Many of you may have already perused the precious artifacts on loan from the Louvre at the IMA. I finally decided it was now or never and made my way to the IMA this weekend. I became a little disconcerted early on when I realized that I would have to wait in little mini lines before seeing most pieces closely or reading their labels. So the only thing that I could do was block everyone else out and concentrate on what I was waiting in line to see. Being a Hoosier/Indianapolis resident I don't get to see mass quantities of really ancient items up close. I tried to imagine myself as the artist driving my chisel into a gigantic piece of marble. The vision, patience and craftsmanship required to create the illusion of delicately draped fabric from stone boggles my mind. The exhibit was beautifully designed; with plenty of clearance around statuary and seating for deep contemplation as to why the hell Rome fell anyway. The labels though long, were very informative and at times anecdotal. Effective wall signage guides the viewer through the exhibit highlighting different subject matter such as religion, death, etc. Some walls had projections of quotes in Latin and English. I was especially intrigued with the juxtaposition of everyday items with revered ancient mosaics and sarcophagi. As I made my way through the exhibit I was not nearly so annoyed with the lines of people in my way. It was nice to see so many people out on a Saturday afternoon exploring a lost civilization through impressive feats of architecture, artistry and innovation. I cannot help but feel a sense of pride that these artworks of great value and historical importance are at my disposal.