The Louvre -- Greece through the Italian Renaissance

This is why Paris is so beautiful. The back of a building on the Left Bank has been turned into a piece of art. One almost doesn't realize that it's just the back of a building.

And back to the Louvre with the Lady of Auxerre (650BC) from the Archaic Period. A kore, with her hand over her breast as a gesture of prayer.

Because she doesn't wear a headdress, she is probably not a goddess.

Her dress has geometric patterns...the introduction of decoration and fashion. If you look at her on the whole, there are geometric shapes, the triangle head and rectangular body.

The Panathenaic Festival on the Parthenon Frieze (447BC), height of the classical period. The controlled movement is a great contrast to......

The Nike of Samothrace (190BC) is what I came to see. It is a classic of hellenistic sculpture. She is placed on the prow of a ship. In a rejection of Greek classicism, Nike is emotive and incredible movement.

The statue itself was placed in a fountain thereby the water rushing by giving the effect of the boat on the seas. Art and nature in combination.

But to me it is the drapery and windswept clothing tight on the body that is amazing. It's totally fluid looking, but made of tons of stone.

The famous Venus de Milo (150BC) is another hellenistic sculpture. She's a bit sexual and playful in her interaction with the viewer.

You know me.....I have to include Augustus, although this one isn't one of my favorite sculptures of "the man."

Madonna of the Angels by Cimabue (1280). These cardboard figures are about to be made into 3-D with volume and perspective, but we're just not there yet.

Assisi Receiving the Stigmata by Giotto (1290's). This is where we're starting to see perspective, with Giotto. We also have human emotion and representations of the physical world.

At the bottom, are three panels, on the right see the birds coming to listen to Francis. The mid-flight of the birds is amazing considering the high renaissance is a century away.

I love the fact that I now can see a painting and figure out the artist. I saw this, and because of the dancing girl, guessed it was Botticelli, because the girls are dancing in the same manner as his Primavera.

I joke with Yvonne that when I see sticks, I immediately think Paolo Uccello. And I was right, this is his Battle of San Romano (1450BC). I think that the sticks are attempting to show time lapse.

There are two Madonna of the Rocks (1483) by Da Vinci, one here in the Louvre, the other in London. The technique of "sfumato" or smoky is on display here in great technical mastery. The the delicate shadings from light to dark.

Obviously.....a portrait by Piero della Francesca. Obviously.

Le Belle Jardinere by Raphael (1507). Raphael mastered the soft colors and beauty. There is intense intimacy here.

Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione by Raphael (1514). It's the eyes.....you can see his soul and his psyche.

In contrast to this portrait of a boy by Bronzino, well not as much. And also, what's the boy doing with that statue?(1550s)

Old Man and Grandson by Ghirlandaio (1490). This was on an art history test last year. Note the nice play of light and the 3-D nature perspective in the background.

I remember the nose....and here it is up close. What's up with the nose?

And we have to end with a Caravaggio. The Fortune Teller where the girl using her wiles is looking the boy in the eye while telling his fortune, but stealing his ring.

Leaving Paris......with beautiful copper pots. Paris is unbelievable beautiful.