As museums go, the Louvre in Paris is quite simply a mammoth. The word "museum" may
even be unfitting when it comes to the Louvre:
the collections are so vast, diverse, and breathtaking
that visitors may have the impression of navigating
a maze of distinct artistic and cultural worlds. Housed in the Palais du Louvre (Louvre Palace), the former seat of French royalty, the Louvre emerged in the 12th century as a medieval fortress, slowly evolving toward its status as a public arts museum during the French Revolution in the late 18th century. Since then, it has become the globe's most-visited museum, and an enduring symbol of French excellence in the arts.
Spanning eight thematic departments and 35,000 pieces of artwork dating from the antiquity to the early modern period, the Louvre's permanent collection includes masterpieces by European masters such as Da Vinci, Delacroix, Vermeer, and Rubens, as well as unsurpassed Greco-Roman, Egyptian, or Islamic arts collections. Frequent temporary exhibits often highlight particular artists or movements, and are almost always worthwhile.
|
