I quickly realized that these were the two most perfect films I could have chosen to watch (from the flights selections) as I began my study abroad adventures. The Theory of Everything simply because it is about a British man and his family and his studies, which were primarily in England, and then Monuments Men because it deals with famous works of art in Western Europe during WWII. I'm in England and I'm studying art history! Thus they were the most perfect films to watch in preparation for my England adventures.
So I'm here to study art history primarily and I love great works of art -- whether they are so proclaimed or I proclaim them so -- but as I've been learning more and more about art history my appreciation of these great works has only grown and grown. With that here are some of the Louvre's finest masterpieces:
Whether it was Hercules who knocked off her arms or not, she's still stunning!
Winged Victory, isn't she beautiful?! There's nothing quite like her.
Just look at how she moves while still be stationary, it's breathtaking, awe-inspiring.
This comes to us from the North, the Northern Renaissance painters precisely, look at the detail! So beautiful!
Here she is, in person! She's not very big, but the technique is flawless, thank you DaVinci.
And there was only something like twenty people in front of her as opposed to the usual masses of society! My favorite part is that just opposite her is a painting that takes up the entire wall, she's only slightly larger than a 20X24 painting! But hey, she's the Mona Lisa.
You can't see the painting very well in this light, but it's an original Caravaggio! Even though you can't see it extraordinarily well - my apologizes - you can see its drama and depth of color. Caravaggio was commissioned to paint the Death of the Virgin by the Church, but once it was complete they didn't accept it. Why?! Because he made everyone in the painting look so ordinary! He also had based Mary's looks off of a drowned prostitute and the church was not happy about that. The people were used to everyone being idealized in paintings so they were not used to people being made to look realistic. The Renaissance was the beginning of the change from idealistic to realistic.
Fascinating stuff.
This is a favorite of mine, a true Classic, and that's with a capital 'C'! This is Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss and isn't it beautiful? Although I love paintings I have a special place in my heart for sculptures. It is my dream to one day see Michelangelo's David in Florence! One of these days...
Now we move to Rodin, another master of sculpture:
Gates of Hell by Rodin
The Thinker by Rodin
Like I mentioned above I love sculpture. Michelangelo was a master of stone, he felt that there was a spirit within that way trying to get out and it was his responsibility to bring it out of the stone. His unfinished sculptures for Pope Julius II are truly remarkable, they show spirits trying to escape from the human body, and they are just awe-inspiring.
But Rodin is a whole other beast! He doesn't understand the human body like Michelangelo and he leaves his sculptures with a rough finish, they're not polished, but his themes run deep. What is it about The Thinker or The Fates of Hell that speak to us? They're by no means happy works of art, but they remind us of something deeper within ourselves. I especially love the rough quality he leaves on them because it makes them more human.
As you can see I'm really loving and eating up all this art history stuff! And I'm not even a huge museum person, but once you start explaining the significance and meaning behind a work of art it takes on a whole new life to me. And that's what this whole experience has been for me, bringing life back to art.
xoxo
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