After
having been picked up at the doorstep of your
downtown hotel in Paris, Our guide will escort you to
the Château de Versailles, the former residence of the
Sun King, Louis XIV.
Here you
will be able to discover the famous French-style gardens, the
outside of Marie Antoinette's Hamlet and the outside of the
Grand and Petit Trianon. You will also be taken by your guide
inside the Castle for a one-hour guided tour around the
Grands Appartements and the Galerie des Glaces.
Around
noon you will be back in Paris and we will dropped you off
for lunch in the Opéra district before continuing
your excursion in the afternoon with a guided tour
(in English, Spanish or French) of the Louvre Museum,
and in particular its 3 main works: the Venus de Milo, the
Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Mona Lisa, painted by
Leonardo da Vinci at the beginning of the 16th century.
You will
then be free to spend a little more time in the Louvre to
visit other sections of the largest museum in the world.
Victory of Samothrace
"Victory
of Samothrace" Samothrace (island in the North Aegean Sea)
Circa 190 BC
For the Greeks, the goddess of Victory (Nike) was a
beautiful young woman endowed with wings. This exceptional
monument, raised upon the isle of Samothrace, set in a niche
overlooking the sanctuary of the Great Gods, celebrates
success at sea.
The
goddess stands on the prow of a galley, resisting the gusty
storm, her right arm undoubtedly held high. It was an ex-voto
of the Rhodians for a victory won at the beginning of the
2nd century BC: the attitude and the animated draping
prefigure the reliefs for the altar of Pergamum.
Venus de Milo
"Venus
de Milo" Melos (the Cyclades islands) Circa 100 BC
In spite of lacking attributes, the size and the attitude of
this statue allow its identification as a goddess:
Aphrodite, often represented half nude, or Amphitrite,
goddess of the sea, venerated on the island of Melos. The
style is characteristic of the late Hellenistic period,
which revives classical themes while innovating.
Thus the
slipping drapery on the hips entails a closed stance and
introduces an instancy to the figure. It hides the joint
between the two blocks of marble that were sculpted
separately, as were the left arm and leg, according to an
utterly new technique.
The Mona Lisa
The
Mona Lisa (1479 - d. before 1550) also known as La Gioconda
1503-1506
If Vasari is correct, the portrait which Leonardo took to
France, that was acquired by François I, was of the Mona
Lisa, who in 1495 married Francesco di Bartolomeo di Zanoli
del Giocondo. The title "La Gioconda" would thus derive from
this notable Florentine's surname. But in Italian "gioconda"
also means a light-hearted woman.
With a
lasting effect on Italian art, this portrait stood for an
ideal. The smile that gives her life is, however, a feature
of many of Leonardo's figures. Several scholars have
concluded that the portrait was worked on over a long
period, starting around (1505-1506 in Florence, and it was
finished during the course of Leonardo's peregrinations in
Milan or Rome.
THIS TOUR WILL NOT BE CONDUCTED ON
DECEMBER 25TH AND JANUARY 1ST
Season:
All Year Round
Scheduled Days:
Wednesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays.
Tours also available on all other days (Excluding Mondays &
Tuesdays) for groups already comprised of 5 people.
Guided tour of the Louvre in English, Spanish or French. For
other languages, please contact us.
Departure Time:
From 8.30 am
Duration:
Approximately 8 hours.
Pick up point:
From your accommodation.
