On day two, we covered the Renaissance in Paris and the Age of Reason. The most interesting thing I learned from this period is how the Mona Lisa ended up in France rather than in Italy. King Francois I invited Leonardo da Vinci to France in 1516 and Da Vinci brought the Mona Lisa with him perhaps as a gift to the King. When Da Vinci died in 1519, the painting remained in France, as part of the various kings' art collection (including Napoleon) and was eventually hung in the Louvre in 1804. It was stolen in 1911 by an Italian living in Paris who returned it to Italy a couple of years later. Although he claimed it was a patriotic act, he was caught when he tried to sell it. It was returned to France.
The ideas that defined the Renaissance were proportionality, order, harmony, humanism and classicism. Da Vinci's work is an example, especially the Vetruvian Man.
As you can tell, I am a huge fan of DaVinci. When I was in Paris and able to go into the Louvre in person, I made a point of seeing the Mona Lisa. I often say it was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. Too crowded and it's so small! Plus, tourists crowd around to take selfies with it even though it is under two pieces of bulletproof glass. Seeing it virtually is actually better.
The Enlightenment, or Les Lumieres, was also dominated by order and reason. It was interesting to learn that the first coffee house, Le Cafe de Procope, was opened in 1686. Coffee houses were places where men could talk about their ideas. It is also rumored that the idea for an encyclopedia started at Le Cafe de Procope.
We also took a virtual "field trip" to the Sorbonne and the College de France on the Left Bank where students could study and it wasn't tied to certificates or degrees or anything like that....just for learning.
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