Each time I visit Paris, I take one of the Museum's guided tours. The guides are excellent, knowledgeable and proud of their nation's treasures. They are accommodating, willing to answer questions and it makes the visit much more interesting. There are tours in many languages, be sure the tour you are taking is in yours.
They guide takes you through the different time periods of art and the shows you how to differentiate between periods. She explains the meaning of gestures or actions portrayed by the subjects of the painting. For example there is a picture of two women, sisters, in a wooden bathtub. They are standing and one is pinching the nipple of the other. In the background is another woman sewing. These actions tell you that the woman, who is the mistress to the king, is pregnant. Her sister is sqeezing for milk, the woman making baby clothes. If you know how to interpret them, these paintings will tell you a story.
I have seen the Mona Lisa before, always focusing on her face, her smile, the way she holds her hands. For the first time I notice the scenery behind the Mona Lisa. There is a stream, green grass, trees etc. I would never have seen this, if our guide hadn't pointed it out.
Next we visit the rooms full of the Roman and Greek Sculptures including the famous Venus de Milo, found on the Greek island Milos in 1820, but dated back to the end of the 2nd century B.C..
The spectacular Nike of Samothrace, also called the Winged Victory, stands in a stairway and is also part of the tour. It was found in 1863 at Samothrace, but dates back to 190 B.C..
All in all, the tour is a good cross section of what the Louvre has to offer. We are then free to roam to new places or go back where we want a second look. I head for the Egyptian antiquities, as there is a good collection here.
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