Statues of the Louvre

The Louvre is one of the most renowned art museums in the world. I love its art, and am particularly infatuated with its statues of antiquity. Here are some of my favorites that I have compiled on multiple visits to the Louvre. A couple are in color, but most are in black and white - a favorite medium of mine. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

I love how the bathers (above and below) are so serene - just waiting to bathe, daydreaming, playing with their feet...

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

The above bathing woman is my favorite of the two. I find her back to be sensual and elegant...

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

Cupid above is depicted as a cherub. Below, he has grown...

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

The three photos (one above, two below) are of the late-18th C. sculpture Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss by Antonio Canova. It is my favorite statue in the Louvre. It is gracefully sensual and just incredibly beautiful. I could stare at it for hours...

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

I love the way Psyche caresses his hair and how Cupid cradles her head and breast (such a gentle touch). But it is how they look at each other that I find particularly moving. Their gaze is full of love and desire...

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

The natural light from the window only showcases the statue's beauty...

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

This kneeling girl is lovely in a shy sort of way...

Photo Credit: Jennifer Boyer-Switala

The Three Graces. Reminiscent of the Three Graces in Botticelli's La Primavera, these beauties are breathtaking.

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Les Femmes Tondues

"Germany Wins on All Fronts" - the Eiffel Tower (Getty Images) It is no great secret that some French collaborated during the Nazi Occupation of France. Some did it for less than admirable reasons, such as political gain, anti-Semitism, or true fascist ideology. Other people were frightened and saw no end to the Occupation, while some were motivated simply by the desire to survive. Many women who collaborated fall into the latter category. French women and German soldiers enjoying lunch at a café (Unidentified Photo Source) Food, clothes, and fuel (among other items) were scarce during the Occupation. Nearly everything needed to sustain life was rationed, and much of France's food and other necessary commodities were shipped to Germany. One way to ensure warmth and a full belly was by making nice with a German soldier. A French woman chats with a German soldier in front of the Eiffel Tower during the Occupation In a desperate attempt to surv...

Sylvia Beach - An American In Paris

This past fall I read Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass. Meticulously researched, the book described the collaboration, resistance, and survival stories of several Americans during the Occupation. Of all the fascinating Americans Glass discussed, I felt an instant connection to one, and have been mildly obsessed with her ever since… Sylvia Beach Photo Source: donswaim.com/ripley-lawrence.htm The Woman Nancy Woodridge Beach was born on March 14, 1887 in Baltimore, Maryland. She spent much of her childhood and young adult life living throughout Europe. Her first encounter with Paris came at a young age when her father, a pastor, was appointed assistant minister of the American Church in Paris, as well as director of the American student center. As a young adult she spent time in Spain and even served a stint in Serbia in the Red Cross. Although her birth name was Nancy, she would become known to the world as Sylvia Beach. ...

La Rafle du Vel d’Hiv (The Vel d’Hiv Round Up)

Photo Source: 1 st Art Gallery Every Holocaust survivor – every ghost of those who did not survive - has a story to tell. Each story is unique, yet equally tragic. Some we have heard more than once, while others lay silent, buried in the dusty pages of a nation’s shame… Occupation and Anti-Semitism 14 June 1942 marked the two-year anniversary of the Nazi occupation of Paris. By this point, many French had joined the Résistance , while others felt it in their best interest to collaborate with the Nazi regime. Many Jews had fled France, and those who remained behind lived in chronic fear. The Jewish Decrees (France's version of the Nuremberg Laws) saw the Jews of Paris stripped of their livelihoods, property, and rights. As in other occupied areas of Europe, the French Jews were required to wear the yellow stars of David. Inscribed with a single word in the center, Juif (Jew), the badges had to be sewn neatly on the left side of the chest. Failure to do so coul...

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