The Louvre - Paintings

I promised you several articles on the Louvre Museum, so here is the 2nd opus.

Passionate about art, the Louvre Museum is an incredible place to satisfy my curiosity as its treasures are countless.

We’ve just celebrated Bastille Day in France, and for the occasion I wanted to honour French painting.

And to start, I chose " La Liberté guidant le people " (Liberty leading the people) by Eugène Delacroix.

Although this painting refers to the riots of July 1830 which led to the abdication of Charles X, and not to the French Revolution & the Storming of the Bastille, that we celebrate every July 14, this painting remains an important symbol of the French Republic.

We see the tricolour flag as well as Liberty wearing the Phrygian cap.

Delacroix is one of my favourite painters and this incredible artwork (260 x 325cm) is exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris among other of his masterpieces ...

I’m planning an article which will be entirely dedicated to him, so much there is to say about this extraordinary artist.

Another painting that attracts many visitors: The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault.
Another French romantic painter, this spectacular work from 1819 (491 x 716cm) also tells a historical event: the wreck of the frigate Méduse of the French colonial navy.
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She stranded in 1816 off the coast of Mauritania on her way to Senegal to transport equipment and personnel. On a makeshift raft, 147 people tried to survive for several days, cannibalism included. Only 10 people ultimately escaped death.

The painter has researched extensively and even met survivors to create this disturbing and magnificent work that cemented his reputation.

Still in the historical context, a once again very famous painting: The Coronation of Napoleon.

Painting from 1807 by Jacques-Louis David, one cannot miss this neoclassical work of 621 × 969 cm!

Obviously representing the coronation of Napoleon I and Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1804 and not at Reims Cathedral like the previous Kings of France.

No less than 191 people are faithfully reproduced in this artwork.

The artist realised an almost identical second painting, which is now on display at the Palace of Versailles.

Jacques-Louis David, a very influential painter, has been the master of two generations of artists.

I’d like to conlude with Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres and another important event in French history: Joan of Arc at the coronation of King Charles VII, in the Cathedral of Reims (1429).

Ingres, disciple of Jacques-Louis David of course!
 
I’ve previously talked about Reims and its history:

• Rainy day at Epernay
• Champagne
• St. Remi Basilica
• Reims Cathedral
• St. Clotilde Basilica​

I hope that with this article you discovered or rediscovered some gems of French painting.
For those who wanted to see the Mona Lisa, I invite you to reread my Article Louvre Museum.

But also:

• Disneyland Paris
• Pantheon Paris
• Garnier Palace
• Versailles Palace
• Honeymoon 2
• Eiffel Tower

No article next week I’ll be settling in Paris for the summer! Which presages many new adventures and exhibitions to tell you.
 
But you can still re-read all the articles about my Solo Wedding in Santorini: LINK.
 
Obviously, I’ll stay active on my social media:

Next article: July 31, 2021!
 
 
Love & Joy,
L.

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