Louvre Italians; Plus Some Loonies

Wanting to make our Louvre visits more disciplined and meaningful we'd been watching some of the Great Courses lectures (thank you, Prof. Brettell), and, for our next visit, wanted to focus on just the Italian paintings. The Italian works are of surpassing importance for the Louvre, since, when King Francois Premier wanted to upgrade French art, he looked south, to Italy, for great artists and great art works to import. For us it was a very successful day of art appreciation and amusement. We were nearly the first in line at the Amis du Louvre special entrance.

Ever wondered what it would be like to be the first in the door and,
for at least a few brief shining moments, have the place to yourself?

Something we'd been looking for, Tintoretto's Coronation
of the Virgin, 1580; a swirler, as became the fashion for domed
ceiling treatments; hung so high you could barely see, much
less study it

Personal favorite (paired with Manet's version); poorly displayed
and much in need of cleaning and restoration; Giorgione/Titian
Pastoral Concert

Holy Spirit going for another Immaculate Conception; Rene Sance, 1527

Interesting presentation, showing Manet's copy (above)
of Titian's Madonna of the Rabbit (important Easter
foreshadowing)

"Joseph is so gullible..."

Anonymous, early 14th, Fall of the Rebel Angels

Guido of Siena, late 13th, Nativity; really old as these things go

Rene Sance, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, 1527

In the Louvre, always look up too

Andrea Mantagna, The Virgin of Victory, 1496;
the Louvre has an impressive number of Mantagnas;
no wonder there were so few in Mantua!

"So take the effing picture already!"

Another Anonymous work, The Virgin of the Scales,
one of Leonardo's followers...the scales are pretty
ominous...gonna find out who's naughty or nice...

Both the Louvre and Google identify this as a Bacchus;
I think it is a Hermaphrodite checking his/her messages

The Louvre has three Caravaggios, this, The Death of the 
Virgin, 1606

Starting to get crowded...

One of many super-sized Guido Reni paintings, The Union of
Drawing and Color, 1625 or so; Reni was party to the big dispute
of the day, whether painting or sculpture was the foremost art

Reni again, Jesus Giving the Keys to Peter, 1626;
"Now don't lose these..."

Another Mantagna, Minerva Expelling the Vices from the Garden
of Virtue, 1502; tempura on canvas (how'd that work?)

Rene Sance, Mohawk Bambino, 1527

"Why is your halo bigger than mine?"