Pointing the way to great art

A few weeks ago I was invited to participate in a scavenger hunt, sponsored by THATLou, at the Louvre.

I love art and I am fairly passionate about museums, but I am also something of an Oscar when it comes to group activities. However, my fellow bloggers Out and About in Paris and Une Femme were undeniably persuasive. I simply had to join them.

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Friendship won out and I committed to throwing FindingNoon into the competition ring. We’d be competing against five other teams of Paris bloggers.

I used to spend my student days haunting the halls of the Louvre, so I arrived overly confident and not exactly raring to go, with my three-inch Parisian heels. On the other hand, I was very motivated by the deconstructed martini I was promised at the end of the evening.

We arrived at the meeting spot and were handed our instructions – find these works of art. The list was a very diverse collection of masterpieces spread throughout all three wings of the largest castle in Europe. I wanted that cocktail, now! This was not going to be easy. And there were rules. The toughest being that we had to stay within three metres of one another at all times.

We began with the Flemish works because Mary Kay had recently toured this area with a guide. She knew it well, even if the works we were sent off to find were unknown to any of us.

Kristen was the first to spot a painting from the list, earning us 80 points. We continued on our quest, eventually heading down to my favorite part of the Louvre, French sculptures, where we identified several more works.

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By now that martini was long forgotten as we ran upstairs, skid around corners and flew through the halls, reminding me that these very corridors were once teeming with everyday life. And confirming my belief that museum visits should be fun, making art come alive for the visitor.

By the end of the evening, we were exhausted, but felt we’d really accomplished something, even if we hadn’t won. And we were all just a bit smarter, having learned more about art and the Louvre.

THATLou now holds scavenger hunts every Sunday at 14h30. Reservations required.

This Guest Post is provided by Sylvia Sabes. Sylvia writes about art and life in Paris on her blog, FindingNoon.

Image credits:  Mary Kay Bosshart

 

About the Contributor

Judy MacMahon

Experience FRANCE beyond the CLICHÉ with MyFrenchLife.org MyFrenchLife is for Curious Savvy Francophiles wherever you are. Meet Francophiles in France, online, and/or wherever you live. You’re very welcome to join us - Judy MacMahon - MyFrenchLife.org

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2 Comments

  1. Bethany Untied Apr 17, 2012 at 11:07 PM - Reply

    I want to do this !!!!

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