A View with a Window

A view needs a window to define it.  It's a point of reference.  Move ten degrees either way and the view changes.  Have a peek at these windows, and 'see what you can see'.


A window on old Paris 
Here we could sit and listen to the sounds of the city.  Leaning out over the wrought iron railing, we could see the view four floors above street level, up and down the rue de Rivoli. This window is in an eighteenth century building in old Paris.  How many other people have looked out that same window at that same location, at another time in history?  (During the revolution, this was the way to the Bastille where the monument sits today, and the march of Napoleon entered along this route. )

A Rue de Rivoli Window, Paris, by DG Hudson

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Under the Pyramid at the Louvre
From outside in the daytime, you see a striking glass pyramid, but from beneath the pyramid, you view the fractured blue sky.  That's another wing of the Louvre Museum that's showing through the diamond shapes in the photo below.   On sunny days, the sun streams in, highlighting the lobby area beneath and warming the statues.

Through the Pyramid Glass at the Louvre Museum, by DG Hudson

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The Back Gardens at Versailles
Looking out at a view of the back gardens provided another diversion for the guests and residents at the Palace of Versailles. Large windows cooled the interiors of the huge palace galleries, and allowed light to fill the dark palace rooms.  Strolling on the roof and in the gardens was in vogue at the time.  This garden was extensive to provide amusement for the royalty and nobles living here.

Versailles,window and balustrade by DG Hudson

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Arched Windows, in the Hall of Mirrors
The photo below is a reflection in one of the mirrored walls.  Having mirrors in the long gallery make it seem wider than it is.  The gilt on the statues, the natural light from the windows, the chandeliers and the mirrors create a light airy effect.  It works.  Versailles can surprise the visitor, I'm glad it was restored.

Reflection, Hall of Mirrors,Versailles, by DG Hudson

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Windows of Remembrance
Beautiful stained glass windows lighten the interiors of family tombs in Pere Lachaise Cemetery highlighting the fresh flowers placed there with care.  Some private tombs have limited access within for a quiet moment or prayers.





Stained glass Window, Pere Lachaise, by DG Hudson

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Would you like windows that you could customize to any virtual scene you  wanted, as many science fiction novels have speculated?   A sensory package for smells, sounds, etc. would need to be incorporated. I'm sure they would create an app for it. 

Do you notice windows as a design element in architecture?  Windows can also play an important part in a story.  What do you think? Please share in the comments, and thanks for stopping by.

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References:

Rue de Rivoli Post
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/r-rue-de-rivoli-to-z-challenge.html

The Louvre Museum
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/l-louvre-museum-to-z-blog-challenge.html

The Palace of Versailles
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/v-versailles-palace-to-z-challenge.html

Pere Lachaise Cemetery
http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2012/01/paris-pere-lachaise-cemetery.html

L = Louvre Museum - A to Z Blog Challenge

Musée du Louvre

The Louvre and the Glass Pyramid, Paris - by Green Eye



 
The Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre, is one of the world's largest museums and a historic monument. It's a landmark of Old Paris, located in the 1st arrondissement, with one side facing the rue de Rivoli. 


Entry into the Louvre is through the Glass Pyramid, located in the inner courtyard.  I expected the effect of the old (the Louvre building) and the new (the pyramids) to be jarring.  Instead, the transparency allows for the Louvre building to be seen or reflected by the pyramid.  Commissioned by President Francois Mitterrand, the large pyramid was completed in 1989 by I. M. Pei. 



Louvre Interior Gallery, Antiquities - by DG Hudson



It's difficult to indicate the size of this palace and its galleries without a reference point, like the crowds above. No expense was spared in the flooring, the marble, the light fixtures and the gilt.  Palais du Louvre began its life as a 12th century fortress.  A model representation of the medieval version is on display in the basement, where the original foundations of the old Louvre castle can be seen.





Louvre Painted and Gilded Ceiling by DG Hudson



In 1682, King Louis XIV, the Sun King, moved his household to the Palace of Versailles keeping the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including a collection of antique sculpture.




Antiquities, The Louvre, Paris - by DG Hudson



During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation's masterpieces.  Treasures from antiquity survived because of this wise decision. 

The Louvre Museum Interior, Paris, by DG Hudson

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What do you think of the Louvre?  Do you like art museums?  Or do you think of The Da Vinci Code?  Please share in the comments. 

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References:


http://www.louvre.fr/en  Louvre home page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_districts  Paris Districts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre Museum, Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid  Louvre Pyramid

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