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Mr. Picaso & Birtie
Explore the Louvre
By Victoria James AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2015 Victoria James
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-6141-7
CHAPTER 1
With a little creativity and a modified convertible, Mr. Picaso and Birtie explore international museums and discover a world full of art!
"Where would you like to explore today, Mr. Picaso?" asked Birtie.
"Well, my trusted friend, I thought it might be fun to begin our adventure with my own hometown museum. The Louvre, in Paris, France, is home to some of the world's most famous art," said Mr. Picaso.
"That sounds like a great idea. I've always dreamed of going to the City of Lights."
"Look, Birtie, there is the Eiffel Tower, just as majestic as I remember. The tower has a way of drawing you into its great city."
"Funny you say that, since it was originally built as the entrance to the World's Fair in 1889," said Birtie.
"Birtie, we must now go over how we will be able to get into the Louvre tonight. The Louvre is like a large fortress, and enormous glass pyramids sit on the grounds within this courtyard. Originally it was the royal palace, but it became a museum in 1793 during the French Revolution."
"I guess it would have to be quite large since it houses seventy thousand pieces of art," Birtie said. "But how are we going to get inside?"
"We will be meeting up with my friend Pierre, the curator's dog. I see him now, down there on the other side of the pyramid," said Mr. Picaso.
"Everything is so beautiful and lit up. Pierre, hello. This is my friend Miss Birtie. We must now go over how we will be able to get into the Louvre tonight. It's so good to see you, my dear friend," said Mr. Picaso.
"Bonjour. We will enter through the underground passage through which they bring the art in and out of the museum. There it will be easier to hide your car," said Pierre.
"This is so exciting and mysterious," said Birtie.
"Welcome, my friends. Are you ready to take a journey back in time? I have mapped out a few truly spectacular pieces of art for you to see, since we have only until the sun comes up. It would take days to see all the art, and I understand you will be visiting many other museums around the world," said Pierre.
"As always, Pierre, you are the perfect tour guide," said Mr. Picaso.
"This statue is the Winged Victory! The full name is the Winged Victory of Samothrace. She is from the second century and was moved to the Louvre in 1884. Much like the Greek goddess she was named after, her name, Nike, means 'victory,'" Pierre said.
"The sculpture looks like it's moving, even though it's made of marble. But what happened to her head?" Birtie asked.
"The Winged Victory's head and arms were never found, but I think it makes her even more striking."
"In this lighting, it looks like she's going to take flight right off the top of the stairs. Hey, where did Miss Birtie go?" asked Mr. Picaso.
"I think I hear someone in the large room over there. Looks like she made a friend; she can't take her eyes off the Mona Lisa. This painting is from Florence, Italy, from the early 1500s and is a portrait of a merchant's wife. The mystery behind the Mona Lisa is almost as exciting as the painting itself. Her smile is famous all over the world; it symbolizes happiness, which was not painted back then," said Pierre.
"I noticed they placed her painting on a wall all by herself, even though it is only thirty inches by twenty inches," Mr. Picaso said.
"That's so there is room for all the tourists from all over the world who come and see her every day. Everyone comes to see her, but it almost seems as though she watches us at the same time. People come to see the Mona Lisa smile, but I go to look into her eyes."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Mr. Picaso & Birtie by Victoria James. Copyright © 2015 Victoria James. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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