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Post by goldenmama on Jul 11, 2007 4:30:50 GMT -5
Here's a question we had while touring the sites of Paris: why are so many of the statues missing body parts? Vandalism? Censorship? That reminds me too how sickening it was to see that people had etched their names into the mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors and other historical places. I can't imagine having such little respect.
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 11, 2007 6:21:37 GMT -5
I'm fairly sure it's because the statues attempted to do business with a French civil servant and, in keeping with unwritten French law, body parts were lopped off for every form not filled out to their liking.
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Post by GitteK on Jul 11, 2007 7:34:44 GMT -5
Venus de Milo used to bite her nails ..... she overdid the habit.....
The Winged Victory misjudged the height of the door when flying into La Grande Gallerie ...... and off came her head, poor darling....
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dep0515
Full Member
Next time I'm hiding in your suitcase.
Posts: 205
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Post by dep0515 on Jul 11, 2007 8:10:05 GMT -5
Oh Gitte and Happy....thank you so much for the laugh this early in the morning! ;D What a way to start the day.
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muffya
Junior Member
Posts: 84
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Post by muffya on Jul 11, 2007 9:29:22 GMT -5
They flew economy coach and in order to fit in the seat they removed body parts, checked them and you guessed it, their luggage was lost.
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 9:56:07 GMT -5
Okay, Muffy -- it's obvious you've become bitter about those coach seats, time to use the mileage for an upgrade!
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muffya
Junior Member
Posts: 84
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Post by muffya on Jul 11, 2007 10:01:43 GMT -5
There are six of us. (My family of 4 and my parents) Its hard enough to get one seat, let alone 6 on the same airplane upgraded!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 10:27:59 GMT -5
Muffy, you're right of course -- since most airlines appear to allocate not more than 2 upgrade seats per flight, you would have to all travel separately in order to do this!
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Post by goldenmama on Jul 11, 2007 11:47:23 GMT -5
You're all cracking me up here, but I really seriously want to know where the body parts went!
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 11:55:44 GMT -5
Well, golden -- what makes you assume they were there in the first place? Maybe this is just a matter of the artistic statements of the creators, and we all "just don't get it"?? ;D
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Post by Ray(aka) tripnebraska on Jul 11, 2007 13:04:19 GMT -5
Some of these statues were dug up, so I would assume what ever caused them to be buried, also damaged them. I remarked to my daughter while looking at Venus De Milo, that I was amazed the people who originally found her, didn't just think, another old broken statue, and discard it. Thank goodness they recognized what they had.
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Post by Becky (Berkeleytravelers) on Jul 11, 2007 13:40:05 GMT -5
Ray, the Venus always has fascinated me -- that 1000-yard stare just gets me! She is so clearly a deity, and not uninterested in lowly humans but completely unaware of their existence in the first place.
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 11, 2007 14:12:37 GMT -5
I really don't know the specific answer to the question, goldenmama, but it must have something to do with the age of the antiquities and the material they are made from. I am no art historian (and don't even play one on tv), but I have to think that, to survive this long, even in the shape they're in, must be an amazing thing.
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Post by greyghost1 on Jul 11, 2007 17:59:25 GMT -5
I have a couple of nude garden ladies and as we have moved a few times and our dogs race past them, the noses, fingers and other pertruding parts seem to get knocked off. Would say the same for the statues you saw, too.
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 12, 2007 13:39:07 GMT -5
Goldenmama, you've got me wondering now, too. No one has jumped in with an answer yet. I bet if our resident experts weren't off terrorizing Paris, one of them would know.
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Post by goldenmama on Jul 12, 2007 16:38:59 GMT -5
Yes, happygoin, isn't it a question that ought to have some kind of answer? Especially because we noted that it seemed to be the male parts that were most frequently missing. Surely they didn't all fall off in transit!
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 13, 2007 6:01:30 GMT -5
Oh GM...my fingers are itching half off my hands to make a silly retort...I'll refrain.
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Post by Truffaut on Jul 13, 2007 11:21:53 GMT -5
Well, that got my mind racing! Someone earlier had the correct answer. Most of the statues have been missing parts since antiquity. Some of them were actually dug up from Greek ruins by the Romans, and then some of the Roman ruins were later dug up by the Popes and various others. Certainly, I would expect that many statues, especially since they reprsented deities, were damaged during the sacking of Rome and probably even by some over-zealous early Christians (anybody remember John Ashcroft with his giant boob-covering drapes in Washington?) When a full-scale copy of Michelangelo's "David" showing all his wares was given to Queen Victoria by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, it was fitted with a custom fig leaf so as not to offend her delicate sensibilities. Just in case anybody's wondering, the fig leaf was 50cm long, which roughly translates to 20 inches.....
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Post by goldenmama on Jul 13, 2007 11:44:14 GMT -5
Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! Thanks for the info, Truffaut! ;D
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Post by GitteK on Jul 13, 2007 14:10:57 GMT -5
I knew there must be a reason for that insane architect to use the "David"-statues to adorn the building with the police station in Avenue Daumesnil...... They are of course supposed to make the spectator think (with awe) of the police batons......
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