An update + Fandom Snowflake 10

[dhampyresa]

I did go to the Medieval Morocco exhibit on Sunday, even though it required getting up early to be able to do it and do the rest of the things I had to do that day, but it was super worth it!

I'd never seen the Tuileries so empty (or the Louvre, either) or so early and you know, I still think the Tuileries at dusk are the best Tuileries, but the Tuileries in early morning light is also pretty great. The way the city is structured means that in morning the sun shines out from behind the Pyramid, which is beuatiful, but at sunset the light spills down the Champs-Elisées and past the Obélisque and has this gorgeous golden colour as though the world is born anew like a phoenix and I understand, finally, why they call Paris the City of Light.

Doing the whole exhibit (and I do mean the whole exhibit: reading all the cards for all the items and listening to all the audioguide) took about 2 hours and was a great experience. It's a shame we weren't allowed to take pictures, because there are SO MANY pictures I wanted to share. It was all so so fascinating and I'm really glad I went.

Then I was going to go the Phoenician and Punic Antiquities in the Oriental Antiquities wing and go right into Egyptian Antiquities, but I got lost (because they'd closed the Phoenician rooms) and ended p seeing the Code of Hammurabi.

And then I went through a door and left Mesopotamia for "French Sculpture of the 18th and 19th century", because that makes perfect sense. This was the point where I gave up trying to understand how this museum is arranged and admitted that I was lost.

So I did what I aways do when I'm lost in the Louvre: find the Winged Victory of Samothrace and reorient from there. Since I'd ran out of time though, that meant, this times, exiting.

Some pictures of the permanent exhibit, under the cut.

About the light in the Tuileries, please compare Hannibal at sunset in July to Hannibal at daybreak in January.

My second favourite work of art at the Louvre is right next to the Code of Hammurabi and is this bronze sculture of a lion.



Then, like I said, right next door is French sculpture of the 18th/19th, including "Mercury putting on his heels":



("Mercure attachant ses talonnières", which I suppose could also be translated as "Mercury putting on his shoes", but I like the image of Mercury in heels. He would look ~*fabulous*~.)

Oh, hey, look who showed up again! (That's Caesar next to him, because the Louvre, man, the Louvre, idk how it works.) (They also face each other in the Tuileries, btw.)


My very favourite thing on display at the Louvre is the Winged Victory of Samothrace, though. Not only is it gorgeous and speaks to me on a deep, personal level (I find it extraordinarily inspiring), but it is also set up admirably, ike so:



Oh, hell, have a close-up, because this statue is just awe-inspiring.


Someone remind me to make a post about the Louvre Medieval Morocco exhibit as it relates to the desert dorks at some point, okay?







Day 10

Stretch yourself a little and try something new. Go play in a new fandom or with a new pairing. Try working in a new medium. Or check out some fanworks that are new to you. (The recs from Day 1 might be a good place to start!) Leave a comment in this post saying you did it.


I'm going to count the Hannibal Barca/Scipio Africanus primer for this one, because I've never posted a primer before.

(And if that doesn't count, I am also watching HBo's Rome, which is a new fandom to me AND Agent Carter, which is a new fandom for everybody! I've only seen up to episode 2 of each, though.)

Comments

[akamine_chan]

Thanks for sharing the pictures from the Louvre. *is still mad envious*

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

That lion sculpture is both kind of scary and weirdly adorable. :P

Ooh, how are you liking Agent Carter?

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

And this is where I confess my great love for classic musicals.

I cannot see Winged Victory, a gorgeous statue, without thinking of Audrey Hepburn doing this.

[silverflight8.livejournal.com]

That does not look like a lion. That looks like a very surprised frog.

I love art galleries, but I seriously cannot spend more than a couple hours in it - I always get so physically uncomfortable. It's something to do with standing and shuffling, I think; I can walk for more than an hour no problem. I hate it; I can never stay as long in a museum as I'd like.

[taiyou_to_tsuki.livejournal.com]

It occurs to me that I have no idea how big the Louvre could possibly be. I know it's enormous, but I'm having trouble conceptualising it.

I am LOVING Agent Carter!! I love having a female lead who gets to be kickass and funny and emotional and aaaahhhh. The actual plot is also great so far and the side characters are great.

(I love HBO's Rome as well, though it's been a couple of years since I last watched it... But I love it. It manages something pretty rare for historical drama, which is actually making the characters seem like they've grown up in a completely different time, and still remain sympathetic even when they're not. Also the reconstruction of Rome is insanely beautiful and well done, it's a joy to watch.)