The main collection is displayed chronologically, with different cultures side-by-side. It is, I presume, all or nearly all from the Louvre's vast collections. Frankly, I expected to see a whole lot of Watteau and Fragonard and not much else at Lens. I was pleasantly surprised to see a great array of objects, perhaps stronger in the ancient and archaeological areas, but still many of the great Louvre artists represented. Apparently, moving the Delacroix to Lens created an uproar in Paris, but I trust the Louvre has survived and the people of Paris will come to deal with it. Perhaps I'll feel differently as a Paris resident next year.
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| From an Egyptian tomb; not Xian |
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| From the palace, Ninevah, Assyria |
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| Floor mosaic, Roman Carthage |
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| Fresco, Pompeii |
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Roman, one of the Mithra mysteries; I occasionally wonder
how things might have turned out if St. Helen had opted
for Mithra instead of Christianity: bad news for bulls |
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| Christian, Medieval reliquary box |
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| Medieval Muslim astrological globe |
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| Damascus, 17th century unknown painter |
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| Rafael's Baldesar Castiglione |
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A beautiful Botticelli, emphasizing, I'd guess,
the humanity of the baby J |
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| El Greco |
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| Never miss a Poussin |
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Nor a Rubens (they had a huge Rubens exhibit going on,
but we were Rubens'd-out in Antwerp) |
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A great Claude Lorrain...you can see Turner evolving right
out of it... |
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Rembrandt's Matthew; an angel whispering in
his ear; sure it's an angel... |
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| One Fragonard |
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| One Watteau |
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| A sweet Sir Josh Reynolds |
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| And Delacroix's 28 July, 1830: Liberty Leading the People |
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