Tag: louvre

Revisiting the Louvre with Localers in Paris
Hannah Wilson

Revisiting the Louvre with Museums by Localers

5 Comments Art, See & Do

I have a kind of love-hate relationship with the Louvre. I love that it houses some of the greatest works of art and most precious bits of history in the world, but I hate how damn huge it is. On one hand, I love the idea of getting lost in a labyrinth of culture, but on the other, my feet and brain start to become fatigued after hours of slow-walking and observing. Appreciating art is hard work!

Despite having visited the Louvre more than 10 times, I realized I know very little about it. I had a vague idea that the Louvre started out as a much smaller military fortress, and that the Mona Lisa is WAY smaller than you’d expect, but honestly – that’s not much. Anybody could know those trivia facts with a quick peek inside the informational booklet.

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Hannah Wilson

Artist Studios

Comments Art, Paris, See & Do

I decided to have a proper wander through Paris yesterday.  I started near Rue du Bac (7th arrondissement), made my way through little alleyways in Saint Germain des Près, stopped in at the Medieval Museum, and ended up on Rue de Rivoli, just a block away from the Louvre.  But more on those explorations later…

What I was NOT expecting was to find an entire building FULL to the brim with art studios.  The front door itself stands out like a neon sign on a dark night.  Painted in every imaginable color, the door wide open, beckoning curious passerby inside.  I think most people are a bit taken aback to see such a kitschy/ostentatious façade nestled among the monotonous trail of international-chain shopping stores that a huge chunk of Rue de Rivoli is (H&M, Forever 21, Zara, Mango, etc.).  I was feeling the adventurous vibe, so I went in.  Rainbow colors and open doors seem friendly enough.

I didn’t get a picture of the front door for some reason, but I did get many others from inside.

First off – the staircase was painted in a mismatched, haphazard way all the way up to the top floor.  The text below reads “follow the dragon. ”

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Hannah Wilson

Paris Concept Shops: Usagi

Comments Paris, See & Do

I’m a sucker for a good “concept store,” although I’m getting a little tired of the term.  Can we come up with another name for them that sounds less – pretentious?  Regardless, all the aspects that make them distinct from “regular” stores are also what make them so fantastic.  You can find things you’ve never seen before, and perhaps products that are exclusively sold in that store.  As far as gift-buying goes, these types of stores are the place to go.

I stumbled across this gem, called Usagi, on a dreary, rainy day a few weeks ago; one of those annoyingly cold days that just doesn’t belong in July.  The minty green colour of the facade and image of a doll-faced girl with “bubbles” in her eyes immediately caught my eye.  I didn’t have time to go in until a week later, when it was much sunnier. When I did finally step through the door, I politely asked if I could take some photos of the place for my blog.  I was fully prepared for rejection, assuming for some reason that I wouldn’t have enough authority (?) to step in and photograph, but the man who helped me was more than welcoming.  Gideon was his name, a painter and musician hailing from New York (you can see his work here).  It’s always a pleasure to come across fellow Americans while out and about in Paris, and honestly, it’s not that hard of a thing to do – this is a very international city.

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Hannah Wilson

Louvre – First Visit

Comments Art, Paris, See & Do

My Grandmother was in Paris a few weekends ago, and I was able to show her around Paris. We went to the Louvre, but we were all extremely exhausted from all the traveling and early mornings, so we didn’t spend a ton of time there.

We did see the brand new Islamic arts collection though! And it was really beautiful! Some things were a little boring (some of the pottery and shards of tile), but there were also some gorgeous and unique treasures like intricately carved jewelry boxes, ancient suits of armor, ornate and jeweled teapots (or “genie” lamps… I don’t know the proper names of things), and mosaics that used the most gorgeous shades of blue. There were also many rugs, architectural fragments, and carved wood doors. I think the most fascinating thing about Islamic art is all the surface decoration and patterning.

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Hannah Wilson

Near the Louvre

Comments Paris

Every first Sunday of the month, the Louvre opens it’s doors with free admission. A friend and I decided to try it out. However, when we arrived, the line practically wrapped around the building… and the building is HUGE. Instead, we walked to a neighboring bridge and strolled the gardens.

It was a bit chilly that day, so I put on my black tights. I opted for all black, white, and gray – I think I could have passed as a true Parisian. ;)

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