Paris for Free!

On the first Sunday of every month (and national holidays), most of the major museums in Paris waive the entry fee.  Kevin proposed we tackle the Louvre, just to see what it might be like on a free day. The museum is so huge we plan to see it over the course of several visits, so why not avoid the entry fee when possible?  I was worried that the crowds would be overwhelming, but agreed to give it a try.

The museum opens at 9am, but we got a late start because we stopped to check out the Les Halles Sunday market. So we arrived at the Louvre at 9:15 anticipating long lines. As we approached through the west door to the Cour Carrée we could already see the line from the Pyramide main entrance stretching around and following the contours of the building through to the Cour Carrée. (Here's a helpful schematic - the Cour Carrée is the square court on the right).

Us in the Cour Carrée on a different day when the museum was closed

As we approached we actually saw a group of 20 people running to get in the queue!  There are actually three entrances to the museum, so we kept on walking until we got to the Porte des Lions (a great tip I read about online).  Bingo!  No line at all -- we were through security and in the middle of the Italian Paintings section (home to the Mona Lisa) within 5 minutes.

Of course there was already a mob scene around the Mona Lisa/La Joconde.  Since our plan for the day was actually to see some of the other wings, we only elbowed in close enough to take a video of the chaos. The Mona Lisa seems very small, especially compared to Paolo Veronese's immense and vibrant "Wedding Feast at Cana" opposite it.  It takes up the entire wall.




Because the entire Italian wing was thronged with art-lovers, we quickly found our way out of the hall, stopping to enjoy a quick view of "The Winged Victory of Samothrace" near the stairs.

Ahh...we escaped the crowds by heading to the top floor of the Louvre to see the French and other European paintings.  In some of the galleries we were the only ones there.

Other areas were more populated but even Vermeer's lace maker was easy to approach.

"The Lacemaker" Johannes Vermeer

A self-portrait of Rembrandt

This view of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius by Joseph Vernet looks familiar

Creepy hand study by Nicolas de Largillierre

At times we couldn't resist taking a peek out the windows at the line for the museum entrance, now stretching around and out the door of the Cour Carrée.

The Pyramides entrance designed by architect I.M. Pei

Another shot of the line in the Cour Carrée

Sometimes the Louvre's interior spaces are just as interesting as the artwork.

Sculpture hall seen from above

Staircase - reminded me of M.C. Escher

The signage made me chuckle.

We then did a quick walkthrough of Napoleon III's lavish apartments.

Our attempt at a self-portrait

After a while, you get what I call "Louvred Out"; that's how you know when it's time to leave.  I can't imagine trying to see this whole museum in a day; just 2½ hours was exhausting!

Signs of "Louvre Fatigue" are setting in.  Seeing this much art at once can get overwhelming!

View from Napoleon III's apartments of the Eiffel Tower and the beautiful day outside

But, since it was free museum day, I also wanted to have a look at the Middle Ages Museum.  It was kind of a hike from the Louvre, across the river, but it was such a nice day and we stopped for a panini lunch along the way.

I was very impressed with the Middle Ages Museum (Musée National de Moyen Age).  The building has a long history: it was first a thermal Roman bath (some parts are still preserved), it was once used as a Parisian townhouse for abbots from the distant monastery at Cluny, and it eventually became a museum.

This devilish gargoyle looks down on the entrance courtyard

Ribbed vaulting in the chapel

One of the spacious exhibit halls on the ground floor

The exhibits in the museum were really well done; they had a special exhibit on the épée, which is the French word for sword.  Swords of all types were on display, including "Joyeuse" the sword of Charlemagne and the supposed sword wielded by Joan d'Arc.  You could also hack away with a replica of a typical middle age sword -- here Kevin gives it a try.

"None shall pass!" (That Monty Python clip was actually running on a TV screen in the exhibit.)

The other main treasure of the museum is the series of six tapestries known as the Lady and the Unicorn.

The tapestries were created in the 15th or 16th century and have been damaged over time, so the lighting, humidity, and temperature in the exhibit hall are very tightly controlled.

Every gallery had some incredible artifacts from the middle ages.  What was also cool was that in each exhibit there was typically a student docent who was there to explain the relevance of each piece and to answer questions (in French or English).

These heads of the Kings of Judah formerly decorated Notre Dame cathedral. They were lopped off during the Revolution.

This carving of Mary Magdalen is from 15th century Brussels

This backlit "Resurrection" panel was in a dark room, making it easy to finally get an in-focus stained-glass photo!