Louvre Museum Paris

This is the most popular section among the Louvre Museum Collection, with nearly 5,500 paintings exhibited here. You can witness the works of some of the most renowned artists of all time including Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. Some of the most famous paintings that you can see when you visit Louvre Museum Paris are the Mona Lisa, Raft of Medusa, and the Coronation of Napoleon, among others.

Considered to be one of the most comprehensive in the world, the Egyptian collection at the Louvre Museum Paris boasts more than 50,000 objects. You can get a deep insight into the way of life and culture of the ancient Egyptians with artefacts from the Nile Civilization that covers the period from 4,000 BC to the 4th Century AD.

Enjoy an extensive collection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities when you visit Louvre Museum Paris. This particular department takes you back to Mediterranean history that dates back to the Neolithic era and continues up to the 6th century. This is probably the oldest Louvre Museum collection, a majority of which was inducted in the 16th century by the French royalty.

One of the largest sections in the collections department of the Louvre Museum Paris, there are nearly 25 rooms here. In each of these rooms, you can witness an exhibition of art and artefacts from early Near Eastern civilization when you visit Louvre Museum Paris. For structural convenience, the department has been segregated into three zones- the Levant, Mesopotamia (Iraq), and Persia (Iran).

Known for its richness with artworks that were created before 1850 and do not belong to the Etruscan, Greek, and Roman departments, this is an absolute must-see when you visit Louvre Museum Paris. This section houses the largest collection of French sculptures on the planet which includes Satan by Jean-Jacques Feuchère and Diana the Huntress by Jean-Antoine Houdon.

Among the most recent additions at the Louvre Museum Paris, the department of Islamic Arts was founded in 2003. It holds over 3,000 works from the Arabian Peninsula covering the period from the 7th to 19th centuries. Some of the most notable works that are housed here include three pages of the Shahnameh, the Plate with Peacock, and the Barberini Vase.

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Enjoy the sight of exquisite tapestries, artefacts, ceramics, stained glass, and much more at the Decorative Arts department when you visit Louvre Museum Paris. The collection here is from the period that covers the Middle Ages until the mid-19th century. Some of the most interesting exhibits in this section include Giambologna's bronze Nessus and Deianira, the coronation crown of Louis XIV, and Napoleon III's apartments.

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With nearly 1,40,000 pieces in the catalogue of the Louvre Museum Paris, this department holds the largest collection of drawings in the entire world. However, as most of the pieces are not on display, it is one of the lesser-known sections at the museum. The collections here are arranged in three neat zones- the core Cabinet du Roi, royal copper printing plates, and the donations of Edmond de Rothschild.

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Explore Louvre Museum Paris to come across the most famous painting of all time, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. In fact, for many visitors, the only reason to visit the museum is to get a glimpse of this masterpiece. The woman portrayed in the painting is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, wife of a silk merchant in Florence, Italy, whose enigmatic smile fills a sense of mystery in the work. It was created by da Vinci in 1503 and today graces the walls here in extra layers of plexiglass.

Created by Paolo Caliari in 1563, this painting is among the best things to see inside Louvre Museum Paris. Spanning almost 6 meters in height by 10 meters in width, this is also the museum’s largest painting that covers an entire wall of the gallery from floor to ceiling. The work was initially created with the intention of decorating a refectory wall of a monastery in Venice. You can witness the portrayal of a biblical wedding scene held at Cana in Galilee when Jesus Christ performed the miracle of turning water into wine.

You will find this exquisite piece in the Galerie des Antiques when you explore Louvre Museum Paris. This beautiful 19th-century gallery is garbed in red marble with the Vénus de Milo, also known as Aphrodite holding pride of place here. Created around 100 BC, you can witness a style that reflects the late Hellenistic Period that has amazed the art world ever since it was discovered on the Greek Island Milos in 1820.

Considered to be a masterpiece of Hellenistic art, this massive sculpture is a sight to behold. Explore Louvre Museum Paris and get captivated when you turn the corner at the top of the grand Daru Staircase. Witness the stance of courage of the winged Goddess of Victory (Nike) on a ship as she leads the vessel into stormy waters. The piece was created around 190 BC as a religious offering for naval victory and was found on the island of Samothrace.

This majestic painting was created by Jacques-Louis David after being commissioned by Napoleon I himself. After proclaiming himself emperor in May 1804 following stupendous military achievements in Egypt and Italy, the grand coronation ceremony was conducted. What sets the ceremony apart from others is that Napoleon crowned himself facing a congregation as opposed to being crowned by the Pope, a sharp statement underlining his independence.

Depicting one of the most notable events in the history of France, the uprising of July 1830, this is one of the most graphic representations of the period. Explore Louvre Museum Paris to witness this masterpiece by Delacroix where the values of the Revolution of 1789 and the ideal of popular sovereignty are explicitly highlighted. Liberty here is depicted by a strong bare-chested lady that explains her lineage to a Classical Greek goddess.

Enjoy this charming work of art placed in the cosy and sunlight-filled Galerie Michel-Ange when you visit Louvre Museum Paris. Inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses which retells the mythological story of Cupid and Psyche, this sculpture portrays Psyche in a sleepy trance after inhaling a forbidden potion. Cupid is seen gently approaching Psyche intending to kiss her when she wakes up holding Cupid in a languid embrace. The mesmerizing piece has captured this tender moment exquisitely making it one of the loveliest things to see inside Louvre Museum.

Vermeer created this masterpiece around 1669 or 1670 which was dubbed to be the most beautiful painting in the world by Renoir. The artwork is also symbolic of moral and religious sentiments of the time as it features a little book in the forefront which is most likely a Bible. The simple scene that the painting portrays is one from everyday life where a young woman, many believe to be Vermeer’s wife herself, is shown intent in her lacemaking.

Commissioned by King Louis XIV for the Château de Marly horse pond, this monumental work of art was created between 1739 and 1745. Housed in the Louvre Museum Paris, this sculpture is a larger-than-life image of two horses who are restrained by grooms. It is thought that the sculptor Guillame Coustou was inspired by the ancient Roman statues that were found in front of the Quirinal Palace in Rome. These old structures depicted demigods Castor and Pollux making an earnest attempt at taming their horses.