Louvre Museum Paintings

As is known to all, the brilliant Mona Lisa is an iconic work and one of the Louvre Museum's best paintings. The sitter in this picture is Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo.Well, ever wondered why is the Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre Museum so famous all over the world? Might be, because it is the work of the genius da Vinci. Or because it has been referenced so many times. Or maybe because it was stolen in the past and made headlines in the newspaper. Or because the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud inferred that her smile is that of a mother, which reminds of infancy? Well, the reason is all the facts, combined.

Artist: Leonardo da VinciYear: 1503-1505Location: Denon Wing, Room 711

The Raft of the Medusa is one of the most famous paintings in the Louvre Museum. This painting showcases a dramatic scene, where a French ship has been wrecked. This is a real-life shipwreck incident, which had left the public in a state of shock. A total of 150 people fought for their lives on a raft for 13 long days, suffering from starvation, thirst, and diseases. At the end, only 15 people could survive the wreck and return to their families.

Artist: Théodore Géricault Year: 1819Location: Dept of Paintings, Mollien Room 700

It was in Cana, in Galilee that Jesus performed the first miracle of his life. Jesus and Mary went there to attend a wedding. Right there, in front of the crowd, Jesus transforms water into wine. The legendary painter Veronese represented this biblical scene in his painting with his own artistic freedom. The painting has a crowd of a total of 132 characters including Venetian aristocrats dressed up in 16th century attires. The colours used in this painting are made of expensive pigments that were imported from the East.

Artist: Paolo VeroneseYear: 1563 Location: Dept. of Paintings

This iconic 260 cm tall oil painting showcases the downfall of King Charles X and the liberty received by the people thereafter. Here, liberty is personified and represented through the woman with a cap, who is holding a musket on one hand and the French flag on the other. You can see the woman is leading the gang of people with arms.

Artist: Eugène DelacroixYear: 1831Location: Room 700, Denon Wing, Level 1

‘Triumph of the Virtues’ is one of the Louvre Museum's famous paintings of the Renaissance era. Also known as “Minerva Expelling the Vices from the Garden of Virtue”, this painting was commissioned by Isabella d'Este, an Italian noblewoman. Minerva happens to be the Roman Goddess of Wisdom. This painting showcases Minerva warding off the vices and protecting the Goddess of Chastity, Diana.

Artist: Andrea MantegnaYear: 1500-1502Location: Dept of Paintings, Room 371

The ‘Death of the Virgin’ is one of the best Biblical Louvre Museum Paintings. This 369 cm tall oil painting showcases the death of the Virgin Mary. The Apostles and Mary Magdalene are seen grieving the death. It is believed that this painting was condemned by the church for representing Virgin Mary as a common woman. This painting is made in the impressive baroque style.

Artist: Michelangelo Merisi da CaravaggioYear: 1601-1606Location: Denon Wing, Room 710

‘David with the Head of Goliath’ is one of the most unique Louvre Museum Paintings. The uniqueness of this painting lies in its perfect blend of Baroque and Renaissance styles of art. This 22 cm tall oil painting showcases the Biblical story of David and Goliath. David is represented as a fair and handsome man, dressed in a colourful garb and red hat. The head of Goliath has long hair and beard.

Artist: Guido ReniYear: 1606Location: Grande Galerie

Many art buffs consider ‘The Coronation of Napoleon’ to be one of the Louvre Museum's best paintings. In 1804, Napoleon was consecrated as the Emperor of France by the pope. He was crowned along with his wife, Empress Joséphine. In order to capture this historic moment, Napoleon hired the legendary painter Jacques-Louis David. The painter attended the event and then produced this brilliant monumental work. He recreated the whole scene with the help of wax and cardboard figures.

Artist: Jacques-Louis DavidYear: 1807Location: Dept. of Paintings, Daru Room 702

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Also known as “The Barque of Dante”, this painting showcases instances from ‘Divine Comedy’, a famous piece of work by the legendary Italian poet Dante. Hence, this piece is considered to be one of the Louvre Museum's famous paintings. This painting was Eugène’s first big painting and was exhibited in the Paris Salon in 1822. In 1822, the painting was sold to a museum and in 1874, it was shifted to the Louvre.

Artist: Eugène DelacroixYear: 1822Location: Room 700, Denon Wing, Level 1

One of the best Louvre Museum Paintings of the Renaissance era, this work was commissioned by Isabella d'Este. Here, love and chastity are personified and the painting represents a battle between both. This painting was condemned by some for not being created in the style of the famous Renaissance painter, Andrea Mantegna. However, this painting also received a lot of appreciation for depicting the moral values visualised in the Renaissance era.

Artist: Pietro PeruginoYear: 1505Location: Department of Paintings

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Yet another striking work by da Vinci, this is again one of the Louvre Museum famous paintings. This painting was commissioned by King Louis XII, but couldn’t be delivered to him as it could never be completed. This biblical painting represents Saint Anne with Virgin Mary, and baby Jesus. In this huge painting, the positions of the figures are very appealing. The dreamy landscape in the backdrop holds an untold softness and makes for a sight to behold.

Artist: Leonardo da VinciYear: 1503-1519Location: Denon Wing, Grand Galeriè

One of the most beautiful and the Louvre Museum's best paintings, ‘The Pastoral Concert’ is known to feature Venetian characteristics and represent the refugees of a war in Italy. Three young men are playing the musical instruments, while two naked women are accompanying them. The uniqueness of this painting lies in its naturalistic way of presentation and striking colour palette.

Artist: TitianYear: 1509Location: Denon Wing, Room 711

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One of the famous paintings in Louvre Museum, ‘The Rape of the Sabine Woman’ is also known as “The Intervention of the Sabine Women”. It is made on oil canvas and represents an instance from Roman mythology. The Romans invited the sabine women for a feast, but during the event, the Roman men raped them. This painting showcases the cruelty done by Romans when they had the power to capture other cultures.

Artist: Nicolas PoussinYear: 1633–34Location: Richelieu Wing, Room 828

The list of Louvre Museum best paintings will remain incomplete, if ‘St. Francis of Assisi Receiving Stigmata’ isn’t discussed. Representing an instance from the life of St. Francis, this 314 cm tall painting was made for Pisa’s Church of Saint Francis. The painting is made in the Byzantine style and features a golden panel. The most noteworthy element of this painting is its characters’ lack of emotion. Although originally owned by the church, the painting was later looted by Napoleon and brought to France.

Artist: Giotto di BondoneYear: 1295 -30Location: Denon Wing, Room 708