Louvre for the Moment

So... I think we turn right.

On their third day in Paris, Anne and Mark got up early and headed to the famous Parisian museum known as "the Louvre."  The information desk there informs visitors that if they spent just one minute on each work that the Louvre has in its collection, they would still need 250 years to see everything (ok, so those numbers are not accurate, but they feel right, so they have truthiness).  This is one museum where you actually need a strategy.  Decide what you want to see, because it is physically impossible to see it all.

Anne and Mark decided that they wanted to see three main types of exhibits: (1) masterpieces they have seen in books or have otherwise heard of, (2) Egyptian stuff, and (3) the sports collection.

Upon arrival at the Musee d'Orsay metro stop (the Orsay is another famous museum with an impressive collection, but was closed on this day), Anne and Mark crossed the river and headed to the entry of the Louvre.  The entrance is housed in the glass pyramid inside the courtyard of what used to be the Louvre Palace.  Once the king decided to move to Versailles, there was no one living in the Louvre, so they made it into a museum for the royal collection (art, gifts, antiquities, etc.).  Over time the collection has grown exponentially.

The glass pyramid houses the security check for the museum and then ushers visitors to the entrance, which is actually underground (just as described in the Da Vinci Code).  One tip that Anne and Mark would give to those planning visits to the Louvre: when you buy a ticket in advance, they will ask whether you want to pay the extra one and a half Euro for priority admission.  The entrance actually has two lines, priority admission and the long line.  Anne and Mark really enjoyed their visit to the Louvre, but few moments were more exciting than that moment of realization when they saw the sign for priority admission and knew that they did not have to wait in the 30-45 minute line before entering.  Awesome.

So, what did they see at the Louvre?  

Stage 1: Familiar works

The Louvre has many masterpieces on display, some of which are so famous that most people in the world have seen them at least one.  For example, the Mona Lisa:

What are you smiling at?

The Mona Lisa is in room 6 of the Italian collection (not as described in the Da Vinci Code).  Visitors are allowed to take photos, but are not allowed to use flash.  (This rule apparently does not apply to people who are in certain tour groups)

Interesting fact: according to the Louvre, this is not actually called the Mona Lisa.  Although we all know it by that name, the museum lists its title as La Gionconda ("the joyful one").  Go figure.

Later Anne and Mark wandered into the area of sculpture and saw the Venus de Milo.   In contrast to the Mona Lisa, which has been famous since not long after the Italian master Leonardo da Vinci created it in the 16th century, the Venus de Milo was lost for much of history and only was discovered in 1820.

After viewing these two familiar faces, Anne and Mark did not really expect to see all that many more.  Imagine their surprise when they saw another one:

Obviously, this is a familiar face, but Anne and Mark cannot agree on exactly who it is.  Mark says that this is a bald, sad Ron Paul with a Beard, while Anne argues that it is just a bald Gandolf.

Gandolf

Ron Paul

As always, input is welcome in the comments section.

Stage 2: Egyptian Stuff

Although Anne and Mark have never actually visited Egypt (ancient or otherwise), it feels almost familiar to them.  The collections of Egyptian artifacts at the Vatican Museum, the British Museum and now the Louvre are extensive.  Each has mummies and sarcofoguses sarcofogai more than one sarcofogus the things that they buried the mummies in on display.

Anne and Mark always feel a bit strange about the mummies being on display, but they love seeing the statues.  Mark particularly loves seeing the statues of the priests that guarded the mummies on their way to the afterlife, as it gives him another opportunity to win a staring contest he started with these priests long ago.

Mark loses again.  That priest statue just wanted it more.

Stage 3: Sports

Many people are surprised that the Louvre even has a sports exhibit (*editor's note: that is because the Louvre does not have a sports exhibit).  However, with March Madness being so near, it is only appropriate that Anne and Mark spent a little time visiting the displays of art celebrating sport.

The first exhibit in this section appears to celebrate the ancient Greek sport of nude boxing.

Although replaced in the Olympics with "boxing," nude boxing had a long and celebrated run as one of ancient Greece's most popular nude combat sports.

Later Anne and Mark saw a sculpture that depicts the invention of golf.  Although the description spoke of Hercules and his second labor (slaying the hydra), any observer recognizes that a sculpture of a guy swinging a club at a small enemy that is seemingly impossible to control is obviously talking about golf.

Fore!

 Okay, enough of Paris, let's go somewhere else...