The Louvre's most famous exhibits. Legacy of Leonardo da Vinci

Louvre Museum in Paris, Musée du Louvre, main art showroom on the planet. It receives more than 9 million visitors every year. Even if you never get into this number, you simply must know about some examples of art. In this article we will do something exciting virtual trip through the halls and galleries where the treasures of human civilization are exhibited, so to speak, let's look at them in high resolution.

Of course, no words, photographs or videos can convey the impression that the Louvre paintings have. The main masterpieces, sculpture and paintings “Mona Lisa” and “Madonna of the Rocks” by Leonardo, ancient greek statue The winged Nike in the Hall of Hellas and other creations should be seen by every educated person at least once in their life.

Palace of the Kings and Museum of the Revolution

Ancient castle in Paris. It appeared 900 years ago. Paintings in the Louvre began to be collected already in the 14th century under Charles V, the first of the French kings who became interested in art. In those years, Paris did not yet lay claim to the title of cultural capital of the world. Perestroika in 1526 under King Francis I gave it general outline the kind we see now.

By the way, it was Francis I who became the first owner of the Mona Lisa painting. True, this picture appeared there only in 1793. For common people visiting the halls of the Louvre from this year was made possible by the Great French Revolution. Citizens of the First Republic could walk through the chambers of the kings absolutely free.

Dorsay Museum

The main treasures of the world

List the most famous exhibits very hard. Which are the most famous sculptures Do the Louvre and the names of the paintings immediately come to mind? The list of masterpieces, statues and paintings from the treasury is so huge that it is impossible to even calculate the size of this wealth in monetary terms. After all, it is there that the gold of the pharaohs, the priceless treasures of the East and Ancient Greece are kept.

Expert opinion

Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

Some exhibits, such as the Mona Lisa, simply have no price. When at the beginning of the 20th century an Italian stole “La Gioconda” (he simply patriotically wanted to “return the masterpiece to his homeland” and not profit from money), the French did not even really doubt that she would return - after all, it is impossible to sell something that cannot be shown to anyone.

But there are some sculptures and paintings in the Louvre that are a must-see if you're in Paris.

Greek armless goddesses

Venus de Milo in her specially built gallery will greet visitors on the ground floor. This amazing statue became the main symbol of the ancient world. Found in early XIX century on a Greek island and illegally exported to France (there was even a small fight with the Turkish police, who did not want to release the sculpture from the territory Ottoman Empire), the sculpture amazes with its subtly conveyed beauty human body. Name Venus ( roman name) is not entirely correct. We actually see a statue greek goddess Aphrodite from the island of Milos, created by the mysterious sculptor Alexander, son of Menidas, from the city of Antioch.

Pompidou Center

Venus is not the only armless goddess in the museum. Nike statue is another example famous sculpture in the Louvre. Nika in a flowing dress is deprived not only of her arms, but also of her head. Only the wings remained. Nike of Samothrace settled in the Louvre with mid-19th century. Unlike Venus, the statue was originally found without arms and head.

The Great Leonardo

Expert opinion

Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

The paintings of Leonardo da Vinci are rightfully considered the pinnacle of what a man born of a woman on earth could do with his own hands. Leonardo da Vinci is represented quite widely in these rooms. Without viewing his painting the Mona Lisa, any visit to Paris can be considered a failure. Mona Lisa entered the consciousness of people; this image is familiar to us all from childhood.

Her photos and reproductions from detailed description must be included in all school history textbooks. The Mona Lisa on a canvas darkened by time is the only canvas that has a separate room in the building. The Mona Lisa appeared in the Louvre after the revolution, straight from the royal chambers. Then Napoleon again temporarily moved her to his bedroom in the Tuileries Palace, but after the overthrow of the emperor, “La Gioconda” finally returned to the gallery. The Mona Lisa painting will most likely never leave its room - time is merciless to paints on canvas.

The Mona Lisa in the Louvre sits alongside other great works by the Italian from Florence. There are also works such as:

• "Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ";
• The famous "Madonna of the Rocks";
• "John the Baptist";
• "Beautiful Ferroniere"

Orangerie Museum

5 of the 15 surviving paintings by Leonardo are kept in the main Paris masterpiece repository.

What else is a must-see?

Answering the question of what to see in the Louvre is not at all easy. The museum has more than 6,000 paintings, not counting graphics. If you are interested in drawing, visit Le Cabinet des dessins, a hall of engravings and prints. A famous exhibition at the Louvre is dedicated to the culture of ancient people. Ancient East, Antique, China, Art of Islam, Egypt (the richest collection in the world, 55,000 exhibits), India - it is impossible to list everything that can be seen at the exhibition in a short article.

A year is not enough to explore all the treasures. But what is a must-see? The museum presents the main artists of the Renaissance. Works of the Renaissance include famous paintings and sculptures:

• "Slaves" by Michelangelo;
• "Ship of Fools" by Bosch;
• Remrandt’s famous “Self-Portraits” (“with a hat”, “with a gold chain”);
• “Reconciliation of Marie de Medici with her son” by Rubens;
• "Infanta Maria" by Velazquez;
• "Madonna with the Veil" by Raphael Santi;
• "Madonna and the Rabbit" by Titian;
• "The Death of Mary" by Michelangelo Caravaggio.

"Ship of Fools" by Bosch

In general, if you want to look at medieval Madonnas, welcome to Rivoli Street, 1st arrondissement of the capital of France. As for Vermeer’s famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring” after the film with Scarlett Johansson, it is not in the Louvre. Main exhibition Vermeer in his homeland, Holland. The artist is represented by the paintings “The Lacemaker” and “The Astronomer”, which depicts his friend, the inventor of the microscope Levenguk.

What great masterpieces are kept in the Louvre? How to find them in a huge palace? And what you need to see if you are visiting the museum for the first time. To make your visit to the Louvre as educational as possible, you can. You can purchase tickets to the Louvre in advance using this link

The Louvre is located at the metro station: Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre
Address: Musée du Louvre, 75058 Paris – France
Opening hours: from 9 am to 18:00, until 21:45 on Wednesday and Friday, closed on Tuesday.

Mona Lisa

Undeniably, the main exhibit of the Louvre is Gioconda or Mona Lisa brushes by Leonardo da Vinci. All museum signs lead to this painting. Under this masterpiece former palace Japanese television bought a whole hall, Mona Lisa herself is covered with a thick layer of armor, there are always two guards and crowds of tourists near her. And remember, the Mona Lisa cannot be seen anywhere except the Louvre. The museum management decided to never take the masterpiece outside the palace again. The Mona Lisa is located in the part of the Louvre called Denon in the 7th room of Italian painting.

Venus de Milo

Aphrodite or Venus de Milo no less famous than the previous young lady. Its author is considered to be Agesander of Antioch. The height of the goddess is 164 cm, proportions are 86x69x93. Venus lost her famous hands after her modern discovery in 1820. Then a dispute arose between the French, who discovered the sculpture, and the Turks, who owned the island on which the French discovered it. This is how Aphrodite was left without arms. The Venus de Milo is located in the Sully part in the 16th hall of Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities.

Nika

Another one famous woman – Victoria of Samothrace or, as they usually call it in Russia, Nika. Unlike the previous heroine, the goddess of war lost not only her arms, but also her head. But the confident step and wings, and most importantly the feeling of flight, were preserved. The sculpture is located on the second floor of the Louvre in the Denon section on the stairs in front of the entrance to the gallery of Italian painting and the Apollo Hall.

Prisoner

Another statue, but from the Renaissance - Captive or Dying Slave, by Michelangelo. This is not David, of course. But it deserves no less attention. First floor, part of Denon, 4th hall of Italian sculpture. There you will also find Canova's Cupid and Psyche.

Ramses II

The antiquities in the Louvre do not end there. The next masterpiece is statue of seated Ramses II. Located egyptian pharaoh on the ground floor in the Sully part, Egyptian antiquities, room No. 12. Overall, the Louvre has one of the world's richest collections of Egyptian antiquities. For example, the famous statue of a seated scribe located on the second floor in the Sully part, Egyptian antiquities, room No. 12

Stele of Hammurabi

In addition to Egypt, the Louvre has a wonderful collection of monuments from Mesopotamia. The most famous among them can be considered Stele of Hammurabi, with the world's first written record of a code of laws. It is located on the first floor of the Richelieu wing, in the 3rd hall. In the adjacent halls you will find the famous Khorasabad Court.

French art

From paintings, one of the most famous "Dedication of Emperor Napoleon I" French artist Jacques Louis David. No matter how you feel about Napoleon, pay attention to this work. The painting is in room 75 French painting on the 1st floor of the Denon gallery. There you will also find other famous monumental paintings by another famous French artist, Eugene Delacroix, for example, “Liberty Leading the People” and “The Death of Marat.”

Lacemaker

Masterpiece! "The Lacemaker"- one of the most famous paintings Dutch artist John Vermeer. In general, the Louvre has a small but very high-quality collection Dutch painting. Third floor of the Richelieu gallery, room 38, Holland.

Old Louvre

TO fortifications of the old Louvre Can enter through the Sully entrance, and then to the ground floor. As we already wrote on the website, there used to be a medieval Louvre, after which it was destroyed and a new one was built in its place. The remains of the old palace were later found by archaeologists, and now tourists can also see them. A wonderful sight - this ruined castle!

Napoleon III

I can't help but recommend you visit apartments of the last emperor of France - Napoleon III. As a ruler, he occupied several rooms in the former palace, and his chambers have been perfectly preserved to this day. Several rooms in the Richelieu wing on the second floor. Then you can continue your walk through the halls with the recreated furnishings of the Empire era.

And for a snack:

The Louvre is such a huge museum that you can simply walk past some of the masterpieces without noticing them! In particular, this often happens with masterpieces of Italian painting exhibited in the Gioconda hall, or near it. For example, opposite Gioconda hangs the monumental canvas “Marriage in Canna of Galilee” by Veronese, on either side of her is a masterpiece upon a masterpiece by Tintoretto and Titian. Several paintings by Da Vinci himself hang in the Gallery Italian painting, before reaching Gioconda. In the same gallery you will find Raphael's Madonna and several paintings by Caravaggio.

Enjoy your visit!

We remind you that you can purchase tickets to the Louvre using this link, and in order not to get lost, you can. Or tickets with a Russian audio guide directly on our website.

Enjoy your visit to the Louvre!

Of course, it is simply impossible to see everything in the Louvre. And in the few hours that we were given for the excursion, we only took a look at the most famous highlights of this unique museum.

The Louvre made an impact on me unforgettable impression. But there were moments that impressed me more. Since it is impossible to embrace the immensity, I will focus on what I remember most.

It turns out that the large glass pyramid in the Louvre is not alone, but is surrounded by three smaller ones. Since the project for their construction was proposed by the architect of Chinese origin Yo Ming Pei, he naturally invested in his brainchild symbolic meaning. The large pyramid should connect earth and sky, and all the pyramids seem to personify the main human organs, between which the corridors represent blood vessels. People walk along the corridors of the Louvre, like blood flows through a person's veins.

Entrance to an exhibition dedicated to the history and art of Ancient Macedonia. The inscription reads: “The kingdom of Alexander the Great. Ancient Macedonia". But they didn’t take us there.

And we got straight into the halls dedicated to ancient sculpture.

The first statue we stopped near was “Sleeping Hermaphrodite”.

The subject of the image is not obscene. The sculptor depicted the son of Hermes and Aphrodite. This golden-haired young man of extraordinary beauty, bathing in the waters of the spring, aroused the passionate love of Salmacis, the nymph of this spring, but her plea for reciprocity did not find a response and the inconsolable nymph asked the gods for eternal unity with her beloved. And the gods merged the nymph and Hermaphrodite into one bisexual creature.

"Artemis with a Doe." Since in Greek mythology the animal was considered a companion or assistant of god; Artemis, as the goddess of the hunt, was depicted with a doe.

And now, finally, we come to famous statue Venus de Milo.

The statue was found in 1820 on the island of Melos in the Aegean Sea. Famous marble sculpture made in the late Hellenistic style. Presumably it was created in 150-100 BC by the sculptor Alexander (or Agesander) from Antioch on the Meander.

The peasant Georgeschi found Venus. He wanted to sell his find at a higher price, so he hid it in a barn for a while. There the statues were noticed by the French officer Dumont-D'Urville, who immediately recognized the marble woman as a goddess. But the Frenchman did not have enough money to buy Venus from the peasant. Then he went in search of money. And when he returned, Dumont-D'Urville learned that the statue had already been bought by a certain official from Turkey. Venus was ready to hit the road. Then the officer bought the statue and hurried with it to the ship. But the Turks discovered the loss and rushed after it. In the fight, Venus de Milo lost her hands, which were never found.

But the guide intrigued us: on the one hand, Venus has feminine features, but on the other, look closely – masculine, the torso and even the Adam’s apple is visible.

Another celebrity of the Louvre is the statue of the Nike of Samothrace. This is a marble sculpture of the goddess of victory Nike.

This work of art was found in 1863 on the island of Samothrace by amateur archaeologist Charles Champoiseau. He immediately sent the find to France. Currently this statue has become business card Louvre, its jewel and one of the best exhibits. The Nike of Samothrace is located on the Daru staircase of the Denon gallery.

The author of the statue is considered to be the sculptor Pythocritus, presumably in 190-180 BC. At the time of its creation, it symbolized the victory of the Rhodians over the Syrian flotilla. The inhabitants of the island placed Nike on a rock above the sea on a pedestal in the shape of the bow of a ship. The goddess is depicted moving forward. The head and hands of the statue are missing because they were never found. Nike of Samothrace is considered the standard female beauty.

Leaving the hall of ancient sculptures, we move to the halls of painting.

Our group was already so tired that we literally ended up near the paintings.

I will focus on the more memorable paintings.

We dwelled in more detail on the great artist Jacques Louis David. This is his self-portrait.

Coronation of Emperor Napoleon and Empress Josephine at Notre Dame Cathedral.

“The Oath of the Horatii” 1784 David Jacques Louis.

But one of the most famous works Jacques Louis David's "Portrait of Madame Recamier", painted by him in 1800. The owner of a brilliant Parisian salon, Julie Recamier, ordered her portrait from David. He set to work, but was constantly dissatisfied with the conditions in which he had to write. According to him, either the room was too dark, or the light came from too high point. When he finished, Julie didn’t like the portrait; she thought she was too frivolous and asked the master to finish painting her, for example, a book. But the artist did not agree. The picture remained as is. Julie refused to buy it.

Second famous artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Take a close look, what is intriguing about this picture?

Disproportion in the image. The gaze immediately falls on the woman’s eyes, then creeps lower: chest, arm... And down the arm it goes lower and lower... Such disproportion allows you to create the effect of caress. The painting is called “Portrait of Madame Riviere.”

But, perhaps, one of his famous works is “The Great Odalisque”. In this painting he added three extra vertebrae to the odalisque.

As usual with Ingres, anatomical verisimilitude is subordinated artistic tasks: the odalisque’s right arm is implausibly long, and her left leg is twisted at an anatomically impossible angle. At the same time, the picture gives the impression of harmony: the sharp angle created by the left knee is necessary for the artist to balance the composition built on triangles.

Eugene Delacroix "The Death of Sardanapalus".

The plot of the picture is taken from Byron's poetic drama "Sardanapalus" (1821). According to legend, the last Assyrian king, distinguished by terrible debauchery, brought the country to rebellion. Sardanapal tried to suppress the rebellion, but to no avail. Then he decided to commit suicide, turning his throne into a funeral pyre. Delacroix deliberately replaced the throne with a luxurious bed and somewhat changed Byron's plot. In the painting, Sardanapalus, before committing suicide, orders that his beloved horse and the women from his entourage be killed in front of him, as well as the destruction of all his treasures.

In the Salon catalog, Delacroix noted that the image of Sardanapalus created by him should become a stern warning for all those who do not strive for virtue in their lives. At the same time, contemporaries found that Delacroix’s Sardanapalus looked too calm and did not suffer from remorse at all, but rather enjoyed the bloody performance he had started.

The painting “Freedom on the Barricades” or in other words “Freedom Leading the People” is one of the most famous in museum collection Louvre. The masterpiece belongs to the brush of the French artist Eugene Delacroix. The theme of the painting is the July Revolution of 1830, which marked the end of the Restoration regime of the Bourbon monarchy. The canvas was exhibited to the public in the spring of 1831 at the Paris Salon. The state immediately bought the painting. In the center of the canvas we see a woman who has become a symbol of freedom. On her head is a Phrygian cap, in right hand- the banner of the Republicans is a tricolor, on the left is a gun. The woman's chest is somewhat bare, which was done specifically to show dedication and courage. Around the woman are several armed men in simple clothes. The background of the picture is hidden by the smoke of gunpowder from the shots. Freedom shows the way to the rebels and leads them.

And now, finally, we enter the hall where SHE is!

She is there, in the distance, under the armored glass!

You could say we were lucky, we got to the Louvre almost at closing time, there were fewer people, and we managed to get close to the Mona Lisa calmly, without any jostling.

Naturally, I walked around her on both sides and checked the correctness of the statement; she really looks at you from any point.

The full title of the painting is “Ritratto di Monna Lisa del Giocondo”, which translated from Italian means “Portrait of Mrs. Lisa Giocondo”. On a rectangular canvas, Leonardo depicted a woman with a wandering smile, made using the sfumato technique, dressed in dark clothes. Mona Lisa sits half-turned in a chair. The woman has straight, smooth hair, parted and covered with a transparent veil. It’s interesting that Gioconda’s eyebrows and forehead are shaved. She sits on a balcony or loggia, from where she opens beautiful view to the hills.

Opposite the Mona Lisa is Cagliari Paolo's painting "Marriage at Cana".

Of course, you can’t go around and see everything. In addition, the Louvre has the largest exhibition space in the world, thanks to the fact that all the ancillary and Technical buildings with cash registers were taken underground. But this does not help, and only 5% of the works are put on display, because there is no room for more. Therefore, the halls of the Louvre are constantly updated with paintings from the archives, and the museum can be visited endlessly, enjoying more and more new works.

Worldwide famous museum The Louvre attracts millions of tourists every year. The works of the Louvre are a superbly compiled collection that allows you to trace the entire history of art. There are undeniable masterpieces here that every person who claims to be educated should know and see at least once in his life.

Founding of the Louvre

On August 10, 1793, one of the major museums world - Louvre. The idea of ​​creating a public museum with display arose after french revolution, when it was decided to put the royal valuables on public display. From the day of the revolution, the national government began to confiscate art objects from the aristocracy, and this was the beginning of the museum's collection. Over the course of several years it was collected a large number of valuables, for their exhibition a spacious building was needed, which became

Louvre building

The Louvre's works required a lot of space, and the museum's organizers turned their attention to a large empty palace in the middle of Paris. This building has a long history. The heart of the Louvre is big tower, built back in 1190. Its purpose was purely utilitarian - to monitor the approaching Vikings from above. In 1317, Charles the Fifth made the castle his residence, and the treasury of Paris moved here. Over the years of operation, the old tower fell into disrepair and was demolished, especially since the castle lost its defensive function and became a royal residence. Francis the First entrusted this work to Pierre Lescaut in 1546. He had the task of rebuilding the fortress, making it a real palace. The designer proposes to build a square courtyard, three sides of which are decorated with luxurious apartments, and the fourth is an open exit to the city center. During the architect's lifetime, only the western wing, which today bears his name, was completed. His project was realized by 1555 and became a luxurious example of Renaissance architecture. in 1594, Henry the Fourth decided that it was necessary to connect the Louvre with In 1655-1670, Louis Prevost expanded the palace and quadrupled it. Under Louis XIV, the eastern façade was decorated with a colonnade; it attracted many famous European architects, but in 1682 it lost interest in the project and moved the residence to Versailles. For almost a hundred years, the Louvre has been empty, deteriorating, and even ideas for its demolition are emerging. Louis the Fifteenth thought about creating a museum in the palace; his idea was realized after the revolution.

Under Napoleon the First, the northern facade was rebuilt, and in 1853 the entire Louvre complex was completed. In 1891, the appearance of the palace that we see today took shape. The last significant architectural reconstruction occurred in 1989, when the American architect Yo Ming Pei built a glass pyramid in the courtyard - the main entrance to the museum.

Collections of the Louvre: history and principles of creation

The first works of the Louvre began to be collected under Louis the Fourteenth, who, in the spirit of his time, began to create an art collection. The collection was based on paintings purchased by Francis the First. Louis the Fourteenth buys large collection paintings (200 canvases) from the banker Zhabakh. The king is constantly looking for opportunities to add to his congregation. He increased the fund of the future museum to 2,500 paintings and acquired various objects of art. After the revolution, the museum collection begins to be replenished with confiscated valuables. The funds of the Museum of Sculpture are transferred to the Louvre. During Napoleonic campaigns of conquest, the Louvre's funds were actively replenished from trophies and from archaeological excavations in Egypt and the East. Also, the museum management, having its own funds, is working on the selection and purchase of art objects. The collection is not formed spontaneously; the choice of works is determined artistic value, only masterpieces go to the Louvre. Many significant collectors bequeath their collections to the Louvre. Thus, in 1936, the museum accepted a donation of Baron Edmond Rothschild’s collection of graphics, amounting to more than 45 thousand exhibits. Also great attention is devoted to the formation of a French collection national art. Today there are about 400 exhibits in the Louvre, and the collection continues to grow. Due to the expansion of funds at the end of the 20th century, an active redistribution of works of art between museums in France began. The Louvre limited its collection to the date of 1848, and all later paintings were dispersed into other collections.

Today the museum’s collection is conventionally divided into groups: art Ancient East, Ancient Egypt, ancient world, Islamic art, painting, graphics, decorative and applied arts.

Art of the Ancient World

The majority of the museum's holdings are made up of ancient art objects. Works of the Louvre in the department Ancient art represented by several regions. A huge part of the collection consists of objects found during excavations in Egypt, including the famous figure of Ramses II, the “Sitting Cat” sculpture, sphinxes, sarcophagi, ceramics, jewelry and much more, including wall paintings, bas-reliefs, interior elements. The art of the Ancient East is represented by collections of art objects from the cultures of Mesopotamia, Iran, and the Mediterranean.

Masterpieces of ancient sculpture

The basis of the sculpture collection was the acquisitions of Louis the Fourteenth. Today, the museum's collection contains true masterpieces, such as the Venus de Milo, a sculpture that attracts many visitors. Often tourists come to the Louvre precisely to see this masterpiece. Another significant work from antiquity is the sculpture “Nike of Samothrace,” which was found and brought to Paris by the French archaeologist Champoiseau. Roman period represented a huge amount statues, bas-reliefs, pedestals. The courtyard of ancient sculpture in the Louvre, flooded with sunshine through the glass roof, allows you to immerse yourself in a world of harmony and perfection.

Legacy of Leonardo da Vinci

The Mona Lisa painting is of particular interest to tourists and art lovers. Many people come to the museum solely to see her mysterious smile. But besides this, the Louvre can be proud of four more works by the great master. No less significant, but slightly less famous is the work “Madonna of the Rocks”. This work, created in the 1580s, has been in the royal collection since 1625. It is distinguished by an excellently depicted landscape behind the characters; here the author tries out those techniques that he would later fully apply when writing La Gioconda. “Madonna of the Rocks” is the first version of the work on this subject, the second version is in London Museum. The Louvre is also rightfully proud of such works as “Portrait of a Young Woman”, “Madonna and Child and St. Anna" and "John the Baptist".

Masterpieces of world classics

The Louvre is one of them, and its glory, of course, lies in its masterpieces on a planetary scale. These include, first of all, the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci, but also here you can see the epoch-making work of Theodore Gericault “The Raft of Medusa”, several works by Jacques David, in particular, “The Coronation of Napoleon”. The rare work by I. Bosch “Ship of Fools” is also the pearl of the museum’s collection. The Louvre is the proud owner of paintings by S. Botticelli, Raphael Santi, H. Memling, A. Durer and many other authors. In the sculpture department, the undoubted hits are two works by Michelangelo: “The Dying Slave” and “The Rising Slave.”

French art

The collection of national art in the Louvre represents all periods and types of creativity. The collection contains many masterpieces, including, for example, Eugene Delacroix’s painting “Liberty Leading the People.” It accurately conveys the mood that reigned in the country during the Revolution. She became a symbol of the Republic. The country's plastic art is represented, among other things, by the figure of a Greek athlete made of marble. “Milon of Croton with a Lion” is a significant work by the French sculptor Pierre Puget in the style of ancient masters. The work amazes with its expressiveness and power of emotions. "Milon of Croton with the Lion" shows a scene of incredible human suffering, the strength of the athlete and his spirit.

Graphic arts

The graphic collection of the Louvre contains more than 130 thousand exhibits. These halls are mostly not visited by tourists; true connoisseurs of beauty come here. After all, the Louvre collection contains many books, drawings, and prints. best authors peace. Including drawings by H. Rembrandt, J. Chardin, E. Delacroix.

Arts and crafts

The museum is especially proud of its collection of decorative and applied arts. Furnishings, decorations, costumes, utensils different eras presented in several halls of the Louvre. First of all, the apartments of Napoleon III attract attention. Here is the complete furnishing and decoration of the state room in the style of Louis the Fourteenth and Fifteenth. Here you can see luxurious furniture, dishes, and interior items. But the museum also owns excellent examples of weapons and jewelry from the time of the Restoration and the reign of Napoleon the First. Of great interest is the collection of utensils, decorative items and jewelry from the Gothic, Baroque, Italian and French Renaissance. The collection of furniture in the Louvre is one of the best in the world.

What to see

To see all the exhibits of the Louvre, even a few months are not enough, and if you examine carefully, even several years. But, when it is not possible to devote so much time to the museum, you need to think through the route and answer the question: what can’t be missed? There is a developed tour of the Louvre that will allow you to see the most important things. For tourists in a hurry, the main masterpieces in the museum are located in the first halls at the entrance, and there are special signs so as not to get lost. But some works worthy of attention are placed in the appropriate sections, for example, Eugene Delacroix’s painting “Liberty Leading the People” is in the collection French art. Therefore, you need to navigate the museum map and find the right room. Schemes are given out at the entrance free of charge in several languages, including Russian.

In order not to get lost in the vast space and see the most important thing, you can use a special list of the main masterpieces, which include: the statue “Venus de Milo”, the sculpture of antiquity - “Nike of Samothrace”, the paintings “The Great Odalisque” by J. Ingres and “The Lacemaker” by J. Vermeer, works by Leonardo da Vinci, statue of Ramses II.

The legendary Mona Lisa breaks all records among famous paintings Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre. This is the main goal of many tourists, so there are always a lot of people near it. Some see in her unearthly beauty, others are a challenge to society, others are the secret messages of the author. There are a great many interpretations of the mysterious half-smile, the magical look of the Mona Lisa. It was painted in 1503, and came to the Louvre in 1793. Now, except for the Louvre, you can’t see the original of Mona Lisa anywhere. Since the painting is not in very good condition, the museum management decided not to transfer it to other exhibitions.

The ancient ideal of female beauty is represented by the statue of Venus de Milo. It was created around 120 BC. by an unknown sculptor on the islands of the azure Aegean Sea. There are several versions of why the statue is without arms - either they were knocked off during transportation from Turkey to France, or they were already missing long before the statue was found.

• Jacques Louis David "The Coronation of Napoleon"

Painting famous representative neoclassicism looks even more realistic than what actually happened. It was painted by order of Emperor Napoleon I, who wanted to add his mother to the very center of the canvas, make Queen Josephine younger, and make himself a little taller. Otherwise, “The Coronation of Napoleon” fully reflects the event of 1804, which took place in the hall of Notre Dame Cathedral.

• Michelangelo "Slaves"

Two sculptures by Michelangelo, decorating the galleries of the Louvre, seem to be opposed to each other: “The Rebellious Slave” and “The Dying Slave”, willpower and complete lack of will, the desire for life and the desire for death. The sculptures were created in 1513-19. as a decoration for the tomb of Pope Julius II.

• Jan Vermeer "The Lacemaker"

Vermeer, who lived in XVII century, clearly used optics when creating his paintings, achieving effects similar to modern photographs. In The Lacemaker you can see the blurred foreground and depth of field achieved by rendering out-of-focus elements of the canvas. This partly explains the realism of the image.

• Statue of seated Ramses II

Another must-see in the Louvre is the ancient Egyptian statue of Pharaoh Ramses II - one of the most significant in the history of the ancient state. The statue is located in the Sully wing on the first floor of the museum, and looks very majestic, like dozens of other exhibits from the Ancient Egypt section.

Raphael's passion for the image of the Virgin Mary in a positive way reflected in the collection of the Louvre. One of the most famous works presented in the Paris museum is the Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist. This is one of the works from the collection of Francis I, which came to the Louvre at the dawn of its formation as a museum.

The statue of the freedom-loving goddess of victory Nike is made of marble. Its estimated age is about 4 thousand years. During this time, the goddess lost her arms, head and one wing. And if the second wing was restored from plaster in the likeness of the first, then the goddess was not lucky with the rest of the body. However, even in this form it attracts the attention of thousands of tourists.

• Theodore Gericault "The Raft of the Medusa"

At one time, the painting caused a lot of indignation only because the artist depicted in it not a religious or heroic plot, but a realistic struggle of a person with the elements. It is based on the events of 1816, when a terrible tragedy struck the ship “Medusa” off the coast of Senegal. The struggle for life and mortal pain, hope and complete despair are combined in this work.

• Antonio Canova "Cupid and Psyche"

These masterpiece attractions of the Louvre are completed by a romantic sculpture with the motif of the “sleeping beauty” - the awakening of the goddess Psyche from the sweet kiss of winged Cupid. There are two different versions this sculpture. The first, earlier one is kept in the halls of the Louvre, and the second is in the Hermitage. The sculpture by the great Antonio Canova was donated to the museum in 1800, and has since decorated one of the halls in the sculpture section.

What masterpieces of the Paris Louvre did you like?