TL Bartusch Indie Author of the Roth series

I thought it might be interesting to have a look at the paintings that share the Mona Lisa's gallery in the Louvre. So many images of the Salle des Etats are limited to  the Mona Lisa's glass cell on the end wall and ignore the other Renaissance paintings by Venetian artists or painters working in Venice in the 16th century that are hung in her purpose designed room. The purpose of this vast space is to shuffle about six million visitors past the Mona Lisa every year. Salle des Etats, Mona Lisa on far wall Let's look at the gallery first and get that out of the way. The plain walls and austere skylight, so different to the original domed glass is very dull indeed. Of course the Salle des Etats has a much more colourful past. It was the principal state room of Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, nephew and heir of Napoleon. Napoleon's second wife, (you remember the first was Josephine of not tonight darling & don't leave me Boney fame) Marie-Therese of Aust...

The Louvre in 1615 I know I go on about it, but I do do a lot of research when I write a new novel. Over the last six months I've been researching the Louvre and thought I'd share a few things I've learnt with you. The Louvre Palace dates from medieval times and was originally a fortress. It was the main residence of Louis XIV until he moved his court and the seat of government to Versailles in 1682. In the late 16th and  early 17th centuries, Henry IV of France carried out major improvements, removing remnants of the medieval fortress, increasing the area of the Cour Carree and completing a link between the Tuileries Palace and the Louvre. Cour Carree today Napoleon used the Tuileries Palace as his home but it was  burnt down during unrest in May 1871. The administrative and conservation areas of the Louvre Museum were moved to new space under the Tuileries gardens as part of I.M. Pei's grand design for the entrance pyramid. Cross section of the ne...

Some examples of the fine art you'll encounter in the Roth series. In Hubris, #3, set in the curatorial spaces of the Louvre. Drouais, Family Portrait, 1756     Mona Lisa, the Louvre Mona Lisa, 16th century copy, Prado Not fine art but interesting. The Louvre showing I.M. Pei pyramid and  curatorial spaces  under the Tuileries Georges de la Tour, Repentant Magdalene Georges de la Tour, the Nativity 1644 From #2 Emperor in all but name Piranesi original, Fantasy of a Palace -  numerous Piranesi forgeries by Eric Hebborn In the Emperor you'll also encounter Cezanne and Rothko. Roth also deals with forgeries of valuable philatelic specimens. The Magenta, value $9.5m For sale at your favourite eBook retailer or buy direct at Smashwords.com https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TLBartusch