It was a mild June day, the rain starting and stopping every few minutes. We had left our apartment in the tenth arrondissement early that morning, and had finally walked across the Seine. We were on our way to one of the most exclusive museums in the world: the Louvre. With its impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, and everything in between, we were excited to explore the world beneath Paris' famous glass pyramid.
We arrived on the grounds outside of the pyramid to mobs of Venders selling cheap Eiffel Tower souvenirs. Swarms of tourists surrounded the pyramid; thankfully we had purchased a museum pass and we're able to skip the line.
The escalator ride down to the museum entrance was like entering into a secret world full of hidden treasures. We turned the first corner and were greeted by a giant sphinx sculpture from ancient Egypt - just down the hall from an LED exhibit, with the phrase "love differences" displayed in different languages on the walls. However, like many other tourists, our goal for the day was to see the famous Mona Lisa in all its glory.
We searched for the hall that the painting called home, and joined hundreds of others jockeying for a position near the guardrail to take a selfie with Lisa herself. The Mona Lisa is talked about in school and museums around the world, a legend of sorts that people have to "see to believe." After all of the build-up, I was amazed at how small the painting was, and how significant this tiny portrait of an ordinary woman had become. I was also surprised by the amount of people that were holding iPads above their heads for a quick snapshot and counting it as "experiencing" the Mona Lisa, when they appreciated its importance no more after their visit than had before.
It just goes to show that, while the Mona Lisa is an art masterpiece for some, for others seeing the artifact in person is just another item to cross off of their bucket lists.
- Sarah Sabatke is a senior at Monroe High School. She wrote this about a trip she took to Paris in June, 2013.
We arrived on the grounds outside of the pyramid to mobs of Venders selling cheap Eiffel Tower souvenirs. Swarms of tourists surrounded the pyramid; thankfully we had purchased a museum pass and we're able to skip the line.
The escalator ride down to the museum entrance was like entering into a secret world full of hidden treasures. We turned the first corner and were greeted by a giant sphinx sculpture from ancient Egypt - just down the hall from an LED exhibit, with the phrase "love differences" displayed in different languages on the walls. However, like many other tourists, our goal for the day was to see the famous Mona Lisa in all its glory.
We searched for the hall that the painting called home, and joined hundreds of others jockeying for a position near the guardrail to take a selfie with Lisa herself. The Mona Lisa is talked about in school and museums around the world, a legend of sorts that people have to "see to believe." After all of the build-up, I was amazed at how small the painting was, and how significant this tiny portrait of an ordinary woman had become. I was also surprised by the amount of people that were holding iPads above their heads for a quick snapshot and counting it as "experiencing" the Mona Lisa, when they appreciated its importance no more after their visit than had before.
It just goes to show that, while the Mona Lisa is an art masterpiece for some, for others seeing the artifact in person is just another item to cross off of their bucket lists.
- Sarah Sabatke is a senior at Monroe High School. She wrote this about a trip she took to Paris in June, 2013.