the GRAND Louvre

Thousands of pieces of artwork; masterpieces housed in a single grand palace built for kings—the idea is humbling.
I have always heard that the Louvre museum is extremely overwhelming; not only because of its sheer size but also because of that small fact I mentioned—thousands of works of art and ancient artifacts that are just waiting to be looked at. It is overwhelming if you try and completely soak up each and every piece—which could take a lifetime if done correctly; but I personally found the Louvre intriguing and wonderfully “whelming”—I was neither under nor over whelmed.
As I searched through the halls and floors I found myself stopping at certain pieces and just walking past others. I found those pieces and artifacts that I could appreciate and understand and drew myself to them; I soaked them in, I thought about the hands that painted or made the piece. I imagined what was going through the artist’s head when they painted, sculpted or “mummified”. I took a step further with the pieces I identified with or could find a deeper appreciation for.
There were some pieces that I did not find myself drawn to; not because there was a lack of appreciation or recognition of genius, I just did not want to dig further. And that is the most wonderful thing about art—it doesn’t have to speak the in same way or form to everyone. One person can be completely touched by the Mona Lisa and another (me) can simply see it for a second and walk away filled.
Art is personal and can be interpreted and appreciated in every mind—this is why art is eternal, because at one point, even if it was just for one person, the art meant something deep to someone.