June | 2021 | Lions and Lilies

In November 2019, Cathy T and I were able to undertake an amazing adventure – a research trip to France and England. At the time we had no idea that COVID19 had already reared its ugly head in China, nor could we have possibly known that the world, as we knew it, was about to change so dramatically.

We often reminisce, as we look back through our photos, of the wonderful places we visited and the many magical moments we experienced.

One of our most unforgettable days was spent at the Louvre in Paris. The largest art museum in the world, the Louvre holds over 38,000 objects, housed within the Louvre Palace originally built in the late 12th to13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the basement of the museum and Cathy T and I headed straight down the stairs to explore the area.

The fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French Kings. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1682, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation’s masterpieces.

The ‘skip the line ticket tour’ is highly recommended and negates the need to join the extensive queue that form outside the museum. Our tour guide was fabulous and was able to move our group effortlessly through the crowds. Cathy T and I took hundreds of photos that day, of artwork, sculptures, medieval tapestries, and so much more. The following are just a few of my favorites.

Salle des Caryatides (1550–51) by Jean Goujon

The Winged Victory of Samothrace c. 200 to 190 BC

The renaissance art was captivating and I was taken aback by the sheer size of many of the pieces. Unfortunately, due to the popularity of the gallery, it was difficult to stand back and appreciate the art and then photograph many of the works (so please excuse the angle of some of my shots).

The Coronation of Napoleon is a painting completed in 1807 by Jacques-Louis David, depicting the coronation of Napoleon I at Notre-Dame de Paris. I have always loved the period of the French Revolution and it was thrill to see the original. The size of the painting is mind blowing, as you can see in the second image, obtained from web.

Odalisque, also known as Une Odalisque or La Grande Odalisque, is an oil painting of 1814 by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres depicting an odalisque, or concubine. Ingres’ contemporaries considered the work to signify Ingres’ break from Neoclassicism, indicating a shift toward exotic Romanticism. Ingres went so far as to elongate her back and stomach by an extra five vertebrae, apparently because he thought it increased her sensuality! I am not sure I agree!

Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix is the unofficial national painting of France and features the famously bare-breasted female personification of Liberty as she leads fighters during the “July Revolution” of 1830. The popularity of the work when it was first painted turned the female character, Marianne, into a symbol of the French Republic and its general antagonism towards monarchies. The broken bodies beneath the triumphant Marianne allude to the 40 years of civil war and political and social upheavals that had rocked the country.

But the painting I really wanted to see was Joan of Arc at the Coronation of Charles VII, another famous work by Jean-Auguste-Dominque Ingres. Ingres made many preparatory drawings using a nude model. He then drafted an image on which he added the clothes and armour. The final composition shows Joan in Reims Cathedral, victorious and looking up to the heavens. To her right are three pages; the monk, Jean Paquerel; and a servant. The servant is a self-portrait of the artist.

There are just so many beautiful objects at the Louvre … and so many that we photographed. The following are the stand-outs for me as they had the most effect on me during our walk around the enormous building.

Offering of the Heart is an early 15^th century tapestry thought to originate in Arras. The artist is unknown but this world-famous tapestry is one of the finest representations of the notion of elevating the sublime romantic love which formed part of the chivalric ideals of the Middle Ages. This wall tapestry is perhaps the loveliest creation of late medieval French art; its serene beauty and enchanting details exquisitely set forth the chivalric picture of earthly love in the courts of France and Burgundy of that day.

The medieval vellum manuscript of Denis the Areopagite is exquisite. The cover is made of silver and ornamented with small ivory figures and enriched with precious stones. To see it up close you can truly appreciate the workmanship – the figures are quite remarkable.

On the left is the crown of Louis XV, the only surviving crown from the destruction’s of 1590 and 1793. The king had the Regent Diamond set in the lower part of the fleur-de-lis in the front of his crown, while eight of the famous Marzin diamonds that the cardinal had bequeathed to the French Crown, are set in the other seven fleur-de-lis and in the circlet of the crown.

On the right is the Crown of Napoleon, manufactured for Napoleon and used at his coronation as Emperor of the French on December 2, 1804. Napoleon called this crown the ‘Crown of Charlemagne’, which was the name of the ancient royal coronation crown of France that had been destroyed during the French Revolution.

The Thouzon altarpiece (artist unknown) comprises two panels (the central part of the triptych has disappeared).

The painting on the left evokes the episode in which Saint Andrew had a fire put out by his disciple. The tall figure is believed to represent either Saint Claire or Saint Catherine.

The right panel depicts the episode where Saint Andrew drives out the demons from a church.

Of course we also managed a peak at the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, the Sleeping Hermaphroditus and many other magnificent artifacts.

If you have never visited Paris or the Louvre, you must add it to your bucket list. It really is a once in a lifetime experience.

Catherine A Wilson co-writes with Catherine T Wilson (no relation). Their first book, The Lily and the Lion, was based upon their true-life accidental meeting and resulting friendship. All four books in their ‘Lions and Lilies’ series have won first place prizes in the Chatelaine/Chaucer Awards in the US and in 2019, The Traitor’s Noose won the Grand Prize Chaucer Award.