l'Orangerie - fruity one

Paul CEZANNE 'Fruits, serviette and jug of milk' 1880-81

Paul CEZANNE 'Fruit & biscuits' 1879-80

Tuileries Gardens - in love with clouds

More about the area between Louvre and l'Orangerie: click this link

Info about the Tuileries Palace before it was burned down in the Revolution: click here

A discussion about the wonderful set up of the gardens as they exist today: click here

Louvre - 1st visit cont'd - the grandest Goddess

The Winged Victory of Samothrace has to be one of the most astounding sculptures ever uncovered from the times of Roman and Greek antiquity. Right up there with the Laocoon and Borghese Gladiator.

Though it is regrettable that this goddess cannot be reunited with her divine head and arms, the remarkable detail of her fragile and beautiful wings remains.

Robing is exquisitely rendered and realised also; the impression given is of the person standing on the prow of a boat in a strong wind, with sea spray wetting her garments. Her navel is visible through a part of her dress most soaked by the elements as imagined by the sculptor.

Silver drachma of the Winged Victory dating from 306 - 294 B.C.

Wings without flash...

... and with the flash turned on.

For some less-wobbly, professional images of this goddess, and an excellent English-language commentary on the sculpture, click the link to Museé Louvre embedded in the title of this post (and here again).

Louvre - 1st visit cont'd - Goddesses

The sacred feminine interpreted and represented in the Louvre by I.M. Pei ... according to Dan Brown at least!

(possibly) Hyakinthos - blurry - circa 520-480 B.C.


Bird-goddess - at rest - circa 480 B.C.

Bird-goddess again

Seated woman - originating from Attica region(?) - late 5th / early 4th century B.C.

Aphrodite riding on the back of a goose - circa 500-475 B.C.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite - from a frieze dated back to 350 years B.C.

Isis-Aphrodite - still beautiful, fertile - and with traces of colour after 2300 years!

Isis-Aphrodite from her right side

The benign face of the Goddess dares you to shoot a sharp picture of her

Sphinx, side-on (slightly blurred), 3rd century B.C.

Sphinx, front-on, 3rd century B.C.

Siren, 3rd century B.C.

Siren, 3rd century B.C. front-on (fooling the autofocus with her beauty)

Winged Victory

Winged Victory statuette, Roman, circa 150 - 100 B.C.

Detail - Winged Victory statuette, Roman, circa 150 - 100 B.C.

Slartibarfast silhouetted with the goddess Aphrodite... exquisite detail of her garment.. so realistic.. an ancient breeze still puffs out the folds of the toga/dress.

Fabulous hair too...

Aphrodite - again her magical power keeps colour intact after two millenia! A wonderful, elegant pose. In its original location, I wonder what balanced her to stay upright?