Scene

Flemish painters of the 1600s, second floor of the Louvre's Richelieu Wing.

Waited exactly 28 minutes to get into the Louvre today (not bad, but felt longer in a cold rain), and headed directly for the deuxieme etage of the Richelieu Wing to learn how les peintures Francaise drew water and clumps of trees. My hope was that by standing in front of their paintings, these technical details would seep into my head. Seemed logical.

Claude Lorrain (1600-1682), "Seaport, Effect of Mist."

Detail from "Seaport, Effect of Mist" by Claude Lorrain.

It is a rich grab bag up there on the second floor: many Poussins, Mauperches, Vignons and Vouets ― their works steeped in mythology and allusion and Bible stuff. Instinctively I bowed to Nicolas Poussin for his trees and to Claude Lorrain for his rippling waters and zoomed in on them with my camera. Poussin doesn't do water as well as Lorrain, and Lorrain doesn't do trees as well as Poussin, and I can barely draw a circle ― all of which I think is valid evaluative criticism. Both of these 17th-century artists worked in oil-based paints. I am sketching with a 0.7 mm gel pen for some reason, but in terms of scene-setting and small details, it felt like an instructive afternoon.

Claude Lorrain, "The Port of Genoa."

Detail from "The Port of Genoa" by Claude Lorrain.

"Ulysses Returning Chryseis to Her Father" by Claude Lorrain.

Detail from "Ulysses Returning Chryseis to Her Father" by Claude Lorrain.

"The Blind Men of Jericho" by Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665).

Detail from "The Blind Men of Jericho" by Nicolas Poussin.

Detail from "The Blind Men of Jericho" by Nicolas Poussin.

On the same floor are rooms devoted to the Northern European masterpieces. As far as the French are concerned, both Germany and Belgium adjoin the Arctic Circle, so Peter Paul Rubens fits the bill. In 1622 he was commissioned by Marie de Medici to create 24 giant panels to decorate the Luxembourg Palace. Here they are. If walking into Room 801 of the Richelieu Wing is not one of the most indelible museum experiences of your life, you terrify me.