Soaking Up Beauty

Last Sunday was free museum day and as usual I head to whatever enclave of beauty and art that calls to me.     Most often like a homing pigeon, I find myself back at the Louvre, because the whole place is so immensely complex and full of nooks and crannies, that you can go hundreds of time and still find something new.

The buildings alone are magnificent and some wings are resemblance of Versailles with ornate wall trimmings and luscious ceiling frescos.  After all, the Louvre was the royal palace of the French kings for several centuries.

Even if I find myself passing by works already seen before, I have never failed to stop and appreciate seeing them again and again!  For me , it is just another lovely chance to experience the beauty that enthralled me in the first place.

No artistic works or artifacts get past the front door of the Louvre, unless they are  absolutely superlative in nature.  In addition to paintings, and sculpture, there are whole collections of art, from ancient cultures and civilizations all over the globe.

I am truly blessed that Paris is the epicenter of art, and more so that the French government affords  the populace,  on the first Sunday of each month, to go to hundreds of the world’s finest museums absolutely free, throughout the country.  Sometimes it makes for a tough decision whether to go to the Musée d ‘Orsay, Louvre or the other stunning jewels here that ordinarily have an entrance fee.

Paris also has 22 wonderful museums that are free every day!  The Musée Carnavalet,  is one of my favorites, which houses the art and history of the city of Paris.  The Petit Palais is another I like to go to just for the pleasure of eye candy and their adorable outdoor cafe.

Cultural heritage here is deemed pertinent to the education and  welfare of all, and not to be denied to those who have less material means to afford entrance fees or travel to the capital.  Therefore, the Louvre has now out stretched to communities that demographically were considered less endowed, and established beautiful branches of the Louvre in Metz and Lens, both in the northern part of France.

I never make any decision to which wing of the Louvre I will go, preferring to  trust my instincts, that I will end up wherever I am supposed to go.  There are exhibits that in the past might not have held much of my attention, but due to travels, I have acquired more interest.

An example would be the Minoan cultural artifacts and art, that piqued my curiosity even more after visiting the island of Crete, the birthplace of the Minoan culture.  The Louvre has an incredible Egyptian collection that always incites me to want to travel there, that is , whenever there may be a period of political stability!

Generally I pick up a lot of energy from sculptures,  paintings or other objects of art where the artist has obviously put a lot of his time and devotion in producing his masterpiece.  Most of the times these feelings are pleasant, or at least intriguing, but not always!

Last sunday for example, I felt suddenly a very tight and heavy energy in front of several  massive  Egyptian sphinxes, that was not comfortable and so noticeable that I even mentioned it to the person with me.

When I moved on to the next  room, the energy fortunately subsided.  Strangely enough, when I  looked up the history of  sphinx in Wikipedia, I was shocked to learned that the word came from the Greek, meaning squeezed, which is exactly the energy I felt while in front of them!

Another example was In visiting a rather mysterious room, called the Salle St. Louis, that had elaborate sculpted pillars throughout.  It was part of the medieval Louvre, which was a fortress and recently excavated  near the dungeon and moats as seen in the photo.   There the energy was rather spooky and unsettling.

Every work of art, perhaps sculptures even more so, have impregnated in them the energy, devotion and tremendous time the artist spent in creating them.  As you can imagine, not all artists whose works grace the Louvre were regarded with fame and recognition at the time their unique masterpieces were created, so for some life was difficult and fraught with disappointments and hardship.

A lot of them were poor, and dependent on others to pay for their paints and or supplies.  A fair amount of them never were able to enjoy the acclaim their paintings or sculptures were to bring , because it occurred after their death.

What our eye sees on the canvas or in the polished splendor of a finished sculpture is the result of the artist’s blood , sweat and sometimes tears of frustration.  So when we are in front of their works, one can feel through their creations, the emanations of their soul imbued in their works.

As we speak there are thousands of artists all over the world who are putting their hearts and dreams in creating what they hope will speak to those who admire their work.  They live in every community on earth and many are jewels in the rough.

You too can soak up beauty that is readily available in your own community, through galleries, art fairs, exhibitions and museums.  My home state of Louisiana has been the birthplace of Clementime Hunter, Clyde Connell, and George Rodrigue of blue doggie fame.

For me art is like a transfusion of beauty that my eyes can enjoy and my heart can resonate with whatever image stirs my soul.  In the end, I feel uplifted and enriched.

Celebrated art deserves time, rather than quickly passing through.  I often take advantage of the benches in the rooms to just sit and be quiet in contemplation, allowing the beauty and energy to sink in.

When I find something that really entices me, my approach is much like I like to eat, slowly with focus.  A little goes a long way, so I avoid over load, as to be able to savor a little at a time.

The beautiful roses and blues of a Botticelli Madonna or the voluptuous contures of Renoir’s pink cheeked women can capture my gaze  in a fixated trance, as well as some sculptures I have a hard time leaving.

The artist still lives through their art and I for one never tire from being in their presence.  Their energy still lingers on.  For me, it is like getting glimpses of their personalities, that I would have otherwise never  known.

To top off my day of beauty, I returned home to one of my own masterpieces, not on canvas , but nevertheless created with love before I headed off to the Louvre.  Voila my delicious fraisier (strawberry cake) as seen in the photo!