Wednesday, June 7, 2023

VENUS DE MILO IN LOUVRE MUSEUM ,PARIS.

                 

                                            


( Avtar Mota near Venus de Milo in Louvre)








VENUS  DE  MILO  IN LOUVRE MUSEUM
,PARIS.
(Lying inside  room 344, Sully Wing, Level 0.)

As one of art history's most significant sculptures, the Venus de Milo continues to captivate audiences today. The marble masterpiece is celebrated for its Hellenistic artistry, renowned for its beauty, and famous for its absent arms.

This Greek statue is 6 feet 8 inches  in height with arms broken. Done in around 130 to 100 BCE, it was recovered  from a Greek island in early 18th century . Housed in Louvre Museum, Paris, it is believed to be a masterpiece representing feminine beauty. This larger than life dreamlike masterpiece is said to be created by Alexandros of Antioch, a legendary Greek sculptor of the Hellenistic age also known for crafting several other ancient sculptures including the statue of Alexander the Great.

Together with the Mona Lisa and The Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo is one of the three most famous female figures in the Louvre. The name Venus de Milo comes from Venus, the Roman name for Aphrodite, and Milos, the Greek island where the statue was discovered in 1820 and acquired by  Marquis de Rivière, the French ambassador to Greece at that time. He then presented her to King Louis XVIII, who donated her to the Louvre in March 1821. In barely two years, the Venus had moved from the shadows to the light. According to experts, the Venus de Milo inspired women of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries to aspire to an unrealistic ideal of beauty. During that period, a curvy shape inspired by the statue came into vogue.

When the statue  first arrived at the Louvre, it was suggested that her missing arms should be restored, but the idea was eventually abandoned for fear of changing the nature of the work.The lack of arms made it hard to identify the statue. Many depictions of Greek gods and goddesses contain clues to their identity in the form of ‘attributes’ (objects or natural elements) held in their hands, so this sculpture posed a problem: is she the sea goddess Amphitrite, particularly worshipped on the island of Melos? Or is she Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, as might be suggested by her sensual, half-naked body? This second argument, and the jewellery she once wore, tipped the scales in favour of Aphrodite (‘Venus’ for the Romans). Another possible clue was found near the statue: a hand holding an apple – an attribute of Aphrodite – carved from the same Parian marble.While it was unearthed in pieces, it was able to be reassembled. Its fragmented arms—the left holding an apple and the right brushing against the figure's waist—however, were deemed unoriginal and not re-attached.

In 1936, a Spanish surrealist artis  Salvador Dali portrayed a half-size plaster replica of the famous Venus de Milo by incorporating drawers in the statue’s left knee, abdomen, stomach, breasts, and forehead. This transformation of the effigy into a piece of living furniture by Dali was inspired by the works of Sigmund Freud.

The Venus de Milo can be admired today in the last of a long series of rooms where she stands in almost solitary splendour. The magnificent red marble decoration of the room dates from the early 19th century and the reign of Napoleon I.

( Avtar Mota)

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CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
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THE STATUE OF RAFAEL NADAL IN PARIS

                                        

                                              



THE STATUE  OF RAFAEL NADAL IN PARIS

The city of Lights honours Rafael Nadal. But this is an honour of a very different kind in ; a stunning statue of the ace tennis player in the City of Lights installed in 2021.I love it," said Nadal when he saw it. “There is no place more special in the world for me for this sculpture than Roland Garros, it means a lot to me and it’s a great honour."

Roland Garros is the stadia  in Paris where  French Open tournament is held.The tournament and venue are named after the French aviator Roland Garros.

The task of creating the colossal statue fell to Spanish sculptor, Jordi Díez Fernandez. It captures the champion in the midst of one of his signature strokes. The statue is constructed entirely of steel and stands 3 metres tall, 4.89 metres wide and 2 metres deep.Artist Jordi Díez Fernandez is regarded as one of Spain’s best sculptors. His mastery of figurative expression, particularly in the human face, is one of the defining features of his work.
Rafael  is the greatest clay-court tennis player of his generation has won the French Open 13 times. He has collected $125 million in prize money overall since he turned professional  in 2001.

( Avtar Mota )







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CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

THE STAINED GLASS GEM KNOWN AS SAINTE CHAPELLE , PARIS, FRANCE .

                                              











































THE  STAINED  GLASS  GEM  KNOWN  AS SAINTE  CHAPELLE ...(IN PARIS, FRANCE )

Enshrined within the city's original, 13th-century Palais de Justice (Law Courts), this gem-like Holy Chapel is Paris’s most exquisite Gothic monument, completed in 1248. It was conceived by Louis IX to house his personal collection of holy relics, including the famous Holy Crown. Some 70% of the stained glass, covering a total area of 640 square meters, is original. To understand the biblical stories illustrated in the 1113 scenes, view or 'read' the windows from left to right, and from bottom to top.Much of the stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle depicts stories from the Old and New Testaments.One colorful scene shows the second plague of Egypt. You can see bright yellow and pink frogs covering the clothes of Egyptians. Yet another glasswork shows Moses parting the Red Sea. Among the New Testament scenes, you’ll find an evocative portrayal of the Passion: Jesus being flogged while on the cross.

The Sainte Chapelle is in fact a set of two chapels, Chapelle Basse (Lower Chapel) and Chapelle Haute (Upper Chapel).
The Chapelle Haute was Saint-Louis’s private chapel and was directly linked to his apartments.The Chapelle Basse, which is dedicated to Notre-Dame, was the palace staff’s parish church.The two chapels are adorned with lavish murals, columns and sculptures that boast intricate details and patterns.

Designated as world Heritage site by UNESCO, the  Sainte-Chapelle or Saint Chapel is the finest example of Gothic architecture  seen in  entire Europe . It is located in the heart of Paris city  close to the  Siene river . The amazingly stained  glass work on walls, windows and ceiling  is something ' never seen before' variety.
Adorned with a unique collection of fifteen glass panels and a large rose window forming a veritable wall of light.

The chapel was nearly destroyed during the French Revolution in 1789. Its delicate exterior was damaged, most notably the spire whose fleurs-de-lis represented the French ruling class. A few decades later, Napoleon III commissioned the architects Duban, Lassus, Viollet-le-Duc and Boeswillwald for its restoration. Luckily, the prized crown of thorns survived and was taken to Notre Dame. The crown even survived the recent Notre Dame fire.

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris is about a 10-minute walk away from Sainte Chapple . A 10 minutes  walk  from Sainte  Chapelle takes one to  the Pantheon or Latin Quarters or Sorbonne University or  Cafe de Flore.The famous Les Deux Magots brasserie is less than a 10-minute walk away.

Classical- and sacred-music concerts held inside Sainte Chapple are  soul-stirring and  something that need not be missed.

The Sainte-Chapelle is visited for the beauty of its stained glass windows. Entry ticket costs 11.50 euro per adult. Children below 18 accompanying adults are free. There is concession for handicapped persons. One can visit the place from 9 am to 5 pm. One of the greatest achievements of Gothic architecture, the Sainte‐Chapelle boasts extensive displays of stained glass. Bask in the light of bygone days and feel the warmth and wonder emanating from some of the most beautiful windows in the world.

( Avtar Mota)





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CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.