Georges Braque, Les oiseaux
I didn’t go to the Louvre until the last two days before leaving Paris. Because I delayed the visit, there was much I did not get to see. However, let me leave Paris with a continued sense of novelty and awe. I had been to the Louvre previously, about four times, but, for one reason or another had not entered the sections of the building where the exhibitions were located. In the days leading up to my departure, I went with a couple of friends who in previous years had been many times to the museum and still going now they managed to see parts of the museum which they had never seen before. Other than its size, one of the most distinctive characteristics of the Louvre is the amount of art it holds. It is not the case that it is an enormous museum with few pieces of art. It is an enormous museum packed, nearly overflowing, with art. The museums I have been to in the past have usually been somewhat focused in the type of art they display. The Louvre is not like this. In the two days that I went, I saw exhibitions on Egyptian antiquities, art from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities, and decorative arts such as silverware, jewelry, rugs, furniture, and ceramics ranging from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Perhaps, one of the most impressive parts of the museum is the museum itself, specifically the ceilings. Many rooms were intricately decorated with sculptures that emerged from where the walls connected with the ceilings, which in many cases had paintings that would momentarily distract you from the exhibitions. Experiencing such beauty and novelty during my last days in Paris has left me with an impression of the city that I am glad to take home.