Louvre Museum of art. Museum entrance

The Louvre (Louvre) in Paris is an architectural monument and the richest museum, which is unmatched in terms of the variety and completeness of collections, their artistic and historical value.

Initially, the Louvre is a royal palace (1546-19th century, architects P. Lesko, Levo, C. Perrot and others; sculptural decoration by J. Goujon, interior decoration by C. Lebrun, etc.), built on the site of the castle.

Where the name Louvre came from - Louvre - is not entirely clear. The most famous version boils down to the fact that the name is related to the word "Loup" - "Wolf". As if there were kept and bred special dogs for hunting wolves - the Louvre. Other researchers use for comparison the ancient Saxon word "Lower" - "Fortress". In addition, the XII century texts mention the Louvre village - Louvres, located north of the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, so this name was not rare or unusual.

King Philip Augustus, a worthy opponent of the famous English king Richard the Lionheart, was a major fortifier. During his reign, many fortresses were built in France on the model of the capital. The Parisian castle had a square layout, there was a tower at each corner, and a powerful citadel, thirty meters high, rose in the center. The walls were surrounded by a moat. The citadel served at the same time as the main fortification of the fortress, an arsenal, a safe where the main values ​​of the kingdom were kept, an archive where documents were jealously preserved, a prison for important prisoners. By the way, both documents and prisoners could be equated to values ​​- for them it was possible to get a considerable price ...

And Philip II himself still lived in the royal palace on the islet of Site. The Louvre became the royal residence later. The capital was expanding. At the beginning of the XIII century, one hundred and twenty thousand people lived in it, there were three hundred streets, the main of which were paved.

In the middle of the XIV century, King Charles V ordered to surround Paris with a new fortress wall, and the Louvre completely lost its importance in the city's defense system. The crown bearer himself moved there and moved his famous library. A special library tower has appeared. It contained a thousand handwritten books collected by the king, whom his contemporaries called the Wise. This collection later became the basis of the National Library of France. Charles V the Wise strove to give a residential and cozy look to the gloomy brainchild of Philip Augustus. New wings of the palace were added, graceful gabled roofs and flagpoles rose above the heavy battle towers.

But desolation settled here again - after the death of Charles V, and the castle stood abandoned for half a century. The kings and the court preferred the Parisian palaces of Saint-Paul and Tournelle, or the cozy castles in the Loire Valley. Tour, the current center of the Indre-et-Loire departments, could in those years really snatch the palm from Paris and win the fight for the right to become the capital of France

Next important date in the history of the Louvre - 1527. King Francis I, in a desperate situation, was looking for a way to replenish the empty treasury and found it: he decided to take an indemnity from the Parisians. But to sweeten the pill, the king decided to flatter the vanity of the townspeople. He announced that he did not see another capital for beautiful France and returned to live in Paris.

Work has begun at the Louvre. The citadel was demolished, as was the outer fortress wall - a garden was laid out in its place. However, only twenty years later, Francis I gave the order to start building a new palace on the site of the demolished fortress. Further history The Louvre can - if you wish - be reduced to under which king which architect built what, what rebuilt and what was demolished. Every monarch did this without fail, and at least this made it into the history of France. The Great French Revolution, for example, really turned out to be a revolution for the Louvre - it was she who turned it into a museum. The Jacobins decided to set up a "Central Museum of Arts" here. And during the years of the revolution and the Napoleonic wars, the Louvre collection grew rapidly due to requisitions from aristocrats and confiscations during military campaigns abroad ... This is how the course of history replenished the museum's funds! The museum's collections were "prettier", which could not be said about the neighborhood adjacent to the Louvre, which has become a famous Parisian nest of crime and poverty. "Anyone, even if he comes to Paris for a few days, will notice the rickety facades of dozens of houses, the discouraged owners of which do not make any repairs. These buildings remain from the old quarter, which is gradually collapsing ..." - this is how Balzac described this quarter in the novel "Cousin Betta". A couple of years have passed since the publication of the book - and by order of Emperor Napoleon III, the "junk" was demolished, the quarter was completely destroyed, and in its place was located a new central courtyard of the Louvre - "Napoleon's courtyard". It was this courtyard free of buildings that was excavated by archaeologists in the last quarter of the twentieth century, and it turned out that the circle was closed. The "youngest" part of the Louvre ensemble turned out to be just above the oldest - above the foundation of that "ordinary medieval castle".

It must be admitted that the irrepressible "builders of the Louvre" did not stop. After the excavations, the site of the "Napoleon's court" was occupied by a very extravagant modern administrative building museum, and this is hardly the last extension to the palace.

In 1563, the widow of Henry II, Catherine de Medici, commissioned Philip Delorme to build a new palace. It became known as the Tuileries, as it was located on the site of a former tile factory (tuilerie). In 1871, the Tuileries Palace burned down and was never rebuilt. Under Henry IV (reigned 1589-1610), a master plan was drawn up, as a result of which the total area of ​​the Louvre increased by 4 times. Between the Louvre and the Tuileries in 1608, a gallery (420 m long) was erected along the banks of the Seine, which was named the Grand Gallery. It became the basis of the future museum, since it was assumed that the royal collections would be located here.

In the second half of the 17th century. at the Louvre, large-scale works were undertaken with the aim of bringing the appearance of the palace closer to the architecture of the Baroque era. For this, one of the main creators of this style, L. Bernini, was invited to Paris from Rome. However, the project proposed by him was considered too pompous. The work was entrusted to French architects. C. Perrot (1613-1688) built the famous eastern colonnade in the style of classicism, which was preferred in France. P. Levo (1612-1670) created a number of interiors, incl. Hall of Augustus, designed to house the royal collections antique statues, weapons, medals. After a fire in 1661, Leveaux recreated the Apollo Gallery, the decoration and painting of which was carried out by Charles Lebrun. According to his drawings, picturesque panels for plafonds, wall cladding, reliefs, even locks and handles - everything, down to the smallest details, were executed.

In 1674, Louis XIV decided to make Versailles his residence. Work at the Louvre was suspended, many of the premises remained unfinished for a long time.

Due to the fact that the Louvre has lost its significance as a royal residence, various institutions gradually began to occupy it. Here premises were allocated for the workshops of artists and for lodgers. In the Louvre lived the furniture maker Boule, the famous decorator Beren, the sculptor Giradon, who placed his own collection in the Louvre, which even contained an Egyptian mummy.

Louvre is a familiar and frequent word in conversation. But what lies beneath it? It seems to be some kind of museum ... But what kind of museum is it, what objects and works of art is it remarkable, how much we visit and why?

If you are interested in the interpretation of the word "Louvre", its correct spelling, as well as many others important aspects the words. Want to know where the Louvre is located? Read this article and everything will become clear!

What is the meaning of the word "Louvre"

The study of any word begins with identifying what it means. That is, what object, phenomenon, sign, action, etc., should be understood when someone in a conversation says exactly that.

However, before figuring out where, in what country the Louvre is located, let's figure out what a correct spelling looks like of this word: with a lowercase (small) letter or uppercase (capital).

How to spell the word "Louvre" correctly

In Russian, all nouns are subdivided into proper and common nouns. The former mean names, nicknames, the names of cities, countries, etc. The latter are general categories whole group objects with similar features.

Words of the first category are written with capital letter, the second - with a small one. Proceeding from the fact that the Louvre is called the most amazing museum, that is, the word "Louvre" is a name, and therefore a proper name, it is written with a capital letter "L."

What is the Louvre Museum

The answer to the question “where is the Louvre” worries those who are interested in objects of art, which in this museum are. But it is impossible for those who have not been to this place to understand such zeal of their compatriots. And they just can't figure out what is so remarkable about this museum that so many people from completely different countries speaking different languages ​​strive to get into it.

Therefore, the next important point, which we will highlight in this article, will be the answer to the question "what is the Louvre."

So, the building where the Louvre is currently located was originally designed as a palace. Kings lived in it in ancient times! That is why visitors to the museum will be able to get in touch with the past, to feel themselves involved in that magical, intriguing life of rich and great people.

Louvre as one of the oldest monuments of architecture

The Louvre is one of the most popular museums modernity. If you count all the visitors that visit it in a year, the figure will turn out to be very impressive - about a million people. And this is a lot! What other museum is so popular?

The area of ​​the museum where the Louvre is located (in which city, we will find out later) is simply huge. More than one hundred and fifty square meters, of which almost sixty are used to accommodate all kinds of objects and works of art.

If the readers of this article want to see the amazing museum with their own eyes, as well as all the splendor that surrounds it, they will need to go to the marvelous city of Paris, which is the main city - the capital of France. After all, it is there, on the right side of the Seine River, that the famous Louvre is located.

The building where the Louvre is located (in which city and country it is located above) is a reflection of fashion, style different eras and the kings who lived within the walls of the residence and equipped it both inside and outside. Therefore, the Louvre - historical monument, absorbing and combining the history of France itself.

But the Louvre is not only a monument, first of all it is a unique museum. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the collections presented in it seem to be universal. That is, they cover almost the whole world, as well as the peculiarities of the development of culture, mores, preferences, styles, etc., in every corner of the planet.

The city where the Louvre is located

What city should you definitely see before our lives are over? One of catch phrases sounds like this: "See Paris and die!" And this is really so, because the capital of France is a city that deserves attention. Why?

Firstly, Paris is extremely rich in various monuments, museums, architectural structures and many other historically important subjects and objects. Like, for example, the Eiffel Tower, to which millions of lovers come every year to confess to each other eternal love or make a romantic proposal.

In addition, remember that we wrote a little above, where, in which city is the Louvre? We offer the photo below as a guide.

And the correct answer ... Of course, Paris.

Secondly, it is truly the most stylish, elegant and fashionable capital of Europe. Tourists and travelers flock to it to admire the beauty of boulevards, streets, alleys, as if breathing history and some enchanting charm of peace and quiet.

And, thirdly, remember the amazing structure, built by order of Napoleon Bonaparte in order to perpetuate his victories. This is the famous Triumphal Arch? Where is?

The Louvre and the nineteen-meter monument are located nearby. Therefore, museum visitors will certainly see this masterpiece. architectural art... Designed by architects Pierre Fontaine and Charles Persier.

Initially, the quadriga of St. Mark was placed as a crown on the arch, which Napoleon brought from Venice as a trophy to France. However, after the fall of Napoleon, it had to be returned to its homeland, and the French arch was decorated with a composition symbolizing the triumph of the Bourbon dynasty.

What art objects can be seen in the Louvre

As mentioned earlier, the museum houses the richest collections of paintings and sculptures. different directions, countries, cultures, artists. It is in this museum that you can see the works of such amazing artists as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. Speaking of which, where do you think Mona Lisa is?

At the Louvre! Yes, a masterpiece picture, the history of which is shrouded in secrets and mysteries, has been hanging for many years in one of the halls of a huge museum. Thoroughly guarded from thieves, but visible to anyone.

What is shown in the picture

Surely few people have not heard about the unusual picture that came out from under the brush greatest artist of all times of Leonardo da Vinci. He wrote it at the very beginning of the far sixteenth century, but over the years, the picture has not lost its relevance and has not lost its value, remaining loved and discussed by a new and new generation of both connoisseurs of painting and art, and amateurs, and even ordinary people, a little understanding in this creative field.

The title of the picture is twofold: a portrait of Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda. It depicts a girl with long black hair, captivating eyes and a bewitching smile. Almost from the very first moment when the famous painting appeared to the world, it haunts people.

Louvre, where is unusual picture, in many respects it is thanks to her that it is the most popular and most visited museum of our time.

What is the mystery of Mona Lisa and why the picture attracts people so much

Mona Lisa is notable for many aspects. One of them is the story that Leonardo da Vinci painted a picture for four whole years, he never managed to finish it. He seemed to be drawn to the wondrous face of the girl on the canvas, he wrote, wrote, but could not reach desired result, again and again returning to the picture. His condition was akin to an illness, but the artist could not help himself.

In addition, connoisseurs of art to this day are trying to find an answer to the question "who is depicted on famous painting? " The most daring and even exotic assumptions are as follows:

1. The canvas depicts Leonardo da Vinci himself, that is, La Gioconda is his self-portrait.
2. Or his student, who most likely was the artist's lover and, dressing in women's clothes, posed for him.

Reproductions, albeit very good, do not allow to fully examine and analyze the picture, and therefore it is wiser for inquisitive people to go to the city where the Louvre is located. In which direction to go has already been said, so let's pay attention to the following two secrets that keep the famous Mona Lisa.

Scientists, knowing about the tendency and peculiar craving and love of the great artist for all kinds of riddles, jokes, puzzles, suggest that a certain code or secret is hidden in the picture. However, no matter how hard they struggle to solve it, the result remains the same - mysterious girl"Is silent."

People who are not initiated into the mysteries of art and painting are very interested in the unusual look of Mona Lisa. After all, this picture is entertaining in that, no matter which side of it one is, at whatever angle one looks into the eyes of a black-haired beauty, it never “looks away”, as if pursuing its visitor.

How the Louvre began

The legendary museum, which is now considered an architectural monument, whose history is closely intertwined with the history of the country where the Louvre is located, was built in the period from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. One of its first buildings was built during the reign of Philip-Augustus. Which, before leaving for the Crusade, decided to strengthen his capital to protect against possible raids, attacks and devastation.

As a result, a fortress wall and the Louvre fortress were erected around Paris, where the Louvre Museum is located, which protected the city from the west.

Further, under Charles VI, who was the first of the kings to decide to make his residence out of the fortress, the fortress walls were rebuilt, modified in such a way that the Louvre fortress, which was later rebuilt into a palace by the order of the king, was inside the walls.

The heyday of the royal residence falls on the reign of Francis I, who decided to make his palace in the Renaissance style. Entrusting the work to the architect Pierre Lescaut.

In the future, the Louvre was rebuilt and expanded, subsequent rulers brought a new touch to the exterior of the fortress, reflecting the fashionable trends of the architecture and art of their time in it.

How did the name of the fortress come about, which first became the residence of kings, and then a museum

So, thanks to research, we know the city where the Louvre is located. And this is amazing and romantic Paris, which is located in France. However, for people who do not know the language of this country, it is difficult to understand why the fortress, which grew to the whole residence of the French kings, and subsequently became greatest museum and an architectural monument, received such a strange name.

Several centuries have passed since the construction of the first building of the residence, and therefore a large amount of information has not reached our days. Nevertheless, the history of France has retained two versions of why, after all, the fortress received the name we are now used to.

So, according to the first source, the word "Louvre" in the old French denotes a watchtower. Thus, the name fully reflects the purpose and purpose of the construction of the fortress.

The second version explains the name of the residence of the French kings by the fact that the fortress was built on the site where the royal hunting castle was located and subsequently collapsed, which was located in the middle of a forest called "wolf".

How the seat of kings became a museum

So, we found out where, in which country the Louvre is located, and also why this fortress received such a name. But we have not touched on one more important point in the history and development of the museum. Namely, its occurrence.

To do this, let's go back to 1793, because it was then that the revolutionary government made a decision to create a museum in the residence. Although the implementation of this idea was still thought of Louis XVI... Who even created a special commission that made an inventory of all the items that were part of the royal art collection. It began to collect even Francis I, and significantly supplemented by Henry IV.

In addition to royal art objects, the collection of the museum was also supplemented by works of artistic value taken from the church and representatives of the aristocracy. And then the trophies that Napoleon Bonaparte confiscated as trophies.

However, some of the stolen objects and works of art had to be returned. But the Louvre Museum (where is it? In Paris!) Did not close, continuing to collect and replenish its collection, gradually becoming the richest museum of our time.

How to navigate the territory of the museum

In order not to get confused and not get lost in the vast territory of the Louvre, it is important to read the following plan internal structure French Museum.

So, the theater, as you know, begins with a coat rack, and the Louvre begins with a glass pyramid. After all, it is through it that the main entrance to the territory of the museum is carried out. Entering it, the tourist finds himself in a spacious hall where there are a wardrobe and cash desks, as well as several souvenir and grocery stores.

During a special influx of tourists in this room, huge queues line up from those who want to get into the museum and see with their own eyes all its splendor. Therefore, it is wiser to buy tickets in advance. For such visitors, the museum has an additional entrance. And this is great, because sometimes, to wait for your turn, you have to spend an extra few hours.

The Louvre itself is divided into three wings: Denon, Sully and Richelieu. Each of them can be accessed through the main entrance, located under the already familiar pyramid. Tourists who came to the Louvre for the sake of the famous and mysterious Mona Lisa, you should head to the part called the Denon wing. After all, the picture is located there.

In general, it is best to have a map when visiting the Louvre, which will help you navigate the area.

No other museum in the world can match the popularity of the Louvre, which is visited by about 10 million people annually. First of all, visitors tend to see the mysterious "La Gioconda", the legendary standard of antique beauty - Venus de Milo and the marble figure of the goddess of victory Nika of Samothrace. But if you can calmly stand up at the sculptures and immerse yourself in contemplation, then with the original portrait of Mona Lisa it is impossible to do this. To get to the security fence, you have to squeeze through the crowd of tourists taking selfies. A small canvas (size - 77 × 53 cm) is placed under bullet-proof glass that gives reflections, so it will be problematic to see the features from a distance of several meters. Those who expected to experience aesthetic delight will be inevitably disappointed. However, in the Louvre there are other paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, and they can be viewed up close: "Madonna in the grotto", "Annunciation", "Beautiful Ferroniera", "John the Baptist", "Bacchus", "St. Anne with Madonna and Child Jesus" ...

Louvre tickets

The museum is open every day, except Tuesday, from 9:00 to 18:00, on Wednesday and Friday until 21:45. Days off - January 1, May 1 and December 25. The ticket price is 15 €. Persons under the age of 18 are admitted free of charge. From October to March, on the first Sunday of the month, access to the permanent collections becomes free for everyone, as on July 14, Bastille Day.

You can book a ticket on the Louvre's official website. When buying at the box office, payment is accepted both in cash and by bank cards. The ticket is valid throughout the day, if necessary, you can leave the palace and return again.

Entrances to the Louvre:

• through the pyramid (main entrance);
• next to the Carousel arch;
• through the Lion's Gate - to the right wing of the museum;
• from the street Rivoli - 93 rue de Rivoli - to the left wing;
• through the underground entrance of the Carrousel du Louvre shopping center - 99 rue de Rivoli;
• from the Palais Royal Musee du Louvre metro station.

Louvre tickets with audio guide

Louvre paintings

The pride of the Louvre is a collection of paintings, which includes over 6,000 paintings created by European artists from the end of the 13th century to 1848 (later works were moved to the Museum d'Orsay). The works of painters from France and Northern Europe are exhibited in the Richelieu wing and the Cour Carrée, while the works of Spanish and Italian craftsmen presented on the ground floor in the Denon Gallery.

The monumental canvases "The Coronation of Napoleon", "The Oath of the Horatii" and "The Death of Marat" are eye-catching. Jacques-Louis David.

The plot depicted on the canvas "The Raft of Medusa" Theodore Gericault, lay down real tragic events: after the shipwreck, only a few members of the crew of the naval frigate managed to survive.

"Freedom leading the people" Eugene Delacroix considered a key milestone between the Enlightenment and Romanticism. The political and allegorical work celebrates the heroes who fought on the barricades. The painting was painted in 1831 by order of Louis-Philippe, who ascended the throne as king French people and made the tricolor the national flag of the country.

The idea of fine arts northern Europe give "The Lacemaker" and "Astronomer" Jan Vermeer, "A tree with crows" Caspar David Friedrich.

The Venetian school of the 16th century is represented by paintings Titian"Country Concert", "Entombment", "Woman at the Toilet" and "Crowning with Thorns".

Visitors freeze for a long time at the creations of the Renaissance, among which the works stand out Raphael"Madonna with a Veil", "Archangel Michael", "Saint George, Conquering the Dragon", "The Beautiful Gardener".

To the flowering of creativity Botticelli, when the artist worked at the court of the powerful Medici dynasty, include "Madonna and Child with John the Baptist" and "Portrait of a Young Man."

No less interesting is the painting "Saint Louis, King of France, and a Page" by El Greco, which art critics call the symbol of the Spanish Renaissance.

Caravaggio as the founder of realism in painting and one of the greatest masters of the baroque is represented by The Fortune Teller and The Death of Mary.

An extensive collection of paintings Rembrandt The Louvre is indebted to Louis XIV. After the death of the great Dutchman, the "Sun King" ordered the purchase of all his paintings. Among the masterpieces - "Self-portrait with a golden chain", "Dinner at Emmaus", "Bathing Bathsheba", "Skinned Bull".

A series of paintings describing the life of Marie de Medici was commissioned by the Flemish Rubens by the Queen Regent of France herself.

Pictures are transferred to the gloomy atmosphere of the Middle Ages and apocalyptic ideas Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

German artist Albrecht Durer Captured himself at the age of 22, having provided a self-portrait with the inscription "My affairs are determined from above."

Louvre scheme

In the 12th century, Philip II built a fortress to defend against Viking raids. The etymology of the word "Louvre" still remains a mystery to researchers. According to one version, the watchtower was called so in the Franks' language. The building was rebuilt several times, invariably remaining the main residence of the monarchs. In 1674, Louis XIV transferred the court to Versailles. After the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed the use of the Louvre as a museum, and on August 10, 1793, the palace opened to the general public. Most of the works on display were confiscated church and royal values.

Currently, the museum complex is located on 5 levels in 3 communicating wings, named after prominent figures France: Sully (Sully) - the central part, Richelieu (Richelieu) - the left wing, Denon (Denon) - the right.

On the Louvre map (freely available at the box office and at each of the entrances) different colors thematic halls and transitions between them are indicated.

The latest architectural innovation is the main entrance in the form of a glass pyramid, which is also the dome of the underground vestibule, surrounded by fountains and smaller pyramidal structures. The author of the project is an American architect Chinese origin Yo Ming Pei. The construction caused a lot of controversy, but it quickly became recognizable symbol Louvre.

Museum collections

The museum fund has more than 400 thousand copies, of which only a tenth is exhibited in the halls, and the rest are kept in storerooms. If someone decided to inspect all the exhibits at once and spend a minute on each one, it would take about a year. And even a cursory acquaintance with the main masterpieces of world art will take at least a day.

Ancient Egypt

In 2001, the film "Belphegor - the Ghost of the Louvre" was released, after which the attendance of the halls with Egyptian antiquities increased dramatically. The exposition, which occupies more than 20 rooms, houses artifacts of the Nile civilizations dating from the 4th century BC. NS. to IV century AD e., as well as household items and works of art of the Roman, Ptolemaic and Byzantine periods. The collection includes statues of sphinxes, papyri, sarcophagi, Jewelry, musical instruments and weapons. The sections of the New Kingdom and Coptic Egypt are especially rich in exhibits.

Notable objects noted in all guidebooks are the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, the head of King Jedefre, the "Seated Scribe" and a knife from Gebel el-Arak dating from 3400 BC. NS. The stone monument made of black diorite is a stele with the Hammurabi codex. The Legislative Code of Babylon is considered the first legal document in the history of mankind.

The department was created in 1826 by decree of Charles X, and the first caretaker was Jean-Francois Champollion, who was able to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs on the Rosetta stone. The military campaign of Napoleon Bonaparte in Egypt, thanks to which the Louvre collection has grown significantly, was not entirely ordinary. In addition to soldiers and officers, the expedition included astronomers, mathematicians, chemists, mineralogists, historians and other scientists who laid the foundations of Egyptology.

Near East

The legacy of ancient Middle Eastern civilizations is subdivided into three geographic regions: the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Iran (Persia). The collection was formed thanks to archaeological site... The age of some of the finds is 7 thousand years BC. Showcases display examples of Sumerian cuneiform writing.

Greece, Etruria and Rome

Items brought from the countries of the Mediterranean basin belong to the time period from the Neolithic to the 6th century AD. NS. The exhibitions cover the antique period up to the decline of the Roman Empire.

Islamic art

The halls display glass, ceramics, metal, wood and ivory products, as well as carpets, fabrics and miniatures.

Sculptures

Among the most valuable exhibits of the Louvre are two sculptures by Michelangelo: the famous "Risen Slave" and "Dying Slave". They were created in the period from 1513 to 1519 for the tombstone of Pope Julius II, but were never included in the final version of the tomb. "Cupid and Psyche" by Antonio Canova belongs to the neoclassical works. Romanesque works - "Daniel in the Lion's Cave" of the 11th century and "The Virgin of Auvergne" of the 12th century, bas-reliefs by Jean Goujon, "Descent from the Cross" and "Resurrection of Christ" by Germain Pilon.

Applied arts

Works from the Middle Ages to mid XIX century can be seen on the first floor of the Richelieu wing in the Gallery of Apollo. Of particular interest are the Sevres vases of Madame de Pompadour and the rooms of Napoleon III.

Drawings and prints

The collection is divided into three sections: the King's Cabinet, 14,000 copper plates, and Edmond de Rothschild's donations, which include 40,000 prints, 3,000 drawings and 5,000 illustrated books. The collection is exhibited in the Flora pavilion.

Service

In the hall under the pyramid there are cash desks, a wardrobe, storage rooms, kiosks with souvenir and book products.

For those who cannot use escalators or stairs, a special elevator is provided.

All bags are subject to scanning by a scanner, just like at the airport.

Renting an audio guide costs 5 (there is no Russian version), payment is made at the ticket office, receipt - at the 1st level.

The Louvre has a bakery Paul, a tea parlor with a terrace Angelina, a traditional French restaurant Bistrot Benoit, cafes and eateries (including takeaways), McDonald's and a Starbucks coffee shop.

Folding chairs, baby carriages, walking sticks, wheelchairs, baby carriers are provided free of charge.

Hotels and attractions near the Louvre

The dimensions of the Louvre do not allow one to get acquainted with all the exhibits in one visit, since the exhibition area exceeds 60,000 sq. m (total - 160,000 square meters). For those who seriously decided to explore the treasury of world culture, it makes sense to book accommodation near the museum.

The favorable location makes it much easier to include other iconic places of Paris in the walking touristic route: nearby are the Tuileries Gardens, the Arc de Triomphe Carousel, Notre Dame de Paris, Palais Royal, the Duke of Orleans palace, Stock Exchange, Saint-Estache Cathedral, Georges Pompidou center, Town Hall, Conciergerie. A 15-minute walk from the Louvre Palace, on the opposite bank of the Seine, is the House-Museum of Eugene Delacroix. Upon presentation of a ticket to the Louvre, entrance there will be free (on this and the next day).

How to get to the Louvre

The easiest way to get there is by metro, the station is called Palais-Royal - Musee du Louvre (intersection of the yellow line M1 and pink M7). You don't have to go outside - the underground passage leads to shopping center under the museum building, and from there to great pyramid... Alternatively, take the Louvre Rivoli station (line M1) and enter from Rue de Rivoli.

You can also use one of the bus routes: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95. All these buses stop at the main entrance.

Batobus waterbus stop - Louvre and François Mitterrand embankment.

Paid underground parking is available from the Avenue General Lemonnier (from 7:00 to 23:00).

A fast and comfortable trip will be ensured by calling a taxi online using mobile applications Le Taxi, Uber, Lecab, Taxify, and for iPhone owners - G7.

Louvre Is a world famous Museum, which the located in Paris in France... It should be noted that Paris is an amazing and romantic city. Tourists strolling along the banks of the Seine enjoy a wonderful view of this city. On the right bank of the river rises the Louvre, which is considered one of the largest and most popular museums in the world.

The Louvre building is an ancient palace that has a rich and interesting story... The Louvre contains only unique and inimitable works of the most famous artists of all times and peoples.

Proposals for turning the Louvre into a museum began to appear in the 18th century. The project was born during the reign of Louis XV, but due to French Revolution it was suspended. After the end of the revolution, Napoleon I continued to work at the Louvre. In 1852, under Napoleon III, the Louvre was completed. And in May 1871, the Louvre building acquired modern look. Famous pyramid glass in the center of the courtyard was built in 1989 by the talented modern architect Yo Ming Pei. The facade of the Louvre was built in the seventies of the last century.

The doors of the museum were first opened on August 10, 1793. Sometimes the Louvre Museum was called the "Museum of Napoleon".

When was founded Louvre museum in Paris, the royal collection consisted of two and a half thousand paintings. Also, the museum was replenished with new exhibits after confiscations, war trophies, some collectors bequeathed their collection to the Louvre. Sculptures of the Louvre varied and interesting, but the most famous of them are the sculptures of Venus de Milo, Nika of Samothrace. Nick of Samothrace was found by Charles Champoiseau on the island of Samothrace. She was broken to pieces but later sculpture still managed to recover.

A large number of paintings are collected in the Louvre, so it is not surprising that Louvre artists come from different countries and eras. Of course, the main exhibit of the Louvre is the work of Leonardo da Vinci "Mona Lisa". A large number of people visit the Louvre every day just to see her beautiful and enchanting smile. "La Gioconda" is exhibited only here. The painting is no longer given to other exhibitions due to its poor condition.

The gem of the museum is also considered to be a painting by Theodore Gericault "The Raft of Medusa". But in one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four, after the death of Theodore, the Louvre did not have enough money to buy the painting, and it was acquired good friend artist.

Connoisseurs of art come to the Louvre to appreciate the live paintings"Death of Marat", "Oath of the Horatii" and canvas with the coronation of Napoleon. All these paintings were painted by the artist Jacques Louis David.

A painting by Jean Ingres "The Big Odalisque" is exhibited in the Louvre. The artist exaggerated the features of the models, so the odalisque is depicted not quite realistically. Her leg is incorrectly twisted, her arm is very long and she has three extra vertebrae. A painting was painted for Caroline Murat, Napoleon's sister. But the customer did not accept it.

The museum also displays paintings by Jan Vermeer. Examples of his work are "Astronaut", "The Lacemaker". Since the Renaissance, great artists have used optics to create more realistic paintings. With the help of optical instruments, they could even blur the foreground. A striking example of such a technique is Vermeer's painting The Lacemaker.

You can walk around the Louvre for hours and still not see it most canvases. To visit Louvre museum in Paris there is no need to look for reasons, it is enough just to love and appreciate art.

The Louvre Museum in Paris is one of the most famous museums the world. The Louvre Palace was built in the 13th century and served as the residence of kings. The Louvre was originally built as a fortress to defend Paris. Subsequently, it was rebuilt and completed by the kings who came to the throne, until in 1793 it was turned into largest museum the world.

The building of the Louvre Museum is located on the banks of the River Seine in. The perimeter of the building is more than 1.5 kilometers, the total exhibition space is 60 385 square meters. The collection of the museum contains about 370 thousand exhibits, distributed among 8 departments. The building consists of three main buildings - "Richelieu", "Sully" and "Denon".

Richelieu wing was added to the Louvre in 1993. Previously, it was occupied by the Ministry of Finance, then turned into an exhibition space according to the Grand Louvre project. This project was initiated by the President of France - Francois Mitterrand. Square structure in the middle of the Louvre palace - wing "Sully". Courtyard before this wing received the name "Square yard". Denon wing was named after the first director of the Louvre Museum - Denon. Three buildings are connected by an underground passage.

- entrance to the museum. The Louvre pyramid, thanks to its special design, spreads daylight throughout the huge central hall and foyer, and illuminates the entrances to the huge galleries. It was built in 1989. Below the Louvre pyramid is the lobby of the museum, where tickets can be purchased. From here you can go in three different directions- in three different wings.

In front of the glass pyramid is located bronze statue of Louis XIV. Louis XIV was nicknamed "the sun king". He established an absolute monarchy under which he possessed unlimited power. Louis XIV admired the beauty of works of art and enjoyed collecting paintings, sculptures and much more. All of this is presented today in the Louvre collection. Before Louis XIV, there were only 100 paintings in the collection of the royal family, thanks to the "sun king" their number exceeded 3 thousand. It is worth considering that the king did not just collect works of art, he also supported French artists... If it were not for King Louis XIV, the Louvre Museum would not have become what it is today.

Under the Louvre passes stone wall - the wall of the medieval castle is about 70 meters long. It is located at the back of the building and has the shape of a square. Why is there such a wall under the Louvre Museum? This wall was discovered 30 years ago - medieval buildings were found during excavations as part of the Grand Louvre project. This fortress was built by King Philip II of France. It was built in 1190. The fortress was built in the XII century to protect Paris from the British. Thus, the beginning of the history of the Louvre was associated with the war. The discovered fortress gives an idea of ​​the medieval Louvre.

Saint Louis room- the oldest premises of the Louvre. This room was created when the fortress was built. This powerful fortress provided solid protection for its inhabitants, therefore the royal residence was located here.

In 1546, Francis I demolished the medieval building and began building a Renaissance palace. Only one room of that time has survived to this day - this Big hall which is called "Hall of the Caryatids". It is currently used for an exhibition of Greek sculpture. Caryatids are statues of women that serve as a pillar for musicians. The Caryatid Tribune was executed by the French sculptor Jean Goujon in 1550 and adorns this room in the opulent Renaissance style.

Louvre Museum - "Hall of the Caryatids"Louvre Museum - "Hall of the Caryatids"

The room in the middle of the second floor of the Denon wing is the newest room in the Louvre, opened in April 2005. This showroom Louvre - room "Mona Lisa". It was built specifically for the famous painting and thanks to this, many people can see it at the same time. Painting "Mona Lisa" played a decisive role in the birth of the museum. Since it was not easy to see this masterpiece in the past, its new location gave viewers the opportunity to enjoy it slowly. "Mona Lisa", painted by Leonardo da Vinci, is about 76 centimeters high and about 53 centimeters wide. This painting is said to be a portrait of the wife of a French merchant. The word "mona" indicates that the woman was married. Her peaceful smile bewitches, her gaze seems to be alive. Painted 500 years ago, this painting is a true masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci.

Louvre - room of "Mona Lisa"Louvre - painting "Mona Lisa"

- the longest of the premises of the museum. It was built under King Henry IV. At the end of the 16th century, Henry IV stopped religious conflicts and united France. Soon after the king ascended the throne, he began a thorough reconstruction of the Louvre. First, he connected two separate buildings with a corridor - this is the Grand Gallery of the Louvre.

- an exhibition hall on the third floor of the Sully wing. This room contains memories of the life of a woman. "The Life of Maria de Medici" - a series of works by Rubens - artist XVII century. Twenty-four paintings, each of which is almost 4 meters high, are lined up in a row. Those who enter this space are stunned by the sheer scope of this series of paintings. Maria de Medici, the second wife of King Henry IV, is the main character in this room. But, of course, the king himself is in the foreground.

Apollo Gallery- the most magnificent premises in the Louvre. It is worth paying attention to the 8-meter square image on the ceiling of the gallery - it is called "Apollo conquers Python's serpent". Apollo ( greek god sun), behind which a golden glow, is in the center of the picture. On this canvas, he defeats a giant serpent and demons from the depths of the earth. The room was finally completed 200 years after Louis XIV ordered its creation. This space is now used for an exhibition of jewels and works of art associated with the royal family.

After the painting department, the Louvre Museum is very proud of its department of arts and crafts. Handicraft items are kept there, including jewelry. The arts and crafts department inherited a lot from the royal furnishings. This is why there are a large number of royal art objects in the Louvre. It was under Louis XIV that all this luxurious furnishings appeared.

On the third floor of the Richelieu wing there is Marley's yard. It is a pleasant place where light comes in through the glass ceiling, here are marble statues and sculptures of the Louvre. It was opened in 1993 together with the Richelieu wing. It houses the sculptural collection of Louis XIV, which was kept at his residence at the Château Marly.

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Louvre Museum in Paris - opening hours, ticket prices

The Louvre can be visited on any day of the week except Tuesday (it is also closed on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th). The museum is open from 9:00 to 18:00, and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 to 21:45.

The cost of a ticket to visit permanent collections is 12 euros, temporary exhibitions (in the Napoleon hall) - 13 euros. Admission is free for visitors under the age of 18 and for visitors under the age of 25 who live in one of the countries of the European Economic Area. Also, admission is free on July 14th (Bastille Day) and every first Sunday of the month.

Louvre Museum in Paris - how to get there

The most convenient way to get to the Louvre is by metro. To do this, you need to get to the Palais Royal Musee du Louvre station (intersection of the 1st and 7th metro lines).

To get to the Louvre, you can also use city buses number 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81 and 95. They will take you directly to the glass pyramid of the Louvre.
The official website of the Louvre: http://www.louvre.fr

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