Leonardo da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa:

Seeing Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Mona Lisa was a dream come true for me! I’ve always loved the mystery of The Mona Lisa and have always wanted to see it in real life.
At the Louvre, The Mona Lisa is hanging in the middle of a room with a layer of glass shielding it from the public. There is also a rope set in place keeping people about 10 feet away from the painting. There were also 4 employees monitoring the crowd.
It was a little more difficult than I expected to take a photo of the masterpiece. There was a large crowd of people all trying to squeeze close enough to take a photo.
Despite the crowd, I still loved getting a glimpse of Da Vinci’s work. There is so much detail in her expression that it astounds me! Even though it is a fairly simple painting, Da Vinci instilled a sense of mystery in a simple smile.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace:

Before going to the Louvre, I had never heard of The Winged Victory of Samothrace. It is displayed at the top of a large staircase and can be seen from the hall before ascending the staircase. From far I was not very impressed. Our chaperone for the day, Jeff, explained that the in ancient Greek mythology, the goddess who personified victory was named Nike. This was very interesting to me in understanding what the piece was trying to depict.
Once we got closer to the piece, I thought it was absolutely beautiful! It is incredibly detailed and lifelike. It was incredible to see how the artist was able to imitate the draping of fabric so perfectly on the sculpture’s body. The wings were also very impressive. Every angle showed more detail than the last.
Overall, I enjoyed the Louvre. I’ve always loved art museums, but I think the Louvre is my new favorite!