by Lindsay Shapka in Art, Art History, Artists, Travel, travel tips
There is SO much to see at the Louvre in Paris, but after purchasing their entry ticket most visitors head straight to the Denon Wing and the Mona Lisa. (Read this post to find out why the Mona Lisa is such a big deal.)
The galleries in this wing, housing the Decorative Arts and the Italian, Spanish, and French paintings (also made famous from the movie The Da Vinci Code), are packed with tourists waiting their turn to stand in front Mona.
Read Moreby Lindsay Shapka in Art, Art History, Travel, Artists
The Venus de Milo is one of the most famous statues in the world, but like most famous art, one has to wonder what makes this piece more important than any of the other statues collecting dust in the galleries and storerooms of museums.
Well, first off, you can’t argue with the fact that she is beautiful.
Artists and critics have long praised the work as being the epitome of graceful female beauty, so much so that her image used to be on the seal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
On the other hand, though, there are many beautiful statues — and many that still have arms.
Venus de Milo (Aphrodite of Melos), circa 150 BCE
No, Venus was not created without her upper limbs. She did originally have arms but was found with them already broken off. The buzz created by scholars over the mystery of the placement of her arms and what she may have once held has aided in her popularity. Only adding to the mystery is the fact that fragments found with the statue when it was dug up on the Island of Melos in 1820 have been lost.
The fragments, if reconstructed, would have been from the right arm of the statue and would have shown her holding an apple. Because the fragments were made of stone that was rougher than the rest of the statue, it was concluded that they were from an earlier restoration and so were set aside without being documented properly. They have now disappeared.
Scholars have recently speculated that the fragments were the originals and were carved differently because they would have been above the viewer's line of sight and so did not require a smooth surface (a common sculpting practice at the time of her creation). Without the fragments themselves, however, this can not be proven.
Adding to her beauty, and the mystery behind her arms, is the fact that is is still not known who actually created the statue and for what purpose. Though it has been speculated that the artist may have been Alexandros of Antioch and she once sat in a high niche in the wall of an ancient city, none of this has been confirmed.
Though all of these facts are interesting, they do not add up to the kind of information that would attract the attention of the rest of the world.
The main reason that this marble Venus is so recognizable is because of good ‘ol fashioned propaganda.
In 1815, France was forced to return the Medici Venus, which had been stolen by Napoleon Bonaparte, back to the Italians. It was (and still is) regarded as one of the finest classical sculptures in existence and to a country considered to be the art hub of Europe at the time, this was a HUGE blow to the ego.
When the Venus de Milo arrived at the Louvre so soon after the loss of the Medici Venus, French Officials immediately began promoting it as a greater treasure than what they had lost and voila, we now revere and recognize her as one of the most stunning and mysterious statues of the Hellenistic period.
My Favourite Parisian Art Gallery: Exploring The Musee De L'Orangerie in Paris
Tips For Visiting The Louvre: How To Avoid The Crowds And Make The Most of Your Visit
The Palace of Versailles: The Home of The World's Most Notorious Playboy
What's So Special About The Mona Lisa? The Real Story Behind Da Vinci's Famous Painting
Are you a history buff, an art lover, or a curious traveler looking to learn more about the culture you are experiencing?
One of these eight museums is sure to give you exactly what you are looking for.
The Victoria and Albert Museum (known as the V&A to locals and visitors alike) in South Kensington, London, has an awe-inspiring collection of decorative arts that spans 5,000 years of human creativity.
The museum opened in 1852 with the aim of making art available to everyone, and then moved to its current location in 1857.
When visiting big cities, it is easy to assume that their art galleries are going to be impressive and well worth spending an afternoon in, but as I have often discovered, this is not always the case.
But how do you know if a gallery is going to be worth visiting, or not? This post is a good place to start!
The Museum of Modern Art, or MoMa as it is more commonly known, is usually on most visitor’s lists to NYC. More than 7 million people (!) visit this museum every year to take in the 150,00+ artworks that include big names like Warhol, Matisse, Pollock, Van Gogh, and more.
Alex Janvier may be a prolific and significant Canadian Indigenous Artist, but there are no teepees, totem poles, or feathered headdresses in his portfolio.
His impressive 50-year artistic career and his contribution to the art world caused him to receive the Governor General Award in 2008, but there was once a time when the Canadian government was ready to hinder, rather than help, the progression of his career.
This stunning work by Picasso is housed in the Museu Picasso in Barcelona.
I was completely enchanted by this work when I came upon it while walking through the museum one afternoon. It is oversized, and unlike anything that I had ever seen before — by Picasso or any other artist for that matter.