…‘I’m so weary,’ pouts the Mona Lisa, ‘What time is it already?’
‘Well, it’s a Friday,’ replies the Man with a Glove, looking at her askance. ‘The lights have just been turned on outside, so brace yourself my dear Mona Lisa! It is still a long evening ahead of us.’
The Monalisa rolls her eyes smugly.
She then sighs, while flicking back her hair coquettishly, ‘Look at all these people ogling at me. People come from all over the world to visit the Louvre just to see me.’
‘And I truly wonder why…,’ murmurs the Woman with the mirror.
‘For a copy, she surely is too full of herself,’ assents the woman with the jug at The Pastoral Concert.
‘Well, if it wasn’t for me, you would not even be here!’ retorts the Mona Lisa smiling wickedly. ‘And that’s the way it is…’
--- --- ---
‘Well, I’m sure she is smiling, isn’t she?’ whispers Mike to his wife perplexed, ‘She surely does not look as in the pictures I’ve seen of her!’
& the Monalisa is now grinning…
For many people, the Louvre museum is synonymous to the Monalisa, or the Louvre pyramid, the large glass & metal pyramid structure on the outside of the museum, which on its own is already impressive and rightly so, especially when visited by night. With the whole square lit, the Louvre pyramid takes centre stage in a flood of white and golden lights, which is pleasing to the eye, and while also animating the romantic city of Paris in the late evenings.
Do remember though that behind the pyramid, there is a beautifully ornate former royal palace with a series of arched windows and columns in the French and Renaissance style, and which also showcases a vast display of sculptures of significant French figures (only men), amongst many others Mazarin, Rabelais, Molière etc, as well as other sculptures and engravings with echoes from Greek and Roman mythology.
On entering the Louvre building, you then find an extraordinary collection of artworks ranging from Greek and Egyptian antiquities including the beautiful Venus de Milo and other such artworks, mostly sculpted from a translucent pure white Parian Marble, to a range of chef d’oeuvres by artists such as da Vinci’s enigmatic Mona Lisa and Virgin on the Rocks, and Eugène Delacroix’ Liberty Leading the People, depicting a bare-breasted woman as allegory of liberty. What is left of the French Crown Jewels are also to be found in the Galerie d’Apollon of the Louvre, and also featuring the heavily-laden crown of Louis XV embellished with precious stones including pearls, emeralds, and rubies amongst others, and establishing his role of king of the French Empire.
Personally, I particularly enjoyed the decorative arts section, where you can literally get lost in a wide spectrum of pieces ranging from tapestry, to ceramics, even furniture and stained-glass works, with most of them originating from France, though representative of the whole of Europe, ranging from Middle Ages to end of the 1800s.
Another highlight would be Napolean III’s apartments, which takes us back in time to 1861, and overwhelming us with gold and glamour, red damask, luxurious chandeliers and an intricately and richly ornated ceiling, giving us just a taste of what to expect at Versailles Palace, another must-see in France. This is also proof that the French always had a good taste of style.
Some bronze and black marble statues also stood out at the Louvre including the black Egyptian cat representing the Goddess Bassett, the impressive life-size sculpture of Mars on his chariot, and the ‘Four Captives’ or the ‘Four Defeated Nations' in the Richelieu wing representing man’s different response to captivity at a different age i.e. hope, revolt, dejection and resignation.
Finally, all I can say is that the louvre museum literally exceeded my expectations!
NOTE: Now, you can also visit the Louvre from home through the online Virtual Tours, link copied below. Even though in my opinion, nothing can replace the real-life experience of walking through the Louvre.
https://www.louvre.fr/en/online-tours
For further information regarding the louvre, to visit the below official website:
https://www.louvre.fr/en
‘Finally, everyone seems to have left,’ sighs the Monalisa for the umpteenth time. ‘We had some fun today. I smiled at a few, grinned at others, and even pulled out my tongue once or twice.’
‘So now we can start the weekend,’ interjects the musician at The Wedding Feast at Cana. ‘Come on, everyone, join our never-ending wedding celebrations.’
‘Can we join too?’ calls out the Venus de Milo from the Galerie des Antiques. ‘I really need some good wine after a whole day posing and standing on my feet.’
‘Yes, of course,’ replies the musician, ‘We have food and wine to spill here in Cana!’
‘Let’s go to the party too,’ Psyche tells Cupid, ‘You can stop kissing me now.
You know I cannot bear the sight of you!’
‘Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité,’ then cries Liberty leading the people from the Denon Wing, but no one seems to take heed,
as her cries get lost in a hodgepodge of wedding bells, blaring disco music, in the swishing and tapping of feet, in a Babel of languages, & in Paris’ busy streets;
And we just walked on holding each others’ hands, not knowing or caring where we went,
As long as we were strolling through the renowned City of Love.
Related Story: French Fun
© 2026 Mario & Melissa Saliba
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