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Inside the Louvre

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Click on the small picture to see a larger one.

May 23, 1998

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The Lourvre, a great place to spend a week or two, but we only have a few hours today.  They have done some significant reorganization inside. . . much improved displays.
x001296.jpg (21693 bytes) This is a model of what the Louvre looked like when it was a medieval castle, protecting the small Paris community 600 years ago.  This version was torn down because it was too small for the king's court.
x001268.jpg (27950 bytes) Venus de Milo, found in 1820 on the island of Milo in Greece.  Aphrodite is her real name as a Greek goddess, while we misapply the Roman name Venus (she's not a Roman statue).
x001271.jpg (10599 bytes) Winged Victory of Samothrace (Greece, late 3rd centry, BC).  The guide says its forceful stand against the elements is advanced art, and it was used as the design basis for the Rolls Royce hood ornament.
x001281.jpg (32691 bytes) This painting, one of the largest in the Louvre, shows Napoleon crowning his queen.  Many elements, such as the Pope's blessing and his Mother's approving attendance, were put in at Napoleon's  command but didn't really occur.
x001284.jpg (13117 bytes) Michael (for whom Leonardo is a favorite historical person) takes a look at the Mona Lisa, which is protected behind a thick glass wall.  You'll have to grab an encyclopedia if you want a good look at it.
x001295.jpg (18945 bytes) A personal favorite, the lineup of hypocephalli (sp?), with inscriptions from the Book of the Dead, and placed under the head of Egyptian mummies.  You may recognize their similarity to one of three "Facsimiles."

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