Getting Lost in the Louvre

Paris boasts of over 150 museums, with the The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, Musée Rodin, and Centre Pompidou as some of the most popular ones. However, The Louvre topbills the list…well, specifically my own list of “must-visit” museums in Europe.

The Louvre is one of the most awe-inspiring museums in the world, with its 73,000-square meter exhibition space featuring 70 rooms of magnificent artwork. A visit there is akin to taking a crash course in history and fine arts from as early as the 7th century BC to the mid-19th century.

This former fortress-royal palace has three sections - the Denon, Richelieu, and Sully wings - all packed with a treasure-trove of masterpieces and the most valuable paintings, sculptures, and other objects of art.

I could hardly contain my excitement, but at the same time, I also had to manage my expectations. With 70 rooms in each wing, it would take about three full days to see everything. I was well aware that with our limited time, our guided tour would only focus on the "Great Ladies of The Louvre," namely, the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, along with a selection of masterpieces.

The good news was, this pre-booked tour allowed us to skip the ticket lines, and it came with a professional guide - an art aficionado, who provided engaging stories and background information about the art pieces. After the tour, we have some free time on our own before pick-up time.

First, we went to the Sully Wing to see the Greek beauties - Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The former was discovered in the Greek island of Melos (Milo in Greek) and was presumed to be the sculpture of the goddess of love due to her sensual form. She is missing her arms, which adds to the mystery of how she may have looked like in her complete form.

Depicted half-clothed with a bare torso and her tunic falling off her hips, it is hard to believe that she is made of marble. The draping and folds of the tunic looked so realistic that I was almost tempted to reach out and adjust her clothing.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace has its own space at the top of the Daru staircase. Headless and winged, the goddess of victory, Nike (and yes, one of your favourite shoe brands is based on her and her wings), stands proudly on the prow of a ship, as if leading a naval attack. In fact, when the statue was found on the island of Samothrace, it was believed to have been sculpted around 190 B.C. to commemorate the naval victory of the people of Rhodes.

This masterpiece is another proof that under skilled hands, a slab of stone could truly come alive. The details of the statue are unbelievably life-like, with her right leg stepping forward and her wings held back, as if she is about to take flight. I almost expected her wings to start flapping. Her clothing also looked like it was made of light fabric drenched in water and clinging to her body, while the dry parts are billowing in the wind.

It was one of those moments when I realized something – that no matter how good the photos of art pieces are, they still do not do them justice. One must see them up close to admire their beauty and appreciate the craftsmanship. It’s all in the details.

Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to see the Mona Lisa up close. Located at the Grand Galerie of the Denon Wing, Leonardo da Vinci's most famous portrait is the most popular art piece in this museum. Many visitors go to The Louvre just to see this painting, so it was not a surprise to see a crowd of tourists already jostling their way to get closer to it to take pictures.

The painting is a lot smaller than I expected it to be and it is covered with an extra layer of plexiglass, which is bulletproof. This was because in years past, the Mona Lisa had been the target of theft and vandalism. People had tried to throw things at it - a stone, a coffee mug, and even acid (what were they thinking?). However, the glass is extremely clear and transparent, so one can admire the painting in all its glory. In addition, a tiny spotlight is installed on a shelf in front of the painting to compensate for glass reflection and to bring out its colours.

After a few minutes of attempting to get closer, I succeeded (that was the closest as anyone could get), but the photo I hurriedly took, did not come out too well. I blame my camera for the defocused shots...and the lack of space to properly frame them...because people were there left, right, centre, front, and back. I, however, had enough time to see what the fuss was all about.

The Mona Lisa is thought to be the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, who was a silk merchant in Florence (hence, its Italian name is La Gioconda and translated as La Joconde in French). She has indeed the most enigmatic smile and sideward glance. Our guide told us that wherever one is standing in the room, Mona Lisa would appear to be watching the viewer. And yes, I was able to prove it! It could be an optical trick, but still very intriguing.

Our guide showed us some more famous works of Western painters, particularly the Italian masters on this wing - da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Caliari, and others.

My favourite is the gigantic Le Sacre de l'Empereur Napoléon Ier (The Coronation of Napoleon), a painting commissioned by Napoleon I himself to commemorate his coronation after he proclaimed himself Emperor following his victorious military campaigns in Italy and Egypt. This six-by-ten-meter canvas is grand enough to give anyone the impression that he is watching the coronation ceremony in person. In fact, upon viewing the finished painting, Napoleon himself said, "One can walk through this painting!"

At the end of the tour, I had to decide on where to go. Without a guide, one can easily feel lost. The museum is vast and the collection is simply immense. Half a day was certainly not enough, so I chose to concentrate on a few sections I was most interested to see – the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities exhibit; the Near Eastern Antiquities exhibit; and the Egyptian Antiquities exhibit.

I was happy to have the opportunity to set foot in this grand museum but at the end of my tour, I was left wanting. I definitely need to return and allot at least three full days to see everything...or even more. I don't know how my husband would feel about that. Hahaha!

I grabbed a quick bite (a small quiche and a bottle of juice) at the food court then headed to the bookstore to buy some books and souvenirs. The store offered a comprehensive range of publications related to the collections and temporary exhibitions, as well as the museum itself. I purchased a couple of art books, some postcards, and art-inspired magnets for our collection.

Around the area were several boutiques selling jewelry, scarves, prints and engravings, replicas of what’s on display in the collections, decorative objects, and contemporary art. I had as much fun perusing the stores with their unique products as much as I did in the exhibition rooms.

And would you believe I had fun going to the washroom, too? There were several washrooms available in the main hall outside each wing's entrance, and several others spread over the museum's different levels, but for some reason, I was drawn to this particular washroom at the east end of the Carrousel de Louvre, the shopping mall section near the Inverted Pyramid. It was probably because it appeared larger and had a shorter line outside.

Little did I know that I was going to such a fancy washroom. Apparently, there’s a company called Le Point WC that specializes in deluxe washrooms (didn’t even know that was a thing), and I happened to stumble upon one of them.

Inside, it was like a modern museum. I had to pay one euro to use the facilities, but the service and entertainment I got was well worth it.

First of all, there was a front desk with a price list of toilet services. There were a couple of toilet attendants in spiffy uniforms who cleaned the cubicles after every single use. The cubicle doors were tagged with the names of the toilet designers…yes, you heard it right…their toilets were designed by some big names in the French art world. How chic!

On one corner, there was a mini-boutique selling signature toilet items from designer toilet papers to cushioned toilet seats and all kinds of fancy bathroom accessories. And they were expensive! I took several pictures of the displays while waiting for my turn.

Plain toilet papers in various hues encompassing all shades available in the colour spectrum from the pastels (mint green, baby blue, lemon yellow, blushy pink, lavender) to the bolds (electric blue, turquoise, emerald green, fuchsia, magenta, cherry red, tangerine, chocolate brown) and even the metallics (gold, silver, chrome, copper) were selling for five to seven euros each. The printed ones showcasing different patterns (floral, plaid, striped, damask, paisley, animal prints), sceneries (jungles, under-the-sea, tropical paradise, cosmic, farmlands, deserts, wheat fields, Arctic), and themes (nursery rhyme characters, birthday, girls’ night out, wedding, super heroes, castles and princesses, safari, Hawaiian, Asian, tribal, even Sudoku and crossword puzzle ones) were selling for 10 to 12 euros each. Can you imagine paying that much for something to wipe your bottom with? But mind you, they were certainly nice and thick enough to use as gift wrappers. And toilet paper was the cheapest item in the gallery.

I did not even bother to check how much those silk-cushioned toilet seats or those crystal toothbrush holders cost. I did not see anyone buy anything really. Most of the ladies in line were like me, just curiously inspecting the ludicrously designed and ridiculously priced goods and taking photos to show to friends, in case they refuse to believe our claims. Oh well, what can I say? That was Paris…and that was The Louvre.

Apparently, there are three Le Point PC toilets in Paris. The other two are located on the Champs-Élysées and at the Printemps Department Store on the Boulevard Haussmann. I also learned that this is owned by a Japanese company. Ah, that explained the cubicles with Japanese-style toilets equipped with all those high-tech buttons.

In the late afternoon, I met the rest of the group in front of the Inverted Pyramid. When everyone was accounted for, my tour mate with the fancy professional camera proposed that we take a group picture before we left, even though we were not complete, as some were gallivanting around other parts of Paris.

The pyramid provided a magnificent backdrop. It is actually a skylight whose tip is suspended 1.4 meters above floor level and comprised of 30-millimeter-thick individual glass frames. At night, this structure is illuminated by a frieze of spotlights.

I had a solo shot taken there as well. At that time, Dan Brown’s controversial novel, The Da Vinci Code and its film adaptation were at the height of their popularity. For those who are familiar with these works, the Inverted Pyramid figured prominently in the conclusion. It was projected to be the apex of a larger pyramid embedded in the floor which was a secret chamber containing the sarcophagus that held the body of Mary Magdalene. I could picture my scientific and esoterically cynic husband saying, “Ah…the books that your read, my dear!” And as usual, I would say, "It's fiction! Just take it with a grain of salt!"

Back at the hotel, I checked on my husband and was glad to know that he had a good sleep and was feeling much better. He said he was well enough to join our final group excursion that night.