America The Beautiful.

In sort of a reverse travel story, Somebodyisfromhere.com considers what the French think of Americans. It might sound like the set up to a joke, but it’s not.

The Louvre never has much American art. At first it seems snarky, but their excuse is pretty solid. See, The Louvre doesn’t exhibit art past 1848 and America isn’t all that old.

Still, this story from NPR suggests the French still want them some America. Are they kissing the ass of a superpower? Nah, they just like them some leaves.

(Thomas) Cole’s paintings show Indians, the blood-red leaves of North American autumns and dramatic scenery. (The curator) Faroult says Europeans were stunned when his landscapes were first exhibited in London and Rome in the 19^th century.

“The colors were quite different, and also the scale was gigantic. He was showing mountains, cliffs, lakes that were looking like seas, they looked gigantic. And the European critics said, ‘Well, it’s not real, it’s unbelievable,’ ” Faroult says.

Anyway, that’s a cool way to look at America. Stunned. Unbelievable. Somebodyisfromhere.com think it’s probably worthwhile to remind Americans of that every once and awhile.

Just don’t let it go to your head, jerks.