When in Paris...
Our neighbor wanted to see the Vermeers at the Louvre.
We thought there would be a line to get in. We didn't realize how long it would be. It wrapped around the square back toward the original, pre-pyramid, entrance.
We stood around and talked about the issue for ten or fifteen minutes. We considered going to see if the d'Orsay was open. But, this being Monday, I thought the d'Orsay would be closed.
Since we were out and about, we HAD to see something, right?
We looked at the line into the Louvre and agreed we'd give it a try.
Surprisingly, it moved well. We also struck up a conversation with an Australian couple who were just in front of us in line. The time moved quickly.
20 minutes later we were through security and ready to stand in the 20 minute long ticket line.
It was worth the wait.
On our way to getting lost finding the Vermeers, we stumbled upon the [Bob] Marley marbles. They are incredible! The light comes from a glass ceiling, which really accentuates the marvelous sculptures.
We were further lost (or was that distracted?) by the rooms filled with 500+ year old religious sculpture. Ghastly wonderful fabulous stuff, this.
After realizing we had mis-interpreted the museum map, we were on our way to see the world famous Vermeers.
Now, I have to say something about art and it's "value".
I heard there are perhaps 37 Vermeer paintings in existance. There are two Vermeers in the Louvre. The more "famous" painting is stuck in the corner. The not so famous Vermeer is entirely unseen. No one looks at it. Yet, the Astrologer (the less famous Vermeer) is incredibly well rendered and worth a close look.
The "famous" Vermeer? It's simple and feels "incomplete" to me.
Which reminds me of a story: When you want a wine for dinner, what do many Americans do? They go ask the "expert" in the wine shop. They'll ask what you're making for dinner, they'll hem and haw a bit, then they'll likely suggest that they have just the wine for you.
At that point, other than price, people have no idea what they're dealing with. That's how reliant on the "experts" Americans seem to have become.
In short, people are told what it good and what is not. They are told what is "valuable" and what the price must be.
If you took a close look at how something tastes, sounds, or feels, you might have a completely different conclusion to what the "experts" might suggest. I find it valuable to develop my own sense of what's good and what's not.
Our neighbor wanted to see the Vermeers at the Louvre.
We thought there would be a line to get in. We didn't realize how long it would be. It wrapped around the square back toward the original, pre-pyramid, entrance.
We stood around and talked about the issue for ten or fifteen minutes. We considered going to see if the d'Orsay was open. But, this being Monday, I thought the d'Orsay would be closed.
Since we were out and about, we HAD to see something, right?
We looked at the line into the Louvre and agreed we'd give it a try.
View from the Middle of the Line
Surprisingly, it moved well. We also struck up a conversation with an Australian couple who were just in front of us in line. The time moved quickly.
20 minutes later we were through security and ready to stand in the 20 minute long ticket line.
It was worth the wait.
On our way to getting lost finding the Vermeers, we stumbled upon the [Bob] Marley marbles. They are incredible! The light comes from a glass ceiling, which really accentuates the marvelous sculptures.
We were further lost (or was that distracted?) by the rooms filled with 500+ year old religious sculpture. Ghastly wonderful fabulous stuff, this.
Monsters lurk around the Louvre
After realizing we had mis-interpreted the museum map, we were on our way to see the world famous Vermeers.
Now, I have to say something about art and it's "value".
I heard there are perhaps 37 Vermeer paintings in existance. There are two Vermeers in the Louvre. The more "famous" painting is stuck in the corner. The not so famous Vermeer is entirely unseen. No one looks at it. Yet, the Astrologer (the less famous Vermeer) is incredibly well rendered and worth a close look.
The "famous" Vermeer? It's simple and feels "incomplete" to me.
Which reminds me of a story: When you want a wine for dinner, what do many Americans do? They go ask the "expert" in the wine shop. They'll ask what you're making for dinner, they'll hem and haw a bit, then they'll likely suggest that they have just the wine for you.
At that point, other than price, people have no idea what they're dealing with. That's how reliant on the "experts" Americans seem to have become.
Hey! An "expert" said this is a GREAT painting!! Let's take a look...
In short, people are told what it good and what is not. They are told what is "valuable" and what the price must be.
If you took a close look at how something tastes, sounds, or feels, you might have a completely different conclusion to what the "experts" might suggest. I find it valuable to develop my own sense of what's good and what's not.
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