My family and I have done our fair share of art museums, so when I found out we were visiting the Louvre I could not wait to see one of the most impressive art collections in the world! I knew before visiting the Louvre that it is practically impossible to see everything in one day but I wanted to test myself and see how much I could do. However, with over 400 rooms and 35,000 artworks I overestimated my ability to take on this immense, breathtaking palace…
I started off my exploration on the first floor and nearly spent a good 3 hours walking through the Galerie D’Apollon, the apartments of Napoleon III, and the Denon wing full of European and a few American paintings scattered throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed roaming about each of the rooms, admiring every intricate detail but I especially loved our exercise where we were tasked to find the characters in A Tale of Two Cities and Les Misérables portrayed in the paintings.
Walking through the Denon wing, I found numerous paintings that resembled the characteristics of Lucie, Charles Darnay, and Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities and the characteristics of Jean Valjean, Javert, Cosette, and Marius from Les Misérables. And to my surprise, I discovered the paintings overflowing with themes of sacrifice, judgment, redemption, and love.
Suzanne au Bain by Théodore Chassériau
In a painting by Théodore Chassériau entitled Suzanne au Bain, I saw Lucie reflected in the angelic, sensual woman who is seen bathing in a river. Chassériau contrasts light and dark in his artwork to highlight the celestial woman and portray her as this divine, pure figure. The woman in the painting embodies Lucie, a compassionate and virtuous woman who is described as “a golden-haired doll” in A Tale of Two Cities (96). As soon as I was about to leave and take a look at the painting beside it, I noticed two men in the shadows covertly spying on the woman in the top right corner of the painting! Immediately I thought these two men resembled Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton – Lucie’s two lovers. Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton both fall in love with Lucie Manette in the novel, however Darnay ends up courting her while Carton continues living his life in despair. In the painting, the man on the right stares at the woman with admiration just like Charles Darnay would have, while the man on the left weeps by the tree similar to how Sydney Carton would feel. As I inspect the painting further, I notice the woman grasping a white cloth in one hand and a gold cloth in the other. Could this be the “golden thread” that metaphorically weaves together the characters in the novel by providing them hope in a time of political turmoil? I know this might be a stretch but I could not believe the ironic similarities between the painting and the novel!
Marat Assassiné by Jacques-Louis David
Then, I came across a painting by Jacques-Louis David entitled Marat Assassiné or “Death of a Marat.” The man in the painting is seen hunched to the side with a paper in hand and a stab wound on his chest. Upon further research, I found out the man depicted in the painting is Jean-Paul Marat, a prominent figure in the French Revolution who fought against the French aristocracy. Jacques-Louis David viewed Marat’s passing as an opportunity for political activism. In his artwork he attempted to convey the idea of making sacrifices for the greater good by portraying Marat as a martyr. This painting reminded me of Sydney Carton who sacrifices his life for Lucie and her family. Through this heroic act of selflessness, Sydney Carton finds redemption in his life which was once characterized by hopelessness and despair.
Le Sommeil d’Endymion by Anne Louis Girodet
Directly to the left of this painting, I came across Anne Louis Girodet’s painting entitled The Sleep of Endymion (Le Sommeil d’Endymion) which was overflowing with this theme of redemption! In the painting, Girodet perfectly contrasts light and dark to illuminate the man who is supposedly plunged into eternal sleep. Girdoet creates this dreamlike scene by using dark hues for the forest and allowing light to only pass through a small opening in the leaves. The light reflects off the man and produces this angelic mist that surrounds his body. The painting is symbolic of Sydney Carton’s spiritual resurrection where he finds redemption and fulfillment in sacrificing his life. In the novel, Sydney Carton embodies the Christian values of how humans can be recalled to life through sacrifice. Carton wants to be redeemed in the eyes of God and himself. This is exactly what I imagine Carton to look like after his death. In this painting, it almost feels as if the angel is thanking him for his selfless sacrifice and the angelic mist is representative of his spirit leaving his body, drifting up toward heaven.
St. Paul the Hermit by Jusepe de Ribera
For the characters in Les Misérables, I found Jean Valjean to be depicted in numerous paintings. In this first painting entitled St. Paul The Hermit by Artist Jusepe de Ribera the gaunt man is seen looking up to the sky with his hands clasped together holding rosary beads. The skull on the left is emblematic of death that awaits right around the corner. In the beginning of Les Misérables we are introduced to Jean Valjean who served a 19-year prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. The man in this painting reminds me of Jean Valjean who was left to rot in prison for committing a petty crime. He prays to God hoping someone can break the shackles that tie him down. After Jean Valjean’s release from prison, he adopts a new identity in order to leave his past behind. But as we know, “the past is never dead. It’s not even past” (William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun). Jean Valjean finds it challenging to reintegrate himself into society due to his status as an ex-convict.
La Robe Ensanglantée de Joseph Apportée à Jacob by François Joseph Heim
In another painting by François Joseph Heim entitled La Robe Ensanglantée de Joseph Apportée à Jacob, themes of judgment and rejection are illustrated. The man is seen kneeling before a group of people, while the people turn their backs and gesture to him to back off. This is synonymous with Jean Valjean and how society would turn him away from work and a place to stay. His past comes to haunt him as everyone refuses to trust a man with a criminal past.
Another painting that reminded me of the characters in Les Misérables was a painting entitled Daphnis et Chloé by Artist François Gérard. Two lovers are pictured sitting in the middle of the forest, entranced by one another’s presence. The love that pervades the painting reminds me of Marius and Cosette’s relationship. And the forest is exactly like the Luxembourg Gardens where Marius and Cosette first exchanged glances. Actually bookpacking to the Luxembourg Garden and peeking through the gates (because the gardens were closed due to dangerous winds) brought their love story to life! I could visualize Cosette and Jean Valjean sitting on a stone bench taking in the beautiful greenery and enjoying the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees. Even though gray clouds permeated the sky when we visited, I could picture the sun shining down on the grass and Cosette’s heart shining even brighter when she saw Marius for the first time.
“She said to Jean Valjean, ‘How delightful this Luxembourg Garden is!’ Marius and Cosette appeared to each other as if in the dark. They did not speak to each other, they did not greet each other, they did not know each other. And like the stars of heaven, millions of miles apart, they existed by gazing at each other” (Hugo, 808).
Seeing this painting in the Louvre as well as visiting the Luxembourg Gardens visually solidified what their romance looked like in my mind.
Portrait d’un Gentilhomme Génois by Antoon van Dyck
And finally, I found Javert portrayed in Antoon van Dyck's painting of Portrait d’un Gentilhomme Génois. The stern nobleman is depicted clutching his sword, almost staring into your soul. This reminded me of Javert, who represents the embodiment of absolute law and order. Dyck utilizes dark colors in this painting to create a sense of foreboding. While reading Les Misérables, I felt this sense of fearful apprehension as I sat on the edge of my seat, waiting to see if Javert would ever capture Jean Valjean and throw him back in prison. Additionally, the black color used in this painting is essentially the absence of light. The absence of light is symbolic of Javert's lack of mercy for Jean Valjean even after he witnesses instances of Valjean’s compassion and kindness. As the novel progresses, Javert’s primary conundrum is whether to uphold the letter of the law as it is or see Jean Valjean’s acts as having the potential for redemption and mercy. Unable to resolve this internal struggle, Javert jumps into the Seine river and plummets to his death. Being able to bookpack and trace the route of Javert’s final riverside walk, supplemented my understanding of Les Misérables. Walking down the Seine river I tried putting myself in Javert’s head, imagining the moral dilemma that he faced. The torrential rain and loud thunder that rumbled in the distance truly set the scene for this tragic moment. While seeing the play back in London definitely helped me visualize what this moment looked like, walking in Javert’s footsteps allowed me to be fully immersed in his experience.
Tracing the route of Javert’s final riverside walk
Looking back at my first blog, I talked a lot about my struggles with reading Les Misérables and visualizing the story while bookpacking. After week three, I can confidently say that the combination of bookpacking, museums, art galleries and more has made the stories of A Tale of Two Cities and Les Misérables come to life in a way I never could have imagined.