I have a confession. But before I get to that, let me open with something else. You know how when you visit certain places there are those things that you just “have to” do/see? The Statue of Liberty in NYC, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran, the White House in DC. . . . those things that left undone can make a trip seem incomplete? Visiting The Louvre in Paris is one of those things. And yes, we did go and see the enormous, art filled museum. But here’s my confession. . . I didn’t really enjoy it.
I feel bad for saying it. I mean, I have called myself an artist, yet I’m not that interested in one of the most famous art museums in the world!? I love modern, artistic (Anthro-type) installations, but individual, traditional pieces just don’t inspire me at all. The truth is that after a you see a hundred marble statues, they all start to look the same. And after you view a couple hundred paintings, they all blur together in your mind. . . or at least in my mind they do. Of course, the thousands of people packing every nook and cranny didn’t help our desire to stay either.
So, in all honesty I was ready to leave the Louvre in an hour or two. If we had more days in Paris, guilt might have kept me there for longer, but Tim and I decided there was no reason to try and be people we weren’t. We found the Mona Lisa and went through Napoleon’s apartment and got the heck out of dodge. And acutally, though Napoleon’s apartment was not a style that speaks to me, the grandure and impecable craftsmanship of the spaces were truly incredible. Take a look. . .
Maybe one day I’ll be cultured enough, or sophistcated enough to desire hours upon end in The Louvre, but for now Tim and I have decided that our vacations don’t have to be conventional. And we think it’s the best advice we could give you if you’re planning on traveling to Paris or any where for that matter. Don’t waste time doing things for the sake of checking it off a list. Instead opt for those adventures and places that speak to who you are!I actually loved the outside of the museum. I could hang out there for a couple of hours, especially at night when the intricate and enormous building is lit from every angle. Now that’s beautiful.
PS- Have you lost all respect for me now that you know I’m not a Louvre lover? 🙁
I’m glad to hear someone admit this. I took a full year of History of Art and it was neat seeing a couple pieces in person, but I found I was more interested in the actual Louvre building instead of the art pieces… and the crowds made it almost impossible to get close to Mona Lisa and the other famous pieces.
I found I enjoyed a lot of the off the beaten path things about Paris more than the touristy spots
I am similar about museums in general. I did think Napoleon’s bed was incredibly short!
We went to Seattle Art Museum and decided to see Renoir that was in. It’s nice to look at and was impressed with their talent but I just can’t be one of those people who stand there and stare and have discussions like, “what do you think the cat was thinking” or “why do you think he chose to paint her looking this way”. I mean it’s art, not an answer to life’s questions.
When I was living in England for a semester in college, I went to Paris for a two and a half day weekend. Don’t feel bad, I would have loved to have spent more time in that place but we had soooo many other things we wanted to see in that short time that we only went to Mona Lisa and Venus di Milo. I remember (this was back in 1998, mind you) saying after we saw each one “Ok saw it, done, where’s the next one?” LOL! We were speed demons through that place!! But I sure do love Art museums.
Thanks Ladies, It’s good to know I’m not the only one who feels this way! 🙂
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Best Regards 🙂
Haha I felt the exact same way when we were there in May. There were just so many things to see in Paris, and Lourve was definitely not one of the highlights. I’m glad I went because I feel like you HAVE to when you are in Paris, but we were kind of over it after about an hour.
Hi ! I’m a french follower , and even if I didn’t enjoy visiting this museum either, I have to tell you that it’s not the Louve, as you wrote it, but the Louvres ! “Louve” means a female wolf in french … 😉
We don’t even like big cities. We were just in Europe and what I will remember is not the big churches (how many can you see) all the Picassos (the man was really busy) but sitting with my husband in an outdoor cafe having the best coffee in my life. It is not what you see that is important but how you feel when you are there.
Maybe I’m weird but I LOVE the opulence and grandeur of Napoleon’s apartment makes me want to sneak in there and live! 🙂
You went one step further than me! We were just in Paris recently on a short trip and decided not to even go inside the Louvre. Waiting in line for hours and fighting the crowds just to see a painting didn’t sound like a vacation to me! But you’re right, the building itself was incredible. Definitely worth looking around. 🙂
-Sarah