I am becoming more and more aware that I have a negative physiological reaction to crowds and confined places. The Louvre is huge, but has many small rooms and small corridors and many, many people. It amazes me that the Louvre actually has more Italian art than it does French and actually more Italian art than Italy seemed to have. There are lots of big name artists on display, but the place is like a frustrating maze with lots of not so impressive pieces that kind of hide the really good ones. Yes, the Mona Lisa has a depth to it, a three-dimensional quality that I couldn’t find an any other painting, but other than her I prefer the paintings at the Orsay. There was one landscape by Karl Lessing called, “The Ruins” that I appreciated for the way it captured light and shadow at that incredible time of day when the world just glows beneath a canopy of trees. The other thing that occurred to me was while I was walking through the section dedicated to Flanders I recalled the book, “The Flanders Panel,” by Perez-Reverte. There was one painting that kind of reminded me of the book cover (based on a fictional painting). It is an incredible book about a mystery associated with the hidden messages within a work of art. It made me wish I had the time to just take one painting and really search for all that’s there and it also made me appreciate that in every painting there is more than we can see (especially at first glance). I think it’s the same way with people and any created thing. If we take the time to search and to appreciate then there is something fascinating about every person and every work of creation. There is a story behind them, a reason they are the way they are and a purpose for their (or its) existence. We should all spend more time letting ourselves be fascinated.

The best thing I have seen so far was a painting by Munch (famous for “The Scream”) of Rodin’s “Thinker.” The actual “Thinker” was just outside and has always been very symbolic for me, but somehow the painting brought a dimension to the figure that somehow sitting in the garden on its plinth was lost on the actual statue. The statue is great, though I think this is the third of the 13 authorized copies that I have seen; it is nice to see it here at Rodin’s workshop. The painting is bright and colorful and seems to open the thoughtfulness to the beauty of the world instead of the self-introspection of the figure alone. I guess I love the balance of the two perspectives. It is one thing to be thoughtful and alone (which is very important), and it is another to be thoughtful and aware. The figure is the same, faithfully reproduced in the painting, but its world is different and you can see all the colors of creation; I guess it just makes you think.

I have seen a lot of history and a lot of art representing the creative energy of God’s creation. I remain in awe of humanity and even more in awe how much God has given to us. I have a few more things to see, but my only hope is remain open to what the world has to teach me.