Adventures in the Louvre: how to fall in love with the world's greatest museum

Abstract

"The Louvre is the most famous museum in the world, attracting millions of visitors every year with its masterpieces. In Adventures in the Louvre, Elaine Sciolino immerses herself in this magical space and helps us fall in love with what was once a forbidding fortress. Exploring galleries, basements, rooftops, and gardens, Sciolino demystifies the Louvre, introducing us to her favorite artworks, both legendary and overlooked, and to the people who are the museum's lifeblood: the curators, the artisans producing frames and engravings, the builders overseeing restorations, the firefighters protecting the aging structure. Blending investigative journalism, travelogue, history, and memoir, Sciolino walks her readers through the museum's front gates and immerses them in its irresistible, engrossing world of beauty and culture. Adventures in the Louvre reveals the secrets of this grand monument of Paris and basks in its timeless, seductive power." -- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Introduction: Falling for the Louvre -- Part One: The Allure. Beauty and the feather -- The people's palace -- The most famous face in the world -- The paintings magician -- A goddess with no arms -- A tour guide named Beyonce -- Part Two: Getting to know you. The center of the universe -- The open-air museum -- A strange construction -- Le Louvre La nuit -- Is the Louvre burning? -- Part Three: Revelations. Up close -- Whatever happened to the corwn jewels? -- 'La brioche est brulee!' -- The artist's menagerie -- Hidden corners -- The orphans of World War II -- You belong to me -- Part Four: Discoveries. Where are the women? -- Pharaohs, kings, slaves, servants -- An Islam of enlightenment -- Persia comes to Paris -- The queer universe -- Celebrating the contemporary -- Part Five: Romance. Exit through the gift shop -- Tuesdays at the Louvre -- The museum with a conscience -- When money is no object -- Part Six: Be mine. Creating an identity -- Blue in the bushes -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix A: Parting strategies -- Appendix B: A selection of arists and works -- Chronology -- Selected bibliography -- Index.