at me. Not a leer or a smirk, but a simple, plain closed-lip grin. Arms crossed, her brunette hair spilling off her shoulders and down her back, she appeared somewhat melancholy. Reflecting.
No matter where I walked within the room, her eyes followed me. Her creator, Leonardo da Vinci, had purposely made her this way. Mona Lisa is likely Italian noblewoman Lisa Gherardini. She held my countenance with a firm but unimposing gaze. I could tell that we had a connection. I felt like I had known her my entire life. But there was One. Big. Problem.
She's married. The wife of Francesco del Giocondo, Mona Lisa visits with over ten million visitors to the Louvre each year. She was purchased by King Francis I of France and has hung in the Musée du Louvre since 1797, following the French Revolution.
In this room, there are two lines that visitors may choose from. Each ends at a roped-off spot, about 6 meters from the painting, allowing for unblocked views of, arguably, the most famous woman on the Earth.
I could feel her attraction to me, but I could not get near enough to her to whisper the words of Love that might win her heart. Valued at over 1 Billion dollars, I knew I had nothing that I could offer her that she couldn't get for herself, and I was crestfallen.
I sufficed to take a few hurried pictures of her visage, to cherish the rest of my days. I knew in my heart that despite our separation... No matter that tens of millions would follow after me to attempt to woo and enchant her... That it was I she longed for. And that no one could carry her away.
As I stepped away from the roped confine, I took one last longing look. And there Mona Lisa was, still looking at me. That same, never-changing smile on those thin lips. She could not look away, even as I rounded the corner, and continued my walk through the stately decorated halls of the museum.
I will return, Lisa. I will return for you, Mona Lisa. And I know with certainty that you will be here waiting for me. Heavily guarded. Highly insured.
Until that day... Just smile for me.
Cheers!
Sources:
collections.louvre.fr/en
theio.com
wikipedia.org