Impressions the Louvre the Louvre, an Architectural Essay

Impressions

The Louvre

The Louvre, an architectural masterpiece, has dominated central Paris since the late 12th century. The original structure was gradually dwarfed as the city grew. The dark fortress of the early days was transformed into the modernized dwelling of Francois I and, later, the sumptuous palace of the Sun King, Louis XIV. My online tour of the Louvre allowed me to take a virtual, self-guided, room-by-room tour of the museum. The web site allows navigation through exhibition rooms and galleries and allows one to contemplate the facades of the museum. The first thing one sees before entering the museum is the garden, a delight during any season of the year. It is the perfect place for a relaxing stroll and it offers a range of activities for visitors.

There are more than ten sections in the museum for different kinds of art from all around the world including Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, Roman Antiquities, and Islamic art. Only a magnificent Renaissance palace such as the Louvre could serve as a shrine to the most revered jewels of these art and history collections.

Enter the Louvre going through the well-known glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei and then lose yourself in a world of beauty, elegance and mystery. There are over 35,000 works of art showcased here and they form a one-of-a-kind collection. The museum is so enormous it can feel like an endless labyrinth to the first-time visitor. I believe that if could actually visit the museum in person, my impression would be much different. From my virtual view, I enjoyed the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Italian Renaissance masters (Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Veronese, and Raphael), Flemish masters (Vermeer and Rubens), French 19th century masters (Ingres, David, Gericault, and Delacroix) and more. Probably the most famous masterpiece is the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, also known as the Mona Lisa. It is on display behind a glass case.

The Music of James Brown

The technology of the last two decades has made the world seem like a small village in some ways. It has become easy to listen to all kinds of music from around the word. Some music, however, has been known and enjoyed worldwide even before the advent of the Internet, and that is soul music.Soul music grew out of rhythm and blues and gospel during the late 1950s and early 1960s among African-Americans in the United States. Soul music usually features individual singers backed by a traditional band consisting of rhythm section and horns.

Before I came to America I loved to listen to James Brown. His music really touched my soul. I was listening to some of James Brown's music before I start writing, The five songs I listened to were "Get up Offa That Thing," "Sex Machine," "Living in America," "Funky Drummer," and "Please Please." It is difficult to find anybody who matches the passion, the energy, and the theatrics of James Brown, especially among today's current artists. James Brown was not just a singer; he was also the leader of his band. He organized his entire band into a rhythm instrument. There was not only the traditional rhythm section of the drummer and the bass players; listen closely to the horn riffs on "Funky Drummer" or "Get Up, Get Into It." That's rhythmic -- not harmonic or melodic. Listen to the classic 'chicken-scratching' of the guitar on "The Payback." Again, that's rhythm.

James Brown was called "The Godfather of Soul." He used his amazing voice to great effect. There had never been an artist like James Brown and I do not believe there will ever be anyone quite like him again. His work was truly original. When you hear the opening riff of a James Brown song, it is immediately identifiable. Not many musicians are as instantly recognizable. James Brown was a unique talent.

Online Tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art….....