The centuries-long history of the Louvre, from humble fortress to Royal palace to the world’s greatest art museum—with photos and building maps. Some ten million people from all over the world flock to the Louvre each year to enjoy its incomparable art collection. Yet few of them are aware of the remarkable history of the site and buildings themselves—a fascinating story that historian James Gardner elegantly chronicles in this authoritative history. More than seven thousand years ago, men and women camped on a spot called le Louvre for reasons unknown. Centuries later, King Philippe Auguste of France constructed a fortress there, just outside the walls of a nascent Paris. Intended to protect the capital against English soldiers stationed in Normandy, the fortress became a royal residence under Charles V two centuries later, and then the monarchy’s principal residence under the great Renaissance king François I. In 1682, when Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles, the Louvre languished until the French Revolution when, during the Reign of Terror in 1793, it first opened its doors to display the nation’s treasures. Ever since—through the Napoleonic era, the Commune, two World Wars, to the present—the Louvre has been a witness to French history, and expanded to become home to a legendary art collection that includes the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Includes sixteen pages of full-color photos illustrating the history of the Louvre, a full-color map detailing its evolution from fortress to museum, and black-and-white images throughout the narrative.

Experience the Louvre's majestic halls, grand galleries, and stunning artworks in this exquisite visit to the world-renowned museum­--highlighting beloved works of art alongside hidden gems, all situated in the palace's stunning architectural spaces. Every year, more than ten million visitors from around the world visit the Louvre's 68,000 square meters of gallery space containing more than 35,000 works of art. The Louvre is widely considered the most innovative of the world's preeminent museums. This gorgeous tome is a celebration of an enduring institution and the magnificent works of art that it houses. Rather than showing only isolated images of the artworks themselves, this book shows many of the pieces in the context of the beautiful galleries and spaces where they live, to give the reader an experience similar to being at the Louvre. The Louvre explores the eight centuries of fascinating history surrounding the museum, which began in the Middle Ages as a fortress, then became a royal residence which continued to enlarge, expand, and develop over the centuries with the most brilliant architects and painters being called to work on this architectural masterpiece. In 1793, the Louvre confirmed its role as a "temple of the arts" when it was made the first national museum open to the public. From then on, its collections continued to grow from its roots in the old royal collection, benefiting from acquisitions, archaeological discoveries, donations, and bequests. Centuries of growth, evolution, and transformation culminated in the 1980s with the "Grand Louvre" project symbolized by I.M. Pei's world-famous and critically acclaimed modernist pyramid.

The most complete collection available, the New York Times bestselling book The Louvre: All the Paintings includes all 3,022 paintings from the permanent collection of the world's most popular museum in a practical and elegant paperback format. The Louvre Museum houses many of the world's most celebrated and important art of all time -- from da Vinci's Mona Lisa to Vermeer's The Lacemaker -- making it also the most visited art museum in the world. The Louvre: All the Paintings allows you to experience every painting currently on display in the permanent collection in Paris, without ever having to step on a plane. Divided and organized into the four main painting collections of the museum -- the Italian School, the Northern School, the Spanish School, and the French School -- the paintings are then presented chronologically by the artists' date of birth. Four hundred of the most iconic and significant paintings are illuminated with 300-word discussions by art historians Anja Grebe and Vincent Pomarède on the key attributes of the work, what to look for when viewing, the artist's inspirations and techniques, biographical information on the artist, the artist's overall impact on history, and more. Immerse yourself in the wonder and dazzling display of the Louvre without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. Learn more about each artist and painting, and tour the realms of sensational masterpieces with this new paperback edition.

A narrative history of the founding of the Louvre that also explores the ideological underpinnings, pedagogical aims, and aesthetic criteria of this, the first great national art museum.

The author here presents an architectural history of Paris, stretching from the 3rd century BC up until the end of the 20th century.

Reproduces paintings from the museum's collection