Part I was actually my previous post, the Petit Louvre. As I said, we got to visit the museum at night, which is a very rare opportunity. Unfortunately, we only had until 9 p.m. to walk through everything. From the Petit Louvre, we go on to the more traditional aspect of the National Museum of History.
My favorite part of their exhibition are the scrolls. I really wish I had more time to take it all in. I even bought a book of modern brush painting from the museum shop. I would review that here when I get the time.
As expected, the lighting was low. People usually assume that scrolls and brush paintings are old. The National Museum of History subverts that expectation as part of their collection are modern scrolls and brush paintings.
I can only guess at what they mean. Some are translated, but a lot are not. It doesn’t make this scroll any less beautiful though.
With the time crunch, we really didn’t have much time to savor the viewing of each artifact. But there is something quite magnificent about museums at night. You are there for the experience more than anything else.
We were also lucky enough to see some works that are normally inaccessible to the public. This collection is only there to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
The details found in the jades and other stones are extraordinary.
The more you experience these things, the wider you are aware of your knowledge gap. I wish to know more, but with the reality that you cannot know all. Maybe little by little, in time.
Petit Louvre is a special exhibition of the National Museum of History in Taipei. Basically, its goal is to make exhibits that are proportional to children, ideally to remove the distance and fear in viewing art works. 
See the grand pyramid? Yep, it’s like that, it is made to scale for the young audience of the museum. The basic goal is that children should not be intimidated when viewing artworks.
Children should be able to view the artworks in the scale that adults can view them. The frames are also lowered so that it would be easier on the children’s eyes. Not all of the works from the Louvre are replicated, only key works, such as that of Venus de Milo.
There are also three-dimensional representations of paintings. It has cut-outs in them that children can look into.
There is also a part where the artworks were represented in cartoon form. The room is filled from top to bottom of replication. Such replication would help familiarize children in viewing artworks without fear, as opposed to works that they cannot touch or go too near to.
Details like these are also present. Though it might need some explaining to young children, they will view it with no malice if seen within the context of art and the museum. Something that I feel is lacking in my home country.
Some replication are an artwork by themselves. Exhibitions aimed at training young children in viewing artworks are something that is badly needed back at home. Familiarization instead of intimidation should be ingrained as they are growing up, perhaps nurturing the love for the arts.
Portia Placino 