During the Coronavirus outbreak I have decided to share my travels from my couch. Today is all about The Louvre in Paris and I am reliving our trip there a couple of years ago. I love being able to go back and look at some of the great paintings and art objects that we saw when we spent the day there.

It helps to have some kind of reference book and for all of the ones that I can identify I am using this fabulous book: The Louvre – All the Paintings by Erich Lessing and Vincent Pomarede . This hardcover 9 1/2 pound book is amazing and the perfect thing to use as a reference as I look at my less than perfect photographs. This series is going to take a while so keep coming back for more in The Louvre series.

The first painting that I have to highlight is the very famous Mona Lisa. We hightailed it upon entering the building (after a brief snafu with our tickets) so we could see it before it got swamped. It was still pretty crowded but I did manage to get a few photos of it.

It is very difficult to get a picture without reflections and distorted colors but at least we got to actually see it in person which was a thrill.

This puts it a little bit more into perspective. I knew it was smaller than most people think it is but it is really dwarfed in this massive room, isn’t it?

The portrait known as The Mona Lisa is presumed to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini who was the wife of a merchant Fransesco del Giocondo. Leonardo da Vinci started the piece in Florence around 1503 but did not finish it. According to the research in the book: The Louvre – All the Paintings by Erich Lessing and Vincent Pomarede , the piece was taken to France and perhaps purchased by King Francis I in 1518. Later the painting returned to Italy and became part of a royal collection there. Of course there are a lot of theories about the picture – one includes the thought that it is an idealized portrait of the Virgin Mary. Whatever the story and background behind it I just am happy I was able to see it in real life.

And now a few more paintings and if I can track down the descriptions I will add those to the picture.

This one is by Sebastiano del Piambo – Visitation from early 16th century.

The Battle of David and Goliath from 16th century by Daniele Ricciarelli.

Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter by Guido Reni from circa 1620.

The Virgin and Child by Francesco Gessi circa 1624.

I love this one because of the waterfall –from what I can find in my pictures I think this one is by Giovanni Bastita Busiri.

A painting by Gianantonio Pellegrini entitled Modesty Introducing Painting to the Academy from 1733.

By Francisco de Goya Lucientes – Portrait of Luis Mario de Cistue Martinez.

Thanks for joining me on the couch today. Come back tomorrow and I will share some more of my travels. I may mix it up a bit so you never know what to expect from It’s Just Life. Don’t forget to leave me a comment for our Comments for a Cause recipient – Diaper Bank of North Carolina.