Louvre Museum, the world’s largest art collection
The Louvre Museum boasts the world’s largest art collection and attracts an impressive number of visitors, with over 8.6 million per year, or about 30,000 visitors per day!
Although the splendid collection of books assembled by King Charles V in the old fortress was unfortunately dispersed over the centuries, Francis I commissioned renowned Renaissance painters to contribute to a new collection.
Exhibitions of paintings and sculptures were open to the public in the late 17th century, laying the foundations for the future museum.
Fortunately, the Louvre Palace was not demolished but transformed into a museum during the French Revolution, ensuring its preservation and allowing subsequent sovereigns, such as Napoleon I and Napoleon III, to enrich and expand its collections.
Pei’s Pyramid, entrance to the Louvre Museum
Pei’s Pyramid, a masterpiece of contemporary architecture, stands in the Cour Napoléon and serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum.
Commissioned by the late President François Mitterrand, this iconic structure was designed by the renowned architect I.M.Pei. The Pyramid was completed in 1989.
Surrounded by three smaller pyramids, the 21-metre-high glass pyramid is a striking sight. Its facade is adorned with 700 diamond-shaped glass panels, meticulously arranged on a stainless steel structure, creating a fascinating play of light and reflections.
In the entrance hall, you will discover the Pyramide Inversée -Inverted Pyramid, an ingenious replica of the central pyramid. Suspended 1.4 metres above the ground, its upside-down tip points towards a one-metre-high marble pyramid.
As night falls, the Louvre Pyramid is one of the many illuminated Parisian monuments.
Vieux Louvre
A first corridor, starting from the entrance hall, leads to the ancient remains of the medieval Louvre fortress, known as the Vieux Louvre – Old Louvre.
The drawbridge’s embankments and the robust foundations of the Vieux Louvre are clearly visible along the corridor. The imposing remains of the Grosse Tour (Great Tower), which once stood 31 metres tall, onced housed Charles V’s royal library.
A detailed model of the medieval fortress helps to understand the layout of the building that Francis I had demolished in 1546 to make way for the new Louvre.
The Old Louvre section also provides access to the museum’s vast exhibition halls.
Louvre Museum, a brief overview
The Denon gallery, located in the Galerie des Eaux, offers an overview of different artistic periods and styles. The Richelieu wing, bordering the Rue de Rivoli, formerly housed the Ministry of Finance before its transformation into an exhibition space for exceptional works of art and art objects.
The Louvre Museum underwent a profound transformation and reorganisation in 1981. It is divided into eight departments, each dedicated to a specific artistic discipline:
- Paintings: Houses renowned masterpieces such as The Raft of the Medusa, The Wedding Feast at Cana, and the iconic Mona Lisa.
- Prints and Drawings: The Pavillon de Flore presents works on paper: 40,000 prints, 3,000 drawings and 5,000 illustrated books
- Sculptures: Among the works on display are the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, the Horses of Marly and the Three Graces.
- Decorative Arts: The collections cover the period from the Middle Ages to the mid-19th century.
- Egyptian Antiquities: Home to treasures spanning 4,500 years of history, this department features remarkable pieces such as the Seated Scribe, sarcophagi, mummies, and many more.
- Near Eastern Antiquities: This department displays cultural objects such as the Frieze of Archers and Assyrian bas-reliefs, and offers an overview of the ancient civilisations of the East.
- Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities: rom the Venus de Milo to fragments of the Parthenon in Athens, this department showcases the rich artistic heritage of classical civilisations, as well as art objects such as jewellery and furniture.
- Islamic Art: See below
In total, the Louvre Museum displays over 400,000 works of art across its 370 rooms, organised around three main galleries:
- The Sully Wing, located in the Cour Carrée, offers an immersive experience in the history of art.
- The Denon Gallery, located in the Galerie des Eaux, offers an overview of different artistic periods and styles.
- The Richelieu Wing, bordering the Rue de Rivoli, formerly housed the Ministry of Finance before its transformation into an exhibition space for exceptional works of art and art objects.
The Louvre Museum’s latest department – Islamic Art Gallery in Aile Visconti
The Visconti wing was designed in 2003 at the initiative of the late President Jacques Chirac.
It was inaugurated on September 22, 2012.
This new wing houses a remarkable collection, unparalleled in the Western world, comprising approximately 18,000 objects spanning several centuries and continents.
Among its treasures are Syrian and Egyptian jewellery, finely carved ivories, exquisite miniatures, 16th- and 17th-century Ottoman ceramics, exceptional carpets and unique textiles, including the Shroud of St. Josse.
The wing also features nearly 4,000 pieces generously donated by the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Museum of Fashion and Textiles. This rich collection offers a comprehensive overview of Islamic civilisation, from Spain to India, from the 7th to the 19th century.
Construction of the ‘Flying Carpet’
However, the creation of the new Islamic art department faced a significant challenge. There was not enough space available in the already overcrowded exhibition halls of the Louvre Museum.
The Cour Visconti (courtyard) was one of the last remaining, available spaces within the museum.
Architects Rudy Ricciotti and Mario Bellini designed this ambitious project, which began in 2009 with major earthworks. Thousands of cubic metres of earth were extracted to lower the courtyard’s level. As the excavation progressed, the museum’s original foundations, located 2.5 metres below the surface, were reinforced to ensure their structural integrity.
Special pumps were installed to manage the water table at a depth of 8 metes, thus allowing the pouring of a waterproof concrete slab to stabilise the bottom of the excavation.
The cavity thus obtained allowed the creation of two underground levels partially lit by mezzanines, and a ground floor. A glass-and-metal structure was anchored in the historic facades overlooking the Visconti Courtyard to preserve their visibility.
This ambitious construction project represented an investment of 100 million euros, demonstrating its scale and complexity. While the French state generously financed 30% of the project, additional contributions came from various sources, notably from the Total and Lafarge groups, which invested 10 million euros.
Prince al-Walid bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, made a substantial donation of 17 million euros through his foundation. Other personalities and nations have also provided their support, each contributing to the realisation of this monumental project.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad on behalf of the State of Kuwait, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Republic of Azerbaijan all played a crucial role in providing the remaining funds needed to build this departmen t which is known as the Flying Carpet because of its undulating roof.
Directions: 1st District
Metro: Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre on Lines 1, 7
Coordinates: Lat 48.860997 – Long 2.336038
