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Musée du Louvre

Introduction

Musée du Louvre – The Finest Imaginations of Mankind
For eons, mankind’s relationship with art has been one of great admiration. Ever since our existence, art has always intrigued us. It is almost like art evolved as we humans did. Man has always had an immense fascination with pictorial depiction; whatever it saw, it wanted others to see as well. The famous idioms “A picture is worth a thousand words” goes to prove the illimitable connection. As we evolved cognitively, our paintings/depictions became more and more pronounced. From 30,000 years old Chauvet Cave paintings to 20th century La-Vie by Picasso shows how we became obsessed about detailing over the millenniums. France has been the cradle of creativity, where breaking the barriers of imagination to gain a new perspective (other than what the norms suggested) has always been welcomed. And right in the heart of Paris, France is a museum with a universal collection of the finest art known to mankind, The Musée du Louvre.

General Information

The Musée du Louvre, which was formerly a royal palace; in 1793 became a museum with art-work of thousands of years from every corner of the globe. It houses the greatest creations of mankind under one roof; from Mona Lisa to St. John The Baptist (By Da Vinci); to The Dying Slave (by Michelangelo) and Bathsheba at her bath (by Rembrandt). The list is endless.

With over 460,000 objects spread across an area of 782,910 square feet; the Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. The iconic Grand Louvre Pyramid was built by the architect I.M. Pei, in the year 1989 and La Pyramide Inversee in the year 1993. This glass pyramid stands in the main court, The Cour Napoleon.

The opening hours for the Musée du Louvre are:
• Monday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesday: Closed.
• Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
• Thursday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The first Saturday of every month, the museum is open from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. too; and the admission is free. The Express Entry ticket can be purchased online for €17 and lets you enter the museum in less than 30 minutes. The normal ticket, which can be bought over the counter at the museum is for €15.

The Paintings

This section has over 7500 art-works, ranging from the 13th century to the 19th century, managed by 12 curators. This department bolsters art-works from the great Italian masters like Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Richelieu wing has the French and Northern European works, while the Italian and Spanish works are present in the Denon wing. Avignon Pietà, King Jean le Bon, Louis XIV, The Coronation of Napoleon, and Liberty Leading the People are some of its prominent works from the French school. You can also find the works of Ingres, La Tour, Philippe de Champaigne, Le Brun, Delacroix and many such artists in this section.

The Lacemaker, The Astronomer, The Tree of Crows, and some of Rembrandt’s works like The Supper at Emmaus, Bathsheba at Her Bath and The Slaughtered Ox are present in the Denon wing. This section also boosts its Renaissance Collection, which includes art-works of Andrea Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini, Caravaggio and the great Leonardo da Vinci. Some of the most notable works present here are Virgin and Child at St. Anne, St. John the Baptist, Madonna of the Rocks, The Fortune Teller, Death of the Virgin and obviously, The Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa which is described as “The best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world”; and is worth an astounding $800 Million (USD).

The largest contribution made in the history of the Louvre was made by Louis La Caze. The La Caze collection has 584 paintings which include the oil sketches by Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens, Boucher, Fragonard and many more.

The Egyptian Antiquities

This section covers time-lines from Ancient Egypt to the New Kingdom era, along with Ptolemaic and Byzantine periods. It was Charles X who had ordered the creation of the Egyptian Antiquities Department. A great addition was made when Auguste Mariette (Founder of Egyptian Museum Cairo) sent his archaeological findings from the excavation in Memphis, which include The Seated Scribe. The Seated Scribe is a work for refined craftsmanship, and this can be seen in its face. The half-rolled papyrus, the hands and the eyes show the detailed work that was put in it; and this was made in Ancient Egypt between 4th or 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The Egyptian Antiquities Department also has the Gebel el-Arak knife from 3400 BC, Amenemhatankh for the Middle Kingdom, and Nephthys & Hathor from the New Kingdom.

The Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities

This section covers antiquities from the Neolithic to the 6th Century, from the Mediterranean region. One of the oldest departments in the Louvre, and having gone through very little change since its inception; this section has a lot of antiquities from King Francis I. You can find antiquities like Venus de Milo, Apollo Belvedere and the Borghese Vase. Lady Auxerre, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, Hera of Samos, and the Borghese Gladiator from the 6th century to 1st century BC can also be found in this department. These are some masterpieces from the Hellenistic era. You can also find Agrippa, Annius Verus, and Apollo of Piombino from the Roman era.

Near Eastern Antiquities

This section covers the period from the first settlements in the regions of Levant, Mesopotamia and Persia; before the arrival of Islam. This region is the modern age Iraq, Iran & Syria, and has objects from the Assyrian, Persepolis, Sumerian and Akkadian eras. The Stele of Vultures, Stele by Naram-Sin (King of Akkad) and the Code of Hummarabi with Babylonian Laws; along with Investiture of Zimrilim, Statue of Ebih-II, the Funeral Head and the Persian Archers of Darius I are some of the most amazing art-works that you can find in this department.

Sculptures

This section is divided into two separate wings: Richelieu wing for French Sculptures and Denon wing for all other foreign sculptures. This section has sculptures from before 1850, like the Dying Slave & Rebellious Slave (Michelangelo), King Childebert and many more. The Richelieu wing has a strong influence of Romanesque art-works like Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Virgin of Auvergne, Descent of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ (Germain Pilon), Bust of Cardinal Richelieu, Woman Bathing and Amour menaçant, and Francois Anguier’s The Obelisk. Sculptures from 18th & 19th-century show-case works of Antonio Canova and Alfred Barye. A must see sculpture in this section is the Tomb of Phillipe Pot.

Decorative Arts

This section has collections from the Middle-Ages to the 19th century. One of the rarest collections that you would find in the Objets d’art department are the pietre dure works of vases. Pierre Revoil gave 800 pieces of ceramic and stained glass to the Museum. Sauvageot donated 1500 pieces of faïence and middle-ages works, which continued to make the collection very elaborate. Charles Le Brun had decorated this section in a solar theme after he was commissioned by King Louis XIV. The collection here consists of The Coronation Crown of Louis XIV, Charles V’s Sceptre, Porphyry Vase, Nessus and Deianira, Maximillian’s Hunt and Napolean III’s apartments. Another art-work to look out for in this section would be the 16th-century tapestry which is sewn with gold & silver threads, donated by Colbert de Seignelay.

Islamic Arts

This section of the Louvre is the newest addition and was established in 2003, and covers 13 centuries and three continents. This collection has over 5000 art-works and 1000 shards made from ivory, wood, ceramics and textiles. The notable works present here are Andulusian Pyxide d'al-Mughira (Ivory Box), Mamuk Baptistery of Saint-Louis (Brass Basin), Barberini Vase, Iranian Shroud of Saint-Josse and also three pages of Shahnemah (Epic Poem of Ferdowsi).

Collection of Graphic Arts

This section opened in 1797 and has thousands of art-works on paper, some from the Cabinet du Roi and from Fillipo Baldinucci’s collection; along with collections from Edmond de Rothschild. These art-works are displayed in the Pavillon de Flore.

Art has always defined who we have become and our evolution through the ages. And the 9 million people flocking in every year to see Le Musee du Louvre, is a strong proof of just that. It not only captivates us but ignites that curiosity for creativity. How we find that long-lost connection with our forefathers in these myriads of art-works is spell-bounding. To see the genius of a mortal artist become Immortal through their art-work. So, go on and explore Le Musée du Louvre; for you might find the fire for your soul!

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