But the inside, now that's something!

Saying there is art in Paris is like saying there are stars in the sky. You can even see the art when it's cloudy, giving the art an advantage over the stars. We visited two museums in Paris, the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay.



The Musee d'Orsay is built in an old railway station and houses pieces from 1848 to 1915. Among many of its famous works include Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist's Mother by James McNeill Whistler.



This piece is by Claude Monet.



One of the most recognizable pieces in the Musee d'Orsay was this Van Gogh self-portrait. And with that big head in the way you can't even tell he's missing an ear.



The Lady of the Louvre is the Mona Lisa. Neither the largest nor the most colorful; the devil is in the details.



Unfortunately, with the masses of fans, the ropes keeping everyone at least 15 feet back, and the two museum assistants guarding the painting at all times, you don't get close enough to see the details. But it's quite the experience.



The Venus de Milo is also housed in the Louvre. It's also believed to be a depiction of Aphrodite but no one knows for sure. Nor do they know where her arms are. Details, details...



The Une Odalisque is unique in that, if you look closely and start to think about it, she's a little off. Like, she has three vertebrae too many. And her left leg is kind of bent funny. A precursor to Picasso...



Unlike the Mona Lisa, The Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I and the Crowning of the Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804 or TCOTENFATCOTEJINDCODTE as it's sometimes known, is very large. You'll notice Jessica in the bottom right corner. Huge painting, long title, and Napoleon's image is probably taller then he actually was. I tell you, this guy needed someone to tell him he was good at something as a child.



The Raft of the Medusa was quite the controversial piece when it was first displayed in 1819. It depicts the survivors of the Medusa, a ship which sank due to the incompetence of its captain. Nearly 150 people piled onto a raft (there weren't enough lifeboats) and drifted for twelve days. Only 15 survived the ensuing "slaughter, madness, and cannibalism," according to the Louvre.



Two Michelangelo sculptures that were originally part of a larger piece he didn't finish. What makes these so remarkable is that they are both made out of one piece of marble, instead of several pieces that were later put together. I get nervous writing a note on paper because I don't have spell check, yet he has no problem carving a huge block up to make a person.



Just in case you haven't been to Egypt, the Louvre has an Egyptian temple. That's right, a whole temple. You'd think someone in Egypt would have noticed that it went missing.



The Code of Hammurabi is a legal code from ancient Babylon. Jessica took copious notes.