The Louvre, Paris

Visits to Paris won't be complete without a trip to the Louvre.

Second time visiting... 

still loving it.

Third time's the charm, anyone? 

Waking up way too early in the morning...



I love sculptures.
I love how every angle is an art to observe, analyse and admire.
An art of movement of the observer. A three-dimensional artwork that gives its viewer multi-dimensional admiration and endless discoveries.

It is a wonder to look at...


indeed

the ever famous armless Aphrodite of Milos




Boy with Duck


Diana of Versailles

Among my favourite sculptures at the Louvre, Borghese Hermaphroditus is one of them.



Hermaphroditus was the child of Aphrodite and Hermes, a two sexed gender god that portrays bisexuality and effeminacy.







I love how you can walk about the statue and every sight is a perfect work of art; a sight to see and sigh at.

However, my favourite sculpture in the Louvre is the "Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss".


I love how you have to move around the statue in order to reveal most stories hidden behind the seemingly innocent (or not so innocent) love story between Cupid and Psyche: (quoted from Wiki)

Psyche had been warned by Venus against the opening of the jar she was given to collect a scrap of beauty from Proserpina for Venus: "’But I give you one especially strong warning. Do not open or peep into the jar you carry, and repress all curiosity as to the Imprisoned Treasure of Divine Beauty.’” Curiosity gave way just as Psyche had returned from her voyage into the Underworld and so Psyche peered into the jar to take some of the Divine Beauty for herself. However, Proserpina had not filled it with the Beauty, but rather with the “Sleep of the Innermost Darkness, the night of Styx, which freed from its cell rushed upon her and penetrated her whole body with a heavy cloud of unconsciousness and unfolded her where she lay.” It is within the moment in which Psyche is “a corpse asleep” revived by Cupid that Canova chose to depict. “Delicately purging her of the Sleep, which he put back in its original lair the jar, he roused Psyche with a charming prick of his Arrow.” Various details such as the jar behind Psyche allude to the story by Apuleius as Psyche had just opened it and had gone to sleep thus the jar remains lying beside her. Additionally the arrow which Cupid struck Psyche with to awaken her is also found near the jar and Cupid wears a quiver next to his waist. 

At one point, every male statues were castrated. Funnily called the great castration of Pius IX. This was before the notion of instituting fig leaves over genitals were thought of.




Fine arts




The first time I saw it, I thought it was much smaller than I thought it would be in my imagination, and a lot greener.
The second time I saw it, it was still small, but I swore the painting's color got a lot better.
They must have either kept the real thing after all those years of exposed camera flashes, or replaced the old replica with a new one.


One of my favourite history depicting paintings in The Louvre: "The Coronation of Napoleon"






the colorful lines below the crown was a photo error but it looked nice so I edited it the photo that way