The Louvre In Paris
The Louvre, originally a palace but now one of the largest and most visited museums in the world, is a must-visit for anybody with a slight interest in art. Some of the museum’s most famous works of art are the Mona Lisa and the Venus of Milo.
Originally a royal palace, the Louvre turned into a public museum at the end of the 18th century. It is located in the initial arrondissement, at the heart of Paris.
There are approximately 35.000 objects on display, spread evenly over 3 wings of the previous palace. The museum has a wide-ranging collection ranging from the antiquity up to the mid 19th century. An enormous part of the collection is composed of european paintings and sculptures. Other rooms contain Roman, Egyptian, Greek and Oriental art. There is also a section with ‘Objects d’Art’, where objects like clocks, furniture, china and tapestries are displayed.
Some of the most famous works of art in the museum are the Venus of Milo, the Nike of Samothrake, the Dying Slave by Michelangelo and naturally Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
The Louvre was made in several phases. Originally built as a 12th century fortress, it was converted into a royal palace in the 14th century.
Its current appearance goes back to the 15th century, when the original fortress was demolished and the wing along the Seine brook was built. The palace was extended in the 16th century by designer Pierre Lescot, who expanded the palace into a complex with two yards. 10 years later Catharina de Medici added the Tuileries palace to the west of the Louvre. Construction on the Louvre was halted for some time when king Louis XIV decided to move to the Versailles Palace.
In the 19th century, in the Second Empire, the Louvre was expanded again with the addition of the Richelieu wing.
The Louvre now had four symmetric wings surrounding a large yard. This wouldn’t last long, as the Communards burned the Tuileries palace in 1871, opening up the west side of the palace. The Tuileries and Carrousel gardens form a pleasant, leafy setting for the Louvre palace. Adelight at any season of the year, they supply the ideal place for a chilled ramble and offer a range of activities for visitors of every age.
The collection of the Louvre Museum was first established in the 16th century by King Francis I. One of the works of art he bought was the now famous Mona Lisa painting. The collection grew continuously thanks to donations and purchases by the kings. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the non-public royal collection opened to the general public.
The most recent addition to the Louvre was the construction of the glass pyramid, which functions as the museum’s main entrance. The pyramid was built in 1989 by the famous Yankee architect I.M. Pei. The glass pyramid permits the daylight to come in on the underground floor.
The modern addition originally received mixed reviews, as it contrasts sharply with the classical design of the encompassing buildings, but today it is generally accepted as a clever solution which has given the museum a spacious central entrance without the need to touch the significant patrimony.
Post a comment