A gallery in the frame as much as art on display

First impressions before seeing the work of Impressionists. The taxi dropped me off at the sun-baked parking lot after we had passed roadside signs proclaiming “Let the light in.” It was nondescript, albeit with freshly painted markings leading to a 40-meter path.

This led, indirectly and involving a security guard’s directions “next left, first right,’’ to the refreshing cool of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

When I visited in November it had been open for just a few days, and few teething problems were apparent. Admission cost 60 UAE dirhams ($16), but the friendliness and willing-to-chat-attitude by those issuing tickets was at odds with the need to deal with the ever-growing line behind me seeking admittance.

From outside, the domed roof, a mesh of steel and aluminum weighing 7,000 metric tons, (the same weight as the Eiffel Tower) reminded of me of a turtle, but inside, underneath it and its 7,850 star-shaped windows intended to create what French architect Jean Nouvel described as a “rain of light”, it was entrancing. Let the light in? It did in ways that made the cascading sunlight dance as if in a fairy tale. The gulf light can be harsh; here it was transformed into a soothing benison.

I have feasted my eyes on the offerings in Beijing galleries and art spaces. I have been inspired, amazed, intrigued.

But here’s the rub. The items that always caught my attention were hanging from the walls, or showcased in illuminated glass containers. I had never viewed the space or gallery as a work of art in its own right.

At the LAD I could barely keep my eyes off the ceiling dotted with natural illuminations even though what was on offer deserved rapt attention. In the first 20 minutes, I admired a self-portrait of Van Gogh, Monet’s 1877 painting of the Saint-Lazare railroad station, The Card Players by Cezanne and Napoleon himself — imperious upon a white rearing horse as he crossed the Alps, by Jacques-Louis David.

And then, almost bizarrely, the sound of … water. The azure gulf tide was gingerly lapping against the outside walls.

The finished product looks good, but not all went to plan. There were five years of construction delays and technical challenges to build the estimated $650 millon flagship on Saadiyat Island.

French museums and institutions shipped 300 artworks to the LAD last year, from Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait La Belle Ferronniere to massive marble nymphs from Versailles. The LAD was the fruit of a 2007 agreement between France and the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is allowed to lease the iconic Louvre brand for €400 millon ($465 million) for more than 30 years. Eventually it will pay a total of €974 million for French expertise, guidance and loans. Tom Clifford

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Arrival of the Normandy Train, Gare Saint-Lazare, an 1877 painting by Claude Monet.