I meant the Louvre. Sorry.
-M
In Florence, the guards were all repeating over and over again, “No Photos, No Photos” around the statue of David. The same statue that had stood outside for 50 years, and been stored in a warehouse, and covered with mold for who knows how long. Somehow I didn’t buy that it was because they were worried that the flash would harm the piece, but rather because they wanted us to buy those nice $5 photo books in the front. In the Vatican, the only place I recall them being strict was in the Sisten Chapel.
I can agree totally with photos of paintings. They are never going to look like the original, and you spend so much time trying to set up the picture, that you miss the significance of the piece. However, that being said, I take literally hundreds of photos each time we visit someplace that allows it. Mostly of statuary. I have a fondness for it, and while I may not remember every piece I’ve seen, I can look at the picture, and remember the details from it. And there are many pieces that I liked at the time, that I did not know the historical significance of. I don’t like the “walking around with a guidebook” feeling that I get when I have to look everything up. I like to click away, and look things up later.