10 Things to See in the Louvre

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The Louvre: A Collection of Culture

The Louvre is a hub for art displays of cultures from around the world. It contains masterpieces, famous or barely known. You could spend days examining all of the art. For me, a quick walk through took almost all days. You can get lost in the art and the maze that are the halls of the Louvre. So how do you choose a top ten with hundreds of masterpieces? You pick the ones that caught you the most.

The Code of Hammurabi, Sovereign of Babylon

10. Squatting Scribe: this small statue is a portal to the past. It shows the importance of the scribes (because why would they go through all that trouble for a less important role) while also showing the ways in which scribes worked. This is a good sculpture to start off the Egyptian art.

9. Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss by Antonio Canova: this, to me, shows a love, passion, and beauty. It is just a beautiful sculpture that I just couldn't leave out of the list.

8. The Dying Slave by Michelangelo Buonarroti: maybe the slave doesn't look peaceful, but it doesn't look fearful either. It just looks beautiful, which I think is pretty good for someone that is believed to be dying.

7. Great Sphinx: maybe it is not as big as that in Giza, but it is still captivating. And it is mostly intact so it gives you a good idea of the Sphinx guarding the pyramid.

6. The Coronation of Napoleon I in Notre Dame by Jacques Louis David: this painting is as historic as it is beautiful. It marks the beginning of a new era in French history and has impacted many countries. So of course I loved it! I mean it's Napoleon, doing what Napoleon does best: showing off! But even if you're not a Napoleon fan, go check it out, its beautiful. Napoleon wouldn't hire and bad artist to commemorate his biggest day. 

Great Sphinx

5. The Code of Hammurabi, Sovereign of Babylon: not many would think of this as beautiful, but for a tablet of laws, it is. Our Constitution finds beauty in its words, but this code is beautiful in its size, work of art, and the stone it is carved into.

4. Venus di Milo: this graceful statue is as famous as it is beautiful. Catching a glimpse of it can prove to be hard as everyone else is trying to do the same thing. But it is worth making your way through the crowds to see this beauty.

3. Winged Victory of Samothrace: this statue just emits gracefulness. It has elegance, peacefulness, and strength all in the same figure. But when I look at it I also think of the movie Titanic and Leonardo DiCaprio screaming "I'm king of the world!" I guess this is why I can never fully appreciate art. Fail.

Venus di Milo

2. Liberty Guiding the People by Eugene Delacroix: this is my favorite painting in the Louvre, probably because I am a total history nerd and love all things revolution, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. But history aside, I love the contrast of the beautiful woman and the bloody, dirty soldiers. 

1.  The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci: the first thing I felt when I looked at this portrait was uncomfortable. I was surrounded by pushing people trying to catch a glimpse and a selfie of the famous portrait. But ignoring that nagging feeling, I saw the beauty of the portrait. The reason why this is the top of the list is because for centuries people have been fascinated by this piece of art, and its worth it to go for a visit and try to see why.