O aclamado mangaká Jiro Taniguchi o convida a conhecer o Museu do Louvre de uma maneira inesquecível. Depois de uma excursão pela Europa, um artista japonês faz uma parada em Paris sozinho, com a intenção de visitar os museus da cidade. Mas, acamado em seu hotel devido a febre, ele enfrenta o sofrimento da solidão absoluta em uma terra estrangeira, privado de qualquer recurso ou apoio familiar. Quando a febre baixa um pouco, ele inicia seus passeios e logo se perde nos monumentais salões do Louvre. Lá, descobre muitas facetas do mundo das artes, em uma jornada que oscila entre alucinações febris e realidade. Ele se vê conversando com pintores famosos de diversos períodos da história, sempre guiado pelos… Guardiões do Louvre.
He began to work as assistant of the late mangaka Kyota Ishikawa. He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kareta Heya (A Desiccated Summer), published in the magazine Young Comic. From 1976 to 1979, he created several hard-boiled comics with the scenarist Natsuo Sekigawa, such as City Without Defense, The Wind of the West is White and Lindo 3. From 1984 to 1991, Tanigushi and Natsuo Sekigawa produced the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai. In the 1990s, he came up with several albums, among which Aruku Hito (歩くひと), Chichi no koyomi (The Almanac of My Father), and Keyaki no ki. In 2001, he created the Icare (Icaro) series on texts by Mœbius. Jirô Taniguchi gained several prizes for his work. Among others, the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award (1998) for the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai, the Shogakukan prize with Inu wo Kau, and in 2003, the Alph'Art of the best scenario at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (France) for Harukana Machi-E. His work has been translated in many languages.
Far from the violent storylines often associated with the manga, Taniguchi has developed a very personal style, more adult. Along with other writers, like Tsukasa Hōjō, his comics focus more on the Japanese society and culture, with a subtle analysis of its customs and habits.
A Japanese artist travels to Paris intending to go to many art museums, but ends up staying several days at the Louvre, only. He has a fever before he goes, which provides a kind of allegorical framework for how he actually "meets" three of us favorite painters whose work are featured there, including Corot, Fontanesi, and VanGogh, introduced to him through his teacher, a western-style Japenese painter, Asai Chu, and an art critic, Tokutomi Roka. Is it fever-induced hallucination? Is it his active unconscious? Or is it speculative fiction?
Dunno, maybe that's not that important, but our hero also goes back in time to see the Louvre in WWII Paris during the Nazi invasion when masterpieces were being hidden away. Our Japanese artist's guide through the Louvre is a ghost, one of the historical "guardians" of the greatest art museums in the world, and she helps him/us link to these WWII "guardians" as well. So the Louvre is completely overwhelming, in my experience of it. Too much wonderful art, too much to take in, as a visitor there once in a great while, though that is not so much a critique as an observation of how huge and comprehensive it is. So Taniguchi, also knowing this fact of abundance, limits his and our visit by just making three or four artists come alive, which I thought was a good strategy, especially given the Louvre-Japan connections between the artists he links to his experience and interests.
Well, for a comics book about art, Tanuguchi takes on a pretty daunting challenge, and I'll say the art work is lovely. The Louvre series is very uneven, in my experience--I've read maybe 5 of the 12 so far--and most of the books in the series have pretty low Goodreads averages. But I have tried to read all the (also western style) manga in translation I can get my hands on from Taniguchi, so I am generally a fan. He has another fine "travel" art book on Venice, too.
Ghosts in the Gallery Review of the NBM Publishing hardcover edition (2016) translated by Kumar Sivasubramanian from the original Japanese 千年の翼、百年の夢 (Millennium Wings, Centennial Dreams) (2015*)
In Guardians of the Louvre a young Japanese manga artist is on a trip to Europe to attend a comics convention. After the convention he plans to spend time in the museums of Paris, but instead falls sick with a fever in his hotel room. Apparently recovered, (you begin to wonder if perhaps the rest of the book isn't a fever dream) he does go to The Louvre but discouraged by the crowds he wanders off alone. He then encounters a vision of the restored Winged Victory of Samothrace, who identifies herself as a Guardian of the Louvre. Communing with the Guardians allows the man to encounter various artists and personalities associated with the museum and its history. In the end he meets someone from his own past.
A sample page from Guardians of the Louvre. Image sourced from a review at Irenebrination.
On the whole the story here was not very dramatic, until we hear about the World War II project to save the Louvre's most precious works from Nazi looting and destruction. Previously the encounters with the spirits of artists such as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875) and Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) were quite uneventful.
The artwork, as always with Taniguchi, is beautiful of course. The museum interiors though do not provide for quite the same expansive beauty as his city vistas in another late commissioned work Venice (2014).
The book, even in this English translation, is presented in Japanese manga format, so that you read the pages from back to front and the panels from right to left.
Trivia and Link * As the book was a commission by the Louvre, the French language edition was actually published first as Les Gardiens du Louvre (2014).
„Između stvarnosti i snoviđenja, i dalje lutam hodnicima Luvra.“
Taniguči istinski uspe da me iznenadi. Njegove priče su naizgled jednostavne, a toliko slojevite i pune nekih posebnih emocija. Ilustracije u boji doprinose magiji i u potpunosti odgovaraju onome što zamišljamo dok čitamo njegove crno-bele mange. Draža mi je ipak priča „Daleko susjedstvo“ i žao mi je što ovo izdanje nije dobilo bolju lekturu (ima previše progutanih slova!), ali svakako prelepo putovanje kroz prirodu, umetnost i istoriju koje potpiruje želju za begom iz stvarnosti.
3.5.Como siempre este autor me hace disfrutar y en esta ocasión he aprendido mucho gracias al recorrido histórico que hace del Louvre,datos que no conocía me gusta la estructura, lo única pega es que me supo a poco.
এত্তো সুন্দর, এত্তো সুব্দর দেখতে এই গ্রাফিক নভেলের আর্টওয়ার্কগুলি! ❤️ পুরোই স্টুডিও জিবলির এনিমে মুভিগুলোর কথা মনে করিয়ে দিলো। এতো Soothing, একেকটা পৃষ্ঠা খুলে লাগছিলো যে মনটা শান্তি শান্তি হয়ে যাচ্ছে।
"Even the most inconsequential amongst us has a period of "life" and it's own stories".
কাহিনীটা খুব সিম্পল ধরণের - ইন্টারন্যাশনাল কমিল ফেস্টিভ্যালে অংশগ্রহণ করে বাড়ি ফেরার আগে একজন জাপানিজ আর্টিস্ট সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় পাঁচদিন প্যারিস ভ্রমণ করে যাবার। কিন্তু প্যারিসে পৌঁছাবার পর প্রথমদিনেই জ্বর-ঠাণ্ডায় কাহিল হয়ে বিছানায় পড়ে যায়। অসুস্থতা বাড়লে নানান চিন্তা মাথায় এসে ভর করে তার - যে উদ্দেশ্যে এসেছিলো প্যারিসে আদৌ কি তা পূরণ হবে, নাকি একলা মানুষ প্রবাসের এক অচেনা জায়গায় অসুস্থ হয়ে অসহায়ের মত মারা যাবে?
পরেরদিন খানিকটা সুস্থ হয়ে উঠে সে এবং পাঁচদিনে অবিশ্বাস্য আর ম্যাজিক্যাল কিছু অভিজ্ঞতা হয় তার, তার সাথে যে ঘটনাগুলো ঘটতে শুরু করে তা তাকে শেষ পর্যন্ত নিয়ে যায় নিজের মনের এক সুপ্ত আকাঙ্ক্ষা পূরণের দিকে।
আর্টওয়ার্ক নিয়ে আর কিছু বলবো না, ছবিগুলো তো দেখতেই পাচ্ছেন😍 কাহিনী সুন্দর লেগেছে অনেক, বিশেষত সমাপ্তিটা চমৎকার। আর অনেক নতুন বিষয় জানলাম, শিখলাম। প্যারিসের জাদুঘর কিংবা ওভার-অল বলতে গেলে শিল্প বা শিল্পীসত্তা নিয়ে। রেকমেন্ডেড থাকবে❤️
20/8/20 NL: Ontzettend mooie illustraties! Het was zeker niet wat ik verwachte, maar Taniguchi's manier van de geschiedenis blootleggen was ontzettend goed gedaan en uniek. EN: Incredibly beautiful illustration! I wasn't too sure what to expect, but Taniguchi's way of exploring history was incredibly well done and unique.
A Japanese mangaka falls ill after a comic convention but still tries to carry through with his plans to tour the Louvre on his own. In a fever dream (or is it something more?) he interacts with the artwork and dead artists represented in the museum.
Despite having to wade through the dream garbage, I was fascinated by the connections, influences and exchange of ideas that Taniguchi revealed between French and Japanese artists. There is also a much-too-short section on the efforts the French people undertook to protect the treasures of the Louvre from the invading Nazi forces during World War II. These true guardians should have been the focus of the whole book.
In I guardiani del Louvre, Jirō Taniguchi fonde viaggio interiore, arte e memoria in un racconto sospeso tra realtà e sogno. Attraverso l’incontro con opere e figure del museo parigino, il protagonista esplora il legame tra bellezza, storia e umanità. Le tavole di Taniguchi, delicate e contemplative, trasformano il Louvre in un luogo dell’anima, dove l’arte diventa strumento di guarigione e conoscenza. Un fumetto poetico che invita a fermarsi, osservare e sentire.
Paseo por algunas ideas de las que evoca el arte (comunión entre diferentes culturas y tiempos, memoria de un tiempo perdido, conservación de un legado, explotación comercial...), un poco fórmula y bienqueda (cualquier cariz problemático se obvia), pero muy agradable.
Compre este livro hoje de manhã por impulso e tive de o ler. A história é uma simplicidade belíssima e poética. A arte é magnífica. Uma história simples como 5 dias passados num museu, num ambiente onírico levam-nos a passear pelos corredores do louvre. A mim despertou-me memórias do tempo em que o visitei. Não sendo uma graphic novel habitual, onde a arte japonesa se cruza com a escola belga, é de uma beleza singela. Recomendo muito, senão pela leitura, pelo divagar entre as páginas e os se desenhos.
I didn't get into the story until the bit about WW2 began. All the work that went into saving the artworks from plunder was astonishing. It certainly made me want to visit the Louvre, but the "guardian spirits" thing didn't hit the mark, in my opinion. Excellent art, though.
Uzvišena i nadahnjujuća, setna i inspirišuća, naslikana toliko divno da se oseća u duši, napisana sa previše ljubavi i pažnje, “Čuvari Luvra” je još jedna Jirova manga koja mi je pokazala zašto toliko uživam u njegovim delima. Već sada želim da se vratim na prvu stranicu i iznova doživim sva divna i potpuno neočekivana iznenađenja i da se ponovo, makar na kratko, izgubim u hodnicima velelepnog Luvra. 💚
Yazarın “Yürüyen Adam”dan sonra okuduğum ikinci kitabı. Bu kitabını da ilki kadar sevdim. Çizimler, başarılı bir şekilde duyguları ifade ediyor ve hikayenin akıcılığına katkı sağlıyor.
Kurguyu ve anlatım şeklini beğendim. Ayrıca Louvre hakkında bilmediğim bir çok şey de öğrendim.
Guardiões do Louvre é um mangá único. O que torna esta obra genial não é apenas o fato de ela ser publicada em um formato gigante. O que torna esta obra genial não é apenas o fato de ela ser colorida. É simplesmente o fato de ter sido escrita e desenhada por um gênio da nona arte como o Jiro Taniguchi. Ao longo das páginas a gente se arrepia com um roteiro sensível e com uma arte de encantar o olhar. Quando chegamos à última página temos total consciência de que passamos por uma experiência única.
A edição do Pipoca e Nanquim é primorosa. Um acabamento lindo em um tamanho gigantesco. Guardiões do Louvre é o mangá de maiores dimensões publicado até o momento no Brasil. No alto de seus 31,6 x 26,4 ele consegue aproveitar todo o traço do autor conseguindo destacar aquilo que Taniguchi tem de melhor. O acabamento é em capa dura com um papel couché de alta gramatura. Dá a impressão de ser um mangá bem mais volumoso do que as 136 páginas aparentam. Ao final temos notas explicativas a respeito de alguns fatos comentados ao longo dos capítulos (algo exclusivo da edição brasileira) e biografias de alguns artistas como Corot, Van Gogh e outros. De fato é uma edição para colecionadores.
O roteiro de Taniguchi mantém toda a simplicidade que vimos em o Homem que Passeia. Não há grandes firulas aqui. O personagem não tem nome, o que sempre produz o efeito de o leitor poder se colocar no lugar dele. Esse efeito se soma às artes detalhadas do autor e até aos sons que ele consegue transmitir através das onomatopeias. O protagonista é um quadrinista que aproveitou a sua passagem por Madrid e foi até Paris conhecer a cidade. Ao ficar doente, ele precisou reduzir suas pretensões e visitar apenas o Louvre. Lá ele se depara com estranhas aparições de Nice, uma das Guardiãs do Louvre. Ela vai apresentar todo o mundo que existe dentro do museu. Uma proposta simples, mas apresentada com muito sentimento. Algumas passagens realmente arrepiam. Ao final o protagonista sai transformado de sua experiência vivida nos dias em que ele esteve em Paris.
Ser um mangá colorido não é o único detalhe que o torna deslumbrante. Se formos perceber a maneira como Taniguchi preenche os cenários, retrata os personagens, insere seus quadros na narrativa, o leitor vai constatando a qualidade do trabalho do autor. Os cenários dentro do museu são detalhados. Se vocês prestarem atenção aos salões do Louvre, vocês vão perceber que Taniguchi realmente desenhou a maior parte das obras de arte retratadas no museu. O que é aquela Mona Lisa? E os cenários amplos de Van Gogh? Tem um quadro enorme de Corot no capítulo três que é deslumbrante. Vou repetir: Taniguchi desenhou os quadros de grandes pintores do passado como parte de seu cenário. A quadrinização é um show à parte. Em vários momentos da narrativa, o autor emprega trípticos em que três quadros juntos formam uma cena. Tem um destes trípticos que é uma tomada de baixo para cima de uma igreja, Outro efeito que o autor abusa é das panorâmicas enormes com todo um horizonte no fundo. O detalhamento de cada casa, de cada árvore demonstra a qualidade e a sutileza do traço. Outro efeito bacana que eu gostei no mangá foi no capítulo 4 quando Taniguchi mostra algumas cenas em 1939 e ele as coloca em preto e branco. Dá um efeito bonito ao flashback e nessas cenas somos capazes de perceber como o traço do autor consegue ficar ainda mais redondinho.
"Tamanha era sua fidelidade ao desenhar a natureza que se tornou o pintor paisagista mais poético e livre de todos. Eu declaro, com todas as palavras, que amo as pinturas de Corot. E admiro profundamente o artista em si."
O aspecto fantástico da narrativa serve ao personagem e não o oposto. Então o autor não se incomoda muito em explicar o porquê das visões do protagonista. Elas servem ao propósito de contar a história. Achei interessante Taniguchi empregar Nice para ser a guia do protagonista pelos capítulos. A deusa da vitória está ali com a função de mostrar ao personagem como ele pode transcender seu estado atual. Possivelmente o que acontece com ele é fruto do que nos é revelado no último capítulo. Talvez um desejo inconsciente dele. Ou uma necessidade de fechar uma porta.
Guardiões do Louvre não é apenas um mangá que vai te mostrar os salões do museu. Nada disso. Taniguchi tem uma proposta bem clara aqui: mostrar qual a relação entre os japoneses e as obras de artistas franceses. Qual a visão japonesa sobre homens como Corot e Van Gogh. E existe um respeito mútuo de ambas as partes. Somos colocados com aquela dúvida na cabeça se por acaso alguns desses artistas realmente não foram influenciados pelo modo de viver dos japoneses. Há um fio condutor aqui: o apreço oriental pelo modo de vida simples, algo que o autor nos apresentou também em O Homem que Passeia. A capacidade de ter um olhar mais amplo sobre as coisas. Perceber as nuances da realidade que o cerca. Também tem a questão do flanêur, ou seja, do homem que perambula sem rumo. A arte de apreciar o ambiente apenas pelo prazer da apreciação. Mas, o autor vai além: o ato de flanar modifica o nosso íntimo. Somos afetados por essa percepção do mundo através de todo o nosso corpo. Somos capazes de superar adversidades e sanar dúvidas simplesmente olhando para dentro de nós dentro de um universo maior.
Algo que me arrepiou foi o capítulo 4. De fato eu não conhecia o que transcorreu no museu às vésperas da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Como historiador, eu estudei o nível de destruição de obras de arte causados pelos nazistas durante sua jornada rumo à conquista mundial. Eles destruíam de forma violenta tudo aquilo que não remetessem às suas origens germânicas. E muitas obras pagaram caro com isso através de seu desaparecimento dos anais da História. Ver como um curador de museu fez o possível e o impossível para resgatar obras de arte me emocionou. Nunca nos esqueçamos de que uma das funções da História, aquela criada por Heródoto, é ser capaz de fazer com que possamos compreender a cultura do outro para que haja o entendimento. Somente através do estudo das civilizações e de como estas são diferentes de nós é que seremos capazes de estabelecer laços de tolerância e romper os grilhões da ignorância.
Este é um mangá que eu vou guardar com carinho. Não apenas pela beleza de sua edição, mas pela mensagem que ele transmite a todos nós. Assim como O Homem que Passeia, é uma daquelas obras que vai deixar marcas nos leitores que atravessarem o mar de páginas belas deixadas pelo autor. E parabéns mais uma vez ao Pipoca e Nanquim por entregar esta obra de arte.
এক জাপানি শিল্পী প্যারিস ভ্রমণের সময় ল্যুভর মিউজিয়ামে যান। হঠাৎই ঘটে অদ্ভুত ঘটনা। ঐ শিল্পী স্বপ্ন কিংবা রূপকথার জগতে হারিয়ে যান। চোখের সামনে থেকে জাদুঘরের সব ভীড় অদৃশ্য হয়ে যায়, একাকী সেই কেবল দর্শনার্থী হিসেবে থাকে। তখনই বিগত শতক থেকে কিছু চরিত্র আসে তাকে গাইড করার জন্য।তারা তার সাথে শিল্পকলার বিভিন্ন বিষয় নিয়ে আলোচনা করে।সে জানতে পারে জাপানের শিল্পীদের সাথে ইউরোপীয় শিল্পীদের সম্পর্ক। সে প্রবেশ করে ভ্যানগণের রূপকথার জগতে। এরপরই আসে ল্যুভর মিউজিয়ামে ইতিহাসের বিভীষিকাময় ইতিহাস। বর্তমানে থেকে ঐ শিল্পী পৌঁছে যান দ্বিতীয় বিশ্বযুদ্ধের সময়ে। তিনি দেখেন বিশ্বযুদ্ধের সময় জার্মানদের হাত থেকে শিল্পকর্মগুলোকে বাঁচাতে কর্তৃপক্ষের কি আপ্রাণ চেষ্টা!
প্রায় অবিকৃত অবস্থায় অনেক শ্রমিক অমানুষিক পরিশ্রম করে সরিয়ে ফেলেন দামি ও ভারী সব ছবি ও ভাস্কর্য।
এইসব ঘটনা হয় স্বপ্ন নয়ত শিল্পীর কল্পনায় ঘটেছে। যাইহোক আমরাও ঐ শিল্পীর সাথে জাদু বাস্তবতায় ল্যুভর মিউজিয়াম পরিদর্শন করে আসি , দেখে ফেলি অজানা ইতিহাস।
I've read a lot of the Louvre graphic novels, but this is in the top two (along with The Museum Vaults: Excerpts from the Journal of an Expert, which was the first one I read and so good that I've read as many others as I can find.) It has the same theme as many of them, "ghosts" or spirits of paintings kind of haunting the Louvre in a beautiful way, but this is the only one where I thought it worked. The main character gets to speak with painters and inhabit their paintings for a little while, and hear from the guardian of the Louvre about some of the events in its history (like when everything was evacuated before WWII), and it creates a real emotional connection through his perceptions that wasn't there for me in the other books. The art is clear and emotional, and I loved that it's in color, because it uses that color to tell you about the paintings and history, you wouldn't feel immersed without it. You can always tell what's happening, unlike some of the other installments of the series, and you can recognize the historical figures who appear. Really lovely.
Guardians of the Louvre is a series of graphic novels set in the Louvre, written and illustrated by different artists. Taniguchi's entry in the series is a lovely, albeit a bit cliched story about lost love and the power of memory. The protagonist visits Paris after a convention, but finds himself continually getting lost in what almost seems to be a dream. He speaks with art work and even seems to travel back in time to visit with his favourite artists. This is all leading him towards a very special meeting that brings him great peace.
The art work is quite beautiful, showcasing both the Louvre and French countryside wonderfully. Makes me want to go back and visit! Not quite as fantastic as the paintings that were showcased, but a truly delightful book to read nevertheless.
Taniguchi also covers some lesser known facts about art history that I found quite neat. He introduced me to a Japanese artist who specialised in "western" style art, and he talked about the art evacuation of the Louvre during WWII.
A quiet, but enchanting book that I would recommend even if you're not a traditional art lover.
Una maravilla la iniciativa del Museo del Louvre que distintos historietistas crearan cómics relacionados con piezas del Museo o el Museo mismo. Trabajos por encargo, de altísimo nivel, ejemplificados en esta obra de Taniguchi, donde reconocemos y valoramos a artistas como Corot o por supuesto, Van Gogh, que son explicados en su contexto histórico y artístico (especialmente en su relación con Japón). La historia es sencilla, pero muy bella.
El dibujo de Taniguchi jamás decepciona, resulta casi tan gratificante como contemplar ciudades, paisajes y detalles de la vida real. En esta obra nos hace oler Paris, y nos ofrece una historia que, así de pronto, no me mueve mucho, pero intuyo que pueda ser inspirada en un lugar tan mágico como el Louvre, un museo gigantesco, donde se acumulan tantas historias, tantas épocas concentradas, que no es de extrañar que fuera un vórtice en el tiempo.
Cet album ressemble à un album de commande, pariant sur le fait que l’œuvre de Taniguchi parle beaucoup aux français. Ce n'est cependant pas une BD vide ou paresseuse. Au contraire c'est une très belle balade à la profondeur insoupçonnée.
İthaki Yayınlarının Türkçe basmasıyla bir tekrar okuma yapmak istedim.
Kitapla tesadüfen o vakitler Arkabahçe’nin Ankara şubesi olarak faaliyet gösteren şimdinin Goril Çizgi Romanda rastlamıştım. Eğri oturup doğru konuşalım. Mangalar hızlı üretilen ve üretildikleri topraklarda hızlıca tüketilen, bu sebeple istisnalar dışında çizgi özeninden nasibini almamış, renklendirme yapılmadan sunulan bir tür. Hal böyle olunca one-shot, frankofon boy, tamamı renkli (hem de nefis renkli) ve sanat tarihi temalı bu kitaba heyecanlanmam pek tabii idi.
Bu duygular neticesinde koleksiyona girdi. Paris’e yolu düşen bir Japon sanatçının Louvre Müzesi, sanat eserleri ve sanatçılarla girdiği sürreal ilişkiyi anlatıyor. Oldukça sıra dışı ve çokça sanatla ilişkili konusu herkesin kolayca ilgisini çekmeyebilir, beğenisini kazanmayabilir kanısındayım. Ama hayli de ilginç. Farklı şeyler okumak isteyenler için gerçek sanat eserleri ve sanat tarihinden beslenen hikayesiyle tercih sebebi olabilir.
Bu arada Japonlar ve Paris arasında da özel bir ilişki var. Hatta öyle ki durumla ilgili psikolojik (psikiystrik?) bir tanımlama bile yapılmış, Paris Sendromu. (Özelde) Japonların (genelde benzer beklentiye giren her kim ise) yıllarca tükettikleri, maruz kaldıkları romantik, ihtişamlı, özel Paris imajını bizzat gidip bambaşka şekillerde deneyimlemeleri, büyük bir hayal kırıklığı neticesi fizyolojik ve psikolojik semptomlar göstermesi. Kitabın ateşli, yorgun ve hasta şekilde otel odasında başlayan girişi bana bu kliniği hatırlatıyor. Burada hayal kırıklığı değil özel bir deneyim hali (lucid dream? diyebilir miyiz?) mevcut. Böyle alternatif şeylere meraklılara öneririm.
Gelelim Türkçe baskıya. Dün bir kitapçıda hızlıca gördüm. Maalesef beni öncelikli heyecanlandıran özellikler Türkçe baskıda yok. Ciltli olmasını beklemiyordum ama boyut küçülmüş ve renksiz şekilde klasik manga kağıdına basılmış. Bu durum deneyimi zayıflatacaktır şüphesiz.
A Japanese artist stops off in Paris on his way home from a conference in Spain. Why not add an extra week to the trip and see the museums of Paris? Unfortunately he gets stuck in his hotel for a few days with an illness. He recovers a bit and heads off to the Louvre. Once inside with the other crowds, he has a feverish relapse. He wakes up in an almost empty Louvre. He's led around to various works by the Guardians of the Louvre, spirits inspired by some of the famous works on display. He finds out more about the artists and the art, even traveling through history to visit Van Gogh in the French countryside and the museum when the art was evacuated at the beginning of World War II.
The set up isn't all that compelling--is it a fever dream, is it actually happening, is he in some halfway state? Those issues are mentioned but are really unimportant. The set up is an excuse to explore different artists, events, and works. Since the author and the main character are Japanese, readers also find out about the influence of some art pieces on 20th century Japanese art. The book has a lot of fascinating stories and trivia from the art world.
The book is also fun for anyone who has visited the Louvre, since the drawings authentically capture the interiors and many famous works like the Mona Lisa. Reading is like visiting again.
The book is published manga-style, reading comic panels right to left and beginning with what, in America, is the back of the book. I quickly adapted to the style, so I don't think it should be any challenge for other readers, but it is something to be aware of.
A very enjoyable and creative slice of art history!