The main masterpieces to see in the Louvre

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

On November 8, 1793, the Louvre Museum, one of the largest and most visited museums in the world, was opened to the public in Paris. The collection of the museum has a huge number of exhibits from different eras and countries. It is so great that some of the works can be simply overlooked. We decided to make a list of things that you absolutely cannot pass by in the Louvre.

VENUS MILOSKAYA

It is in the Louvre that one of the most recognizable sculptures in the world - "Venus de Milo" is located. It was created around 130-100 BC by the sculptor Agesander of Antioch. Venus is a marble image of the goddess of love Aphrodite. Her parameters - height 164 cm, volumes 86-69-93 - are almost ideal. Alas, the statue is devoid of arms - they were lost in 1820 after the discovery of the sculpture. It is believed that she originally held onto her falling robes.

NIKA SAMOFRAKIYSKAYA

Another famous marble woman in the Louvre is "Nika of Samothrace" - a statue of the goddess Nike, created around 190 BC. The statue was erected by the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes in memory of the victory they won over the fleet of the Syrian king. She stood on a sheer cliff above the sea, her pedestal depicted the bow of a warship.

Unfortunately, Nika lacks not only her arms, but also her head, which, however, does not prevent her from enjoying her proud wingspan and confident step towards the wind.

Hammurabi Code of Laws

Stella Hammurabi is an art monument originally from Ancient Mesopotamia. It was created by King Hammurabi during his reign. The Big Stone is the world's first written code of laws. Modern scholars divide the collection into 282 articles - some of them, alas, have been erased. All laws are embossed in cuneiform on both sides of the post.

At the top of the pillar is depicted Hammurabi himself, standing in a prayer position and receiving laws from the hands of the Sun God Shamash.

Seated Ramses II statue

The Louvre collection is truly rich in masterpieces of ancient Egyptian culture, which are extremely popular with visitors. One of these masterpieces is the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II from Luxor.

DEDICATION OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON I

The full title of this painting is "The Dedication of Emperor Napoleon I and the Coronation of Empress Josephine in Notre Dame Cathedral on December 2, 1804". This is what the famous artist Jacques-Louis David called it in 1807. The picture is striking in its size (more than six meters in height and 9 meters in length). The author has been creating it for 3 years.

The painting was created by David by order of Napoleon I. It depicts the episode of the coronation of the emperor, which took place in Notre Dame Cathedral. Moreover, according to the same order, the artist painted in the center the mother of the emperor, who in fact was not at this event.

LACE

The Lacemaker is one of the most famous paintings by the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer. It was written between 1669 and 1670. There is only one heroine on the canvas - a girl who is busy with embroidery. But she looks so touching and interesting that she cannot be overlooked.

FREEDOM LEADING THE PEOPLE

Eugene Delacroix's masterpiece is no longer as calm as the previous ones. The artist created it, inspired by the French Revolution of 1830. The canvas is truly epic and large-scale (2.99 meters in height and 3.62 in length).

In the center of the picture is a woman symbolizing freedom. In her right hand is a tricolor (the flag of Republican France), in her left - a gun. The naked chest symbolizes the dedication of the French of that time, who went to the enemy with "bare chests". The artist also depicted himself in the picture - in the form of a man in a top hat to the left of the main character.

"RAFT" MEDUSA"

No less impressive is the work of another Frenchman - Theodore Gericault. This is one of the most famous paintings of the Romantic era. It was created in 1819. The dimensions of the painting are 4, 7/7, 2 meters.

The plot of the picture is based on a real incident that happened on July 2, 1816 off the coast of Senegal. Then the frigate "Meduza" crashed on the Argen shoal. 140 passengers and crew members tried to escape by boarding the raft. Only 15 of them survived and on the twelfth day of their wanderings were picked up by the brig. The artist managed to create a vivid image, combining in one picture the dead and the living, hope and despair.

JOCONDA

Well, and, of course, the main exhibit of the museum, which cannot be missed, is "Mona Lisa", aka "La Gioconda" - the famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. A whole hall was allocated for this picture (by the way, it is rather small) so that nothing would distract visitors from contemplating the most mysterious smile in the world. The priceless masterpiece is protected by a thick layer of armor, guarded by security guards. You can see the canvas only in the Louvre - the museum's management decided not to exhibit it anywhere.