Musée du Louvre

Trip #1 to the Louvre!

The Global Studies Paris trip works in partnership with ACCENT, a European study abroad organization. Through ACCENT we actually get a pass that lets us into museums free of charge or at a discounted rate. (The funny things is that according to the museum pass we are Art History majors-- and I surely will be for free museum trips!).

But the people at ACCENT were unsure if the pass would get us for free in the Louvre, since it is such a a prestigious museum. We decided to try it right away, so before class we took the Metro to Musée du Louvre. We had to ask around a bit, and many of the Louvre attendants were unsure, some said that it might only be fore European university students. But when we got to the ticket gate we were let right in!!! Saved 15 euros! Thank you ACCENT!

There is very high security at the Louvre, because it attracts millions of visitors each year. Our bags had to be checked upon entry into the Louvre shopping center that connects to the Metro, as well as once again, put though a scanner at the main entrance. I am unsure if these security measures were put in place directly in response to the November attacks, but it seems that in most touristy areas, the security is top notch. It is reassuring to know that the enforcement is doing as much as they can to keep French citizens and visitors of France feeling safe and protected.

On another note, the Louvre is massive. It is the WORLD'S LARGEST MUSEUM. It holds the most famous pieces of art in the world, the most remarkable being the Mona Lisa. Originally, it was a fortress for Phillip II built in the 12th century, which is absolutely unbelievable that the structure is still standing from that long ago. The Louvre begins with its history, showing guests what it used to look like and how it came to be. I think it was very informative and gave me greater appreciation for the Louvre.

This is the remains of the fortress. The museum visitors actually walk through what was the moat!

Standing under the Pyramid was a surreal moment. What was once an image I had seen on the internet and various social media platforms was actually real and in front of my very own eyes. This is from inside the Louvre, looking up into the glass structure. The Pyramid was designed by I.M. Pei, a Chinese-American artist, and completed in 1989.

We started off in the Sully Wing, and looked at Egyptian art first. I was impressed to see so many technological and artistic advancements that I did not realize were being used by the Egyptians thousands of years before Christ. There were tweezers, and combs, and pillows, and massive written texts, and instruments, and the list could go on and on. While looking at the art from 2000 BC, I couldn't help but feel so small on the timeline of the world. People have been on this earth for thousands of years, using some of the same objects that I do. It makes me think twice when I remove myself from ancient history, and feel that it is not worth learning about.

I will be uploading all of my videos at the end of the trip but for now, here is a video that shows you an overview of the Egyptian exhibit.

Once we went through most of the Egyptian art, we were about 2 hours in. Thank goodness we have the museum pass and will be able to return, because the Louvre is much to big to completely take in during one visit. We had some time so we went to Sculptures/France from 500 to 1850. Most of the art was very flashy and definitely produced to show off one's wealth. There was surprisingly a large amount of Japanese and Chinese influence. There would be scenes from Japan and China on tables and tapestries.

The ceiling art was some of my absolute favorite. The artist uses illusion to make it seem like the ceiling isn't there and in fact there is a whole scene of people and angels flying above in the sky. Many of the painted figures seem to be looking down on the spectators. It is truly a sight to see.

After about 3 hours at the Louvre, we were exhausted (residually from only flying into Paris two days before, and having walked about 20 miles since then) from staring at hundreds of pieces of art and decided to was a great idea to go outside, enjoy the fresh air, and have lunch in a garden.

The crowd around the Pyramid was an absolute mess, so we decided to come back another time to get better photos. (But I had to snag a quick selfie)

This is the long stretch of the Louvre gardens. The ferris wheel (there was actually another, but not pictured) and Le Tour Eiffel are really a cherry on top in this magnificent view. Although there is constant high humidity in Paris, the beautiful puffy, white clouds are completely worth it.

This is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (Not the same at the Arc de Triomphe du l'Étoile). It was built between in 1808 to commemorate Napoleon's military victories. Although it is less famous than the arc at Champs de Élysées, it is still a grand work of art.

And after an exhausting morning only viewing two of the Louvre exhibits, we took the Metro back to the Marais and had lunch in a local park.

I truly felt like a local eating a baguette sandwich with prosciutto and cheese. The Parisian lifestyle is something incredibly unique, and I absolutely love it. I love the leisure and peace I feel walking about the city, and taking little pit stops in the gems that are scattered throughout Paris. What a beautiful place this truly is, far more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

We will return to the Louvre soon enough, and I will share more!

Au revoir for now! (Our TA Elizabeth Collins is putting on a beginner's French class tomorrow morning which I am very excited about!)

Check out ieo.ucla.edu for more information on how you can also study abroad in Paris!