18. I finally made it to Musée du Louvre.
What’s with all the cameras?
Bienvenue to the 18th article in my Medium publication, Inside Me Inside Paris, a work-in-progress memoir about my 2016 deep-dive into Paris & my journey to find my soul amidst the onslaught of depression…
C’est 15 juillet 2016. Le Louvre.
As much as I enjoy observing the artistry and skill and the magnitude and magnificence of human existence in the art, the tourists in this museum are killing my spirit.
Imagine this — you’re in a New York subway car, jam-packed with passengers, and there’s paintings on the walls instead of windows and everyone’s shoving their cameras and selfie sticks in the air wanting a good angle of the art while you’re just barely hanging on to the pole wanting to enjoy the ride. That’s what it feels like in a Paris museum.
I don’t understand the strange obsession with having personal pictures of the paintings. They barge into the middle, snap the art and go on to the next piece, not observing the actual art. JUST BUY A BOOK AT THE GIFT SHOP!
The art. Phenomenal. I’m inspired by the compositions, the lines, the shapes, the arrangements, the play with shadows and light and color schemes. All done in the right mix of paint tones and hues and in real time without the aid of a computer program. Beyond remarkable. Beyond astounding.
When you go the Louvre and enjoy the art, pause for a minute, breathe and really enjoy. Keep your camera in your pocket. Take in the nuances of the brush strokes, the compositional arrangements, the beauty in the artistic expression. And please, don’t say the art is “amazing,” because you say amazing about getting a parking space close to the entrance. This is NOT that.
Thank you very much for reading this memoir I’m workshopping. Looking for publishers! I’m a writer/photographer based in Burbank, California. Some of my work is visible on my Instagram.