?Modern çağ gizemi miestetik katliam mıSanat tarihçileri ve şehir planlamacılarının en sert eleştirdiği yapılardanbiri de Louvre’a giriş kapısı olarak tasarlanan Cam Piramitler. DöneminFransa Devlet Başkanı François Mitterand tarafından görevlendirilen, Çinasıllı Amerikalı Mimar Leoh Ming Pei’nin tasarımı olan cam piramitlerin1989 yılındaki açılışı, sadece Fransız basını ve sanat çevreleriyle sınırlıkalmayan bir eleştiri fırtınasına yol açtı. Hatta Fransız gazeteleri,Mitterand’ın kendini ölümsüzleştirmeye çalışan bir firavun olduğunubile yazmıştı. Antik gizemleri açığa çıkarmak üzere yazılan kitaplarınve komplo teorilerinin fazlasıyla ilgi çektiği 2000’lerde ise bu CamPiramitler’in, kimi zaman Mason, kimi zaman da İlluminati sembolüolduğu savları tartışıldı. Ancak bu alanda yazılan hiçbir kitap, DanBrown’un Da Vinci Şifresi kadar ilgi çekmedi. Louvre Müzesi müdürününöldürülüşü ile başlayan roman, Vatikan ile mücadele halindeki İlluminatiTarikatı’nın izini sürüyor ve Cam Piramitler’i de bir modern zaman şifresiolarak tanımlıyordu.Sırf bu nedenle bile müzenin ziyaretçi sayısında artış yaşandı. Campiramitlerin mimarı Pei bir röportajda, “Kimse insanların Louvre’apiramitleri görmek için geleceğini tahmin edemezdi. Piramit’in bir ikonhaline geleceğini hiç düşünmemiştim.” demişti. Üzerinde tartışmalarıntükenmediği Cam Piramitler, şimdi yeni ziyaretçi sayısını kaldırabilecekşekilde yeniden tasarlanıyor.Mystery of modern times oraesthetic massacre?Art historians and urban planners who created an uproar as the EiffelTower was erected in Paris at the turn of the twentieth century, werealso the “usual suspects” who severely criticized the project of theglass pyramids meant to serve as entrance gates to the Louvre. Theinauguration, in 1989, of the Glass Pyramids built in the courtyard ofthe Louvre Museum by renowned Sino-American architect Ieoh MingPei, commissioned by the then French President François Mitterrand,caused a big charivari in the French public opinion and art circles;the French media suggested that François Mitterrand was seeking, byhaving these pyramids built, to immortalize himself in the fashion ofthe Egyptian pharaohs. At the outset of our twenty-first century, wherebooks on antique secrets and on plot and conspiracy theories becamevery popular, the Louvre pyramids have been referred to as Masonic and/or Illuminati symbols. The most interesting book in this regard is TheDa Vinci Code of American author Dan Brown. The story begins with themurder of the Director of the Louvre Museum, goes on searching thetraces of the secret Illuminati sect, which is presented in constant fightagainst the Vatican, in all European historical works of art. Accordingto the book, the Glass Pyramids of the Louvre keep the secret code of acontemporary mystery. Hence, the book paved the way for a substantialincrease in the number of visitors to the Louvre. Architect I.M.Pei said inan interview, “Nobody would have guessed that people would come tothe Louvre to see the pyramids. I never thought that the pyramid itselfwould become an icon.” The ever-controversial glass pyramids are nowin the process of being re-designed in order to accommodate the risingnumber of visitors.
Diplomatic crisisThe collection of the Louvre, Europe’s first-ranking museum with the largest number of visitors, is grouped into eightCuratorial Departments, namely, Paintings, Sculptures, Near Eastern Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan,and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Decorative Arts, Prints and Drawings. The Near Eastern Department houses veryspecial antique sculptures dating from the Achaemenid period in Assyria. The Department of Egyptian Antiquities isprobably one of the most interesting parts of the museum. It presents vestiges from the civilizations that developed in theNile Valley from the late prehistoric era (c. 4000 BC) to the Christian period (4 th century AD). These vestiges, excavated bythe French Institute for Oriental Archaeology in Cairo and brought over to Paris, are of such great significance that theycontinue to cause diplomatic disputes between France and Egypt, who claims that the historical pieces should bereturned to their homeland. The Department for Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities present sculptures andwall-paintings from the period between 2000 BC and 300 AD. In the Department of Decorative Arts, one can admirethe most outstanding examples of decorative arts from the Middle Ages up to our era. The most valuable specimenof medieval French and European painting and major masterpieces of the art of painting describing the course ofworld history occupy a foremost place in the Department of Paintings. The Department of Sculptures houses themost important samples of the European art of sculpture.Louvre Müzesi Avrupa’nınenine en geniş binasıdır(üstte), Daphne’yi takip edenApollo. (altta)Louvre Museum’s buildingis the longest building inEurope (above), Apollofollowing Daphne. (below)Mona Lisa’s secretThe best-known piece in this museum, housing 35 thousand different piecesdating from the 6 th century BC to the 19 th century AD, is undoubtedly the portraitknown under the name of Mona Lisa, which Leonardo da Vinci started painting in1503 and finished in four years. Mona Lisa, the lady whose identity is unknown, neverrevealing the mystery of the expression on her face, who drags along countless legends,secret codes and mysteries, is welcoming her visitors in the Louvreas one of the most enigmatic ladies of history. The bookspublished in recent years on mysticism and Leonardo da Vincicontributed to an increased interest for the painting having thedimensions of 77x53 cm. Experts still pursue their efforts to analyzeand unravel the secret of the challenging smile of Mona Lisa. From thevery entrance of the museum, signboards indicate the way to follow in orderto reach the most famous painting of the world. The public has to stand quitelong time in queue before being able to see Mona Lisa at close range.Symbol of the French RevolutionLiberty Leading the People, painted by Eugène Delacroix, theacknowledged leader of the Romantic school in French painting, is yetanother artwork attracting a great number of visitors. The painting iscommemorating the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled Charles X of France. A womanpersonifying Liberty leads the people forward over the bodies of the fallen, holding the tricolore flag ofthe French Revolution in one hand and brandishing a bayoneted musket with the other. The painting isperhaps Delacroix’s best-known work and considered symbol of the French Revolution all over theworld. The painting inspired the Statue of Liberty in New York City, which was given to the United Statesas a gift from the French only 50 years after Liberty Leading the People had been painted. Baudelaire, the‘Prince of Poets’ characterized Delacroix as the last great representative of Renaissance painting and thefirst great painter of the modern period.