Jody meets Mona

A few days ago, I spent the afternoon by myself in the Louvre.  In my short time here in Paris, I have decided that museums are best done alone.  You can wander at your own pace, whisk past things that don't interest you, and linger over others.  So on this particular afternoon, I set out to see some of the "highlights" of the Louvre - some of the most famous pieces of artwork.  Below are my favorites from the tour.

My first stop (I was following Rick Steves' Louvre app for the iPhone) was Venus de Milo.  She was really quite beautiful in person.  I found myself wondering what her missing arms had once been doing.  Hailing a taxi?  Cooking dinner?  Flashing the peace sign? 

Next, I visited the Winged Victory of Samothrace.  She was absolutely stunning.  The museum has her displayed at the top of a wide staircase, so you can admire her as you ascend.  Again, I wondered about her arms (and her head for that matter).  In this case, however, we know what at least one of her arms used to look like.  Her right arm used to be raised above her head, with one finger pointed in the air (like, "We're number one!").  Apparently, she was once perched on a hilltop in celebration of a naval victory.

Of course, no tour of the Louvre is complete without visiting Mona.  And in all honesty, she shocked me.  Did you know that the Mona Lisa is TINY?!  She is dull, dark, not exactly pretty, and SMALL!  Much more exciting than seeing Mona was watching the hoards of tourists trying to get a glimpse. 

Here's what really shocked me:  directly opposite of Mona is a HUGE painting - The Marriage at Cana.  It is one of the largest, most interesting paintings I have ever seen.  And get this...not a single person was looking at it.  Everyone came to that gallery for Mona.  I felt a little sorry for the other paintings in the same room as her.  They must get a little jealous...

I ended my tour with visiting Michelangelo's Slaves.  They were so realistic.  I was amazed by the detail and how well Michelangelo knew the male body.  They were an incredible end to a great afternoon in the Louvre.

I now have an annual pass to the Louvre, which will allow me to visit some of the lonelier pieces of artwork in the museum.  It is such a huge place, I'm not sure that I can even see everything in a year!