Louvre | History, Collections, & Facts

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border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum">Louvre</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/topic/Louvre-Museum">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref338620"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Louvre-Museum#ref338620">History of the building</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref338621"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Louvre-Museum#ref338621">New locations in the 21st century</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref338622"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Louvre-Museum#ref338622">Collection</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Louvre-Museum">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/121002-050-92DB902F/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/240238" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/121002-004-B4E021D7/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" alt="Louvre Museum" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/13728-050-EA945FD3/Colonnade-Louvre-Museum-Paris-print.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/15891" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/13728-004-9E4E754F/Colonnade-Louvre-Museum-Paris-print.jpg" alt="Louvre Museum" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/01/150801-050-3072D42F/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/158365" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/01/150801-004-F15850C3/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" alt="Louvre Museum" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/121003-050-2544BD4E/Interior-Louvre-Museum-Paris.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/236252" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/121003-004-D78EEC01/Interior-Louvre-Museum-Paris.jpg" alt="Louvre Museum" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/197251-050-C85385CB/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-United-Arab-Emirates-Jean.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/228903" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/197251-004-BADA3D3E/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-United-Arab-Emirates-Jean.jpg" alt="Jean Nouvel: Louvre Abu Dhabi" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/121073-050-C82D1B38/visitor-viewing-Mona-Lisa-Leonardo-da-Vinci.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/228947" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/121073-004-E9A4371B/visitor-viewing-Mona-Lisa-Leonardo-da-Vinci.jpg" alt="Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/2198-004-C24CEA2C/Louvre-Museum-Paris-IM-pyramid-Pei.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/6434" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/2198-004-C24CEA2C/Louvre-Museum-Paris-IM-pyramid-Pei.jpg" alt="Louvre Museum" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/60896-050-D1EFEBAA/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/51272" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/96/60896-004-104C2597/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" alt="Louvre Museum" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/5831-004-EB10EC0D/Square-Court-Louvre-Paris-Pierre-Lescot.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/470" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/31/5831-004-EB10EC0D/Square-Court-Louvre-Paris-Pierre-Lescot.jpg" alt="Square Court of the Louvre, Paris" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/250074-050-DD110B36/IM-Pei-designed-pyramid-Louvre-Paris-France.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/290097" class="media-overlay-link 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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica" data-title="Louvre" data-published-date="18 Nov. 2024" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=349409] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Louvre" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum">https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum</a> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-feedback-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal=".md-feedback-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="message"></em> Feedback </button> </div> <div> <button class="qa-external-website-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=349409] .md-websites-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 mr-5" data-icon="link"></em> External Websites </button> </div> </div> <div class="md-feedback-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom"> Feedback </div> <form method="post" action="/submission/feedback/349409"> <div class="my-20"> Corrections? 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.academia.edu/10515598/Introduction_to_Building_the_Louvre_" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Academia - Introduction to "Building the Louvre"</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.louvre.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Official Site of the Louvre Museum</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.livescience.com/31935-louvre-museum.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">LiveScience - The Louvre Museum: Facts, Paintings and Tickets</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/approaches-to-art-history/tools-for-understanding-museums/museums-in-history/a/museums-politics-louvre" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Khan Academy - Museums and politics: the Louvre, Paris</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Louvre-Museum/394560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louvre Museum - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Grand Louvre, Great Louvre, Louvre Museum, Musée du Louvre</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-18T00:00:00CST" >Nov 18, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Museum/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Louvre Museum or</dd> </dl> <dl> <dt>French: </dt> <dd>Musée du Louvre</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Official name: </dt> <dd>Great Louvre or</dd> </dl> <dl> <dt>French: </dt> <dd>Grand Louvre</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Date: </dt> <dd>1793 - present</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Eugene-Delacroix">Eugène Delacroix</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/I-M-Pei">I.M. Pei</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Henri-Loyrette">Henri Loyrette</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Charles-Percier">Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Jacques-Lemercier">Jacques Lemercier</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Facts And Data: </dt> <dd><a href="/facts/Paris">Paris - Facts </a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Louvre-Museum"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/scottish-doorstop-bust-1.7385029" rel="nofollow">18th-century bust used as a shed doorstop could net $4.5M for Scottish town</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 16, 2024, 1:43 AM ET (CBC) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3285334/paris-bans-through-traffic-near-louvre-and-eiffel-tower-cut-pollution" rel="nofollow">‘Going to be almighty mess’: Paris bans traffic in city centre to cut pollution</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 6, 2024, 1:15 AM ET (South China Morning Post) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref165374"></span>Louvre</strong>, national <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/museum-cultural-institution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">museum</a> and art <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/gallery" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">gallery</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">France</a>, housed in part of a large <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/palace" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">palace</a> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paris" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Paris</a> that was built on the right-bank site of the 12th-century <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="fortress" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/fortress" data-type="EB">fortress</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philip-II-king-of-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Philip Augustus</a>. It is the world’s most-visited art museum, with a collection that spans work from ancient civilizations to the mid-19th century.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/experiencing-art-1368300" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read Sister Wendy’s Britannica essay on art appreciation.)</a></em></p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref338620"> <h2 class="h1">History of the building</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="15891" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/13728-050-EA945FD3/Colonnade-Louvre-Museum-Paris-print.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/349409/15891"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/13728-050-EA945FD3/Colonnade-Louvre-Museum-Paris-print.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/13728-050-EA945FD3/Colonnade-Louvre-Museum-Paris-print.jpg?w=300" alt="Louvre Museum" data-width="1600" data-height="957" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/13728-050-EA945FD3/Colonnade-Louvre-Museum-Paris-print.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/15891">Louvre Museum</a><span>The Colonnade, the eastern facade of the Louvre Museum, Paris, 19th-century print.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">In 1546 <span id="ref165375"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francis-I-king-of-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Francis I</a>, who was a great art collector, had this old castle razed and began to build on its site another royal residence, the Louvre, which was added to by almost every subsequent French monarch. Under Francis I, only a small portion of the present Louvre was completed, under the architect <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Lescot" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Pierre Lescot</a>. This original section is today the southwestern part of the Cour Carrée. In the 17th century, major additions were made to the building complex by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XIII" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Louis XIII</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-XIV-king-of-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Louis XIV</a>. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Armand-Jean-du-Plessis-cardinal-et-duc-de-Richelieu" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cardinal de Richelieu</a>, the chief minister of Louis XIII, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="acquired" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/acquired" data-type="EB">acquired</a> great works of art for the king. Louis XIV and his minister, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cardinal-Jules-Mazarin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cardinal Mazarin</a>, acquired outstanding art collections, including that of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-I-king-of-Great-Britain-and-Ireland" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Charles I</a> of England. A committee consisting of the architects <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claude-Perrault" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Claude Perrault</a> and Louis Le Vau and the decorator and painter <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Le-Brun" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Charles Le Brun</a> planned that part of the Louvre which is known as the Colonnade.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-read-more-module" href="/place/Paris/Ile-Saint-Louis#ref364804" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/36/135436-050-ED1D0FCE/skyline-Eiffel-Tower-France-Paris.jpg" alt="Paris; Eiffel Tower" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-navy-dark">More From Britannica</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Paris: The Louvre</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="158365" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/01/150801-050-3072D42F/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/349409/158365"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/01/150801-050-3072D42F/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/01/150801-050-3072D42F/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg?w=300" alt="Louvre Museum" data-width="1600" data-height="1042" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/01/150801-050-3072D42F/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/158365">Louvre Museum</a><span>Louvre Museum, Paris, with pyramid designed by I.M. Pei.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The Louvre ceased to be a royal residence when Louis XIV moved his court to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palace-of-Versailles" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Versailles</a> in 1682. The idea of using the Louvre as a public museum originated in the 18th century. The comte d’Angiviller helped build and plan the Grande Galerie and continued to acquire major works of art. In 1793 the revolutionary government opened to the public the Musée Central des Arts in the Grande Galerie. Under <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-I" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Napoleon</a> the Cour Carrée and a wing on the north along the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="rue" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/rue" data-type="EB">rue</a> de Rivoli were begun. In the 19th century two major wings, their galleries and pavilions extending west, were completed, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Napoleon-III-emperor-of-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Napoleon III</a> was responsible for the exhibition that opened them. The completed Louvre was a vast complex of buildings forming two main quadrilaterals and enclosing two large courtyards.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="236252" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/121003-050-2544BD4E/Interior-Louvre-Museum-Paris.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/349409/236252"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/121003-050-2544BD4E/Interior-Louvre-Museum-Paris.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/121003-050-2544BD4E/Interior-Louvre-Museum-Paris.jpg?w=300" alt="Louvre Museum" data-width="1600" data-height="1200" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/121003-050-2544BD4E/Interior-Louvre-Museum-Paris.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/236252">Louvre Museum</a><span>Interior of the Louvre Museum, Paris.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The Louvre building complex underwent a major remodeling in the 1980s and ’90s in order to make the old museum more accessible and accommodating to its visitors. To this end, a vast underground complex of offices, shops, exhibition spaces, storage areas, and parking areas, as well as an auditorium, a tourist bus depot, and a cafeteria, was constructed underneath the Louvre’s central courtyards of the Cour Napoléon and the Cour du Carrousel. The ground-level entrance to this complex was situated in the centre of the Cour Napoléon and was <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="crowned" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/crowned" data-type="EB">crowned</a> by a controversial steel-and-glass <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Pyramid" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">pyramid</a> designed by the American architect <span id="ref165376"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/I-M-Pei" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">I.M. Pei</a>. The underground complex of support facilities and public amenities was opened in 1989. In 1993, on the museum’s 200th anniversary, the rebuilt Richelieu wing, formerly occupied by France’s Ministry of Finance, was opened; for the first time, the entire Louvre was devoted to museum purposes. The new wing, also designed by Pei, had more than 230,000 square feet (21,368 square metres) of exhibition space, originally housing collections of European painting, decorative arts, and Islamic art. Three glass-roofed interior courtyards displayed French sculpture and ancient Assyrian artworks. The museum’s expanding collection of Islamic art later moved into its own wing (opened 2012), for which Italian architects Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti enclosed another interior courtyard beneath an undulating gold-coloured roof made of glass and steel.</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref338621"> <h2 class="h1">New locations in the 21st century</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="228903" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/197251-050-C85385CB/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-United-Arab-Emirates-Jean.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/349409/228903"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/197251-050-C85385CB/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-United-Arab-Emirates-Jean.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/197251-050-C85385CB/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-United-Arab-Emirates-Jean.jpg?w=300" alt="Jean Nouvel: Louvre Abu Dhabi" data-width="1600" data-height="1011" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/51/197251-050-C85385CB/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi-United-Arab-Emirates-Jean.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/228903">Jean Nouvel: Louvre Abu Dhabi</a><span>The Louvre Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, designed by Jean Nouvel, 2017.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">In 2012 a satellite location of the Louvre in the northern French town of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lens-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lens</a> opened to the public. The museum, designed by the Japanese architects <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kazuyo-Sejima-and-Ryue-Nishizawa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa</a>, was intended to boost the economy of the region and to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="alleviate" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleviate" data-type="MW">alleviate</a> crowds at the Paris site. Five years later, after nearly a decade of delays, the <span id="ref1251889"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Louvre-Abu-Dhabi" class="md-crosslink ">Louvre Abu Dhabi</a> opened in a building designed by French architect <span id="ref1251890"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Nouvel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jean Nouvel</a> on <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saadiyat-Island" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Saadiyat Island</a>, the emirate’s planned cultural hub. The new institution was the result of a controversial agreement between the governments of France and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Arab-Emirates" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United Arab Emirates</a>, wherein the Louvre leased its name, parts of its collection, and its expertise to the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="nascent" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nascent" data-type="MW">nascent</a> museum for a period of 30 years.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Art-Museums-and-Their-Digital-Future-2119647" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read Glenn Lowry’s Britannica essay on "Art Museums & Their Digital Future.")</a></em></p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h4"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref338622"> <h2 class="h1">Collection</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="228947" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/121073-050-C82D1B38/visitor-viewing-Mona-Lisa-Leonardo-da-Vinci.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/349409/228947"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/121073-050-C82D1B38/visitor-viewing-Mona-Lisa-Leonardo-da-Vinci.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/121073-050-C82D1B38/visitor-viewing-Mona-Lisa-Leonardo-da-Vinci.jpg?w=300" alt="Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa" data-width="1064" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/121073-050-C82D1B38/visitor-viewing-Mona-Lisa-Leonardo-da-Vinci.jpg" data-href="/media/1/349409/228947">Leonardo da Vinci: <em>Mona Lisa</em></a><span>A visitor viewing Leonardo da Vinci's <em>Mona Lisa</em> (c. 1503–19) at the Louvre Museum, Paris.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The Louvre’s painting collection is one of the richest in the world, representing all periods of European art up to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Revolutions-of-1848" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Revolutions of 1848</a>. Works painted after that date that the Louvre once housed were transferred to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Musee-dOrsay" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Musée d’Orsay</a> upon its opening in 1986. The Louvre’s collection of French paintings from the 15th to the 19th century is unsurpassed in the world, and it also has many masterpieces by Italian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Renaissance-art" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Renaissance</a> painters, including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonardo-da-Vinci" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Leonardo da Vinci</a>’s <em>Mona Lisa</em> (c. 1503–19), and works by Flemish and Dutch painters of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Baroque-art-and-architecture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Baroque period</a>.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The department of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/decorative-art" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">decorative arts</a> displays the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="treasures" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/treasures" data-type="EB">treasures</a> of the French kings—bronzes, miniatures, pottery, tapestries, jewelry, and furniture—while the department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities features architecture, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/sculpture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sculpture</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/mosaic-art" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">mosaics</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/jewelry" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">jewelry</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/pottery" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">pottery</a>. The department of Egyptian antiquities was established in 1826 to organize the collections acquired during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign. The department of Near Eastern antiquities is most important for its collection of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Mesopotamian-art" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mesopotamian art</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> </section><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/rene-ostberg/12853185">René Ostberg</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":349409,"pageLength":860,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Louvre | History, Collections, & Facts | Britannica