Arrival in Paris, the Capital of World Art

On December 9, 1985, I finally met Paris, the long-awaited capital of world art. When I arrived at the exit of Charles de Gaulle Airport, my niece Mimi was already waiting for me at the railing. We quickly collected our luggage and drove back to the apartment. I was so filled with joy that I forgot about jet lag and fatigue. After dinner, she drove me around the city. Amidst the dazzling lights, we saw the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe… We returned home late at night, and the next morning, I dove into the Louvre. From then on, I immersed myself in various famous museums and galleries every day, discovering that the original paintings were vastly different from the prints I had seen in the past. Sometimes, I would linger for 2 or 3 h before a famous painting (Fig. 46.1).