Continuing our visit to Musee du Louvre. This is our seventh visit . Our first was in 1998 and I hope that the final one is a long time in the future. On this visit we are heading for Napoleon's apartments (the Louvre was once the royal palace) and we went via Decorative Arts.
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In those sections of the Louvre, around the internal courtyards that were renovated under Francois Mitterand in 1985, they have installed these beautiful escalators amidst curved, soft-grey stone and glass. They are works of art in themselves.
We shared a very expensive cup of coffee with several gents perched on the balustrade on Level 1. I should have asked their names but we were too busy scrambling around in bags and purses for gold ingots to pay the bill.
As I have said, we started off in Decorative Arts. It was amazing, but flash photography was not allowed - unless you were sneaky. This is real silver and gold and precious stones - something a priest would wear. Better make that a bishop!
Venetian glass bottles from around 1500. That makes them over 500 years old! Wow!
And this is painted enamel from about the same period - 1500. The colours were so strong and clear and the surface so perfect that it looked like new.
We have now moved into the Apartments of Napoleon III. These apartments were built in about 1840 and are in original condition. They are one of many additions/renovations to the Louvre - created by joining two older sections together.
This is the grand staircase rising from the courtyard. What fabulous design ...
… and this is the top of the staircase where it emerges on the first floor. Several small reception rooms flow off this. Did I say small? ...
"Just have a seat here sir, while I call the king". Woops, sorry ...."the Emperor"
The emperor's sitting room. These were private quarters, not the official reception/delegation/business premises. And they are in original condition.
The ceiling ..........
The fire place ............
The empress's sitting room ........
.......... and the corridor, behind all of those rooms, that the servants used to fetch and carry food and to move around the Apartments without being seen. I guess the emperor could also move around without being seen if .......
The dining room - seating about 36 people. Not such a good photo.
A few nice emeralds and diamonds! Part of the crown jewels of the emporess.
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And if emerald green doesn't go with your dress or eyes, there is always this old favourite.
When Napoleon went out and about (well .... I guess he might have gone riding, or shooting, or to war) his man always made sure he took the old brass, gold, crystal and green leather "useful box" . It contained the tea pot, the coffee pot, the sugar bowl, cutlery, smelling salts, a pot of jam, a shaving kit, two (yes two) toothbrushes, talcum powder, a wash bowl, some after-shave and probably a laxative. It was truly a work of art.
And as we walked back to the exit … there she was .... small, green, behind lots and lots of glass, in front of lots and lots of people.
And here is another da Vinci, just as good, but not behind glass. Unfortunately, it caught the flash and is hard to see. Sorry.
You can breathe easy now. I'm finished!
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