The Louvre

The Louvre

T h e A r t M u s e u m s of P a r i s

Paris is renowned worldwide for its art museums. There are so

many, each with its own unique pieces of art, this report will only

cover two of Paris’ most famous museums. Which are of course The

Louvre and Museum d’Orsay.

The Louvre

History

The Louvre was originally built in 1190 AD as a fortress for

protection to the city of Paris during the Crusades. It was a

fortress for nearly 500 years until it became an elegant palace. By

the 1400’s France’s Royalty gathered at The Louvre to enjoy

banquets and tournaments. Elaborate gardens were added along with

an aviary and many wild, exotic animals. In 1415 France was captured

by the British and The Louvre was ravaged by vandals. It fell into

disrepair and was left unoccupied for nearly 150 years. This is when

Francis the first tore down the original structure and erected an

exquisite and prosperous palace. Every king since then on added an

addition to The Louvre. It also served as their home until the

French Revolution of 1789. The Louvre officially became a museum in

1793. The government opened it to the public which no longer

meant art was only available to the upper-class. All through the

previous centuries the government had collected priceless pieces of

art and now displayed them in The Louvre. The collection was

growing so big that more buildings had to be built to display the

great and precious collection that was accumulated over so many

years. This period was known as “The Restoration” as Napoleon

established remodeling of the interior and exterior of the Louvre

and eliminated all the shops that filled the Louvre from the 18th

century.

The Louvre Today

Today The Louvre is one the World’s most famous Art Museums.

It houses many famous masterpieces such as:

The Mona Lisa

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Venus De Milo

The Seated Scribe