What Was Louvere Before It Was an Art Museum?
The Louvre is the world's most famous and largest fine arts museum. Information technology's home to the one of the well-nigh impressive art collections in history. It'due south also the most visited museum of the globe with a stonking 10 meg visitors a year – just it wasn't always this way. Once information technology was only for royalty and aristocrats. The history of the Louvre museum is fascinating…
The origins of the Louvre
The Louvre was originally built equally a fortress in the late 12th century. By the 14th century it had become more of a residence for the French regal family. In the 16thursday century, Francis I, known equally the French Renaissance King, had major works carried out to turn it into a Renaissance palace. Every time a new monarch was appointed, there was expansion and change until the Louvre reached a monumental size. Today, it covers a total area of 652,300 square feet (lx,600 square metres).
In 1682, Louis Fourteen moved the Royal residence to Versailles, 17km from Paris. He wanted to distance himself from the Paris populace and exert more control over his court. Afterward that the royal family lost interest in the Louvre. It was left to fall into disrepair though some parts of the awe-inspiring building were taken over by cultural groups including artists and writers.
The Louvre was once chosen the Napoleon Museum
Following the French Revolution, the National Assembly ruling body opened the Louvre as a museum in Baronial 1793 with a collection of 537 paintings. When Napoleon Bonaparte came to ability he had the Louvre renamed "Musée Napoleon" and vastly expanded the collection, calculation art from his military campaigns, private donations and commissions.
In 1814, when Napoleon'south rule came to end, well-nigh 5,000 artworks were returned to their countries of origin. The Louvre reverted to its original name.
What to see at the Louvre
The world's well-nigh visited fine arts museum was once a fortress. The history of the Louvre Museum is fascinating. So enormous is the Louvre, that it would take iii months to view every piece of fine art contained in information technology. And that's if y'all spent just 30 seconds looking at each artwork all day, every day without a break. There are more than than 7,500 paintings and the displays cover most 15 acres, and are divided beyond eight quite separate departments…
Artworks range from the 600 BC to the nineteenth century and range from Egyptian antiques to Old Masters. Thousands visit to see the armless dazzler of the Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory, an ancient Greek sculpture. Other popular works include a stele inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi, da Vinci'southward tragic sculpture The Dying Slave and Antonio Canova's 18th-century sculpture Psyche Revived past Cupid'due south Kiss. Eugene Delacroix'southward, Liberty Leading the People, which depicts a bare-breasted Liberty goddess leading a accuse in the French Revolution, thought to have inspired Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, is popular with French visitors.
The Mona Lisa at the Louvre
Without question, the Louvre's most famous piece of work is Leonardo da Vinci's, Mona Lisa. She enchants hordes of visitors with her enigmatic grin, creating very long queues. This iconic painting is much smaller than people realise. It'south just 21 by xxx inches, covered with bullet-proof glass and flanked by guards. This protection is the result of the painting existence stolen in 1911 just was thankfully recovered in 1913.
The Louvre's pyramid
In 1983, the Louvre underwent a renovation program known as the Grand Louvre. Part of the program was to create a new main entrance and Builder I.One thousand. Pei was awarded the projection. The modern glass pyramid and undercover lobby he designed was inaugurated in 1988 followed by the Inverted Pyramid, a skylight dipping into the underground anteroom in 1993. The pyramid wasn't e'er pop. As with the Eiffel Tower, at that place wasn't universal blessing. There was even a rumour started that the pyramid has 666 panes of drinking glass, the sign of the devil clearly. It's not true – there are 673!
Take a break
Caput to Le Café Marly which is in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre. It's not cheap only the food is good, the cocktails are succulent and it does offer wonderful views over the courtyard of the Louvre and the Pyramid. Great for people watching from the arcades.
Wander in the Tuileries gardens, between the Louvre and the Champs Elysées. It's one of the biggest outdoor museums in French republic. Run past the Louvre it contains artworks from the 17th to 20th century. It'due south too swell for relaxing, people watching and
Finally, if you visit the Louvre, volume your tickets in advance to avert long queues. And, if y'all're a night owl, visit on Wednesday and Fri when the museum closes at nine.45pm. There are less crowds then, which is great if you lot're keen to meet the Mona Lisa.
Virtual visit to the Louvre
The Louvre collection is now visible on line – in its entirety. Almost half a one thousand thousand pieces of art ranging from paintings and sculptures to textiles and effects are being made viewable. And you can also accept a virtual visit to the museum through an interactive map – it'south a niggling clunky but if you crave a Louvre ready you lot tin get information technology at the Louvre Collections map. The histories of the pieces is fascinating. In the jewellery section for case the history of the famous Regent Diamond includes details of who owned it and how Napoleon had it embedded in his sword.
Louvre website in English: www.louvre.fr/en/homepage
More Paris Museums
Musée d'Orsay is simply across the road from the Louvre
Yves Saint Laurent Museum
Fragonard Perfume Museum
Espace Dalí museum-gallery
Picasso Museum
Cluny Museum
Source: https://thegoodlifefrance.com/history-of-the-louvre-museum-paris/
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