The Louvre Museum
The museum of Louvre is the greatest Parisian museum by its surface (210.000 meters with 60.600 for the expositions), and one of the most important in the world. Situated in the center of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine, in the 1st arrondisment, the museum is hosted by an ancient palace, the Louvre palace. The palace has become a museum in 1791-1793 and has one of the richest public collection in the world.
The Louvre museum collections are divided in 10 departments:
1.Oriental antiquities
This department presents the civilizations of the Ancient Near-East, which go back to 7000 BC and succeeded one another in Mesopotamia, Iran and the countries of the Levant, an immense territory stretching from the Mediterranean to India.
2.Egyptian antiquities
Created by Jean Francois Champollion, this department illustrates the art of Ancient Egypt from two different view-points: a chronological circuit, from the earliest times to Cleopatra, and a thematic circuit illustrating certain aspects of Egyptian civilization. Two sections devoted to Coptic Egypt and Roman Egypt complete the display.
3.Greco-romans antiquities
This department includes works from three ancient civilization: Greece, Etruria, and Rome. On the ground floor, a chronological circuit, based on marble statuary, contains works starting from the third millennium BC up to the 6th century AD. The collection on the first floor is organised according to the techniques and materials used: bronzes and jewellery, silverware, glassware, figurines and terracotta vases.
4.Paintings
The collection in this department cover the history of European painting from the mid-13th century to the mid-19th century. They are divided into three main groups: the French School, which has the largest number of works, The Italian and Spanish Schools, and the Northern European Schools (German, Flemish and Dutch Schools).
5.Sculptures
European Sculpture, from the Late Middle Ages to the mid 19-th century, is to be found in this department. The collections, which mainly include French works, also contain many significant pieces from Italy, Spain and Northern Europe.
6.Art objects
The collections in this department come from every era: items from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, decorative arts from the 17th and 18th centuries, the Crown Jewels, 19th century items and furniture, Napoleon III apartments, etc.
7.Art of Islam
Works from various Mediterranean countries, from Iran, Central Asia and India, which formed the lands of Islam are exhibited in this department. Some of the works are from the royal French collections. Most of these are ceramics, metals, ivories, woods, carpets and paintings dating from the 7th to the 19th centuries.
8.Prints and drawings
Acces to the Graphic Arts Department, consisting of the Drawing Cabinet (more than 100.000 works), the Edmond de Rothschild Collection and an engraved copper plate collection, is by prior arrangement only. The very fine but extremely fragile works are on display in the regular temporary exhibitions and on a rota basis in the museum’s main exhibition rooms.
9.Medieval Louvre
Two rooms and an archeological circuit present the history and architectural development of the Louvre palace.
10.Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and Americas
This selection of works, on display in the Louvre since April 2000, belongs to the collection of the Branly museum.
Opening hours: Every day except Tuesdays and certain public holidays from 9 am to 6 pm (on Wednesdays and Fridays until 10 pm).
Tickets: 9 Euro full price. Free for under 18s, for under 26 on Fridays after 6 pm, and for everybody on the first Sunday of every month.