The Louvre

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.

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.

Reproduces paintings from the museum's collection

The meaning of the word Louvre remains mysterious, with no clear explanation of its origins. Today it is closely associated with one of the most prestigious museums in the world, and enjoys a fame that somehow overshadows the tumultuous path that led to the contemporary institution as we know it. This book tells the tale of the eight

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.

A vital element of daily life and one of the great pleasures of the world, food in all its guises has been exalted in works of art for centuries. With a personal foreword by Paul Bocuse, this volume serves up a smorgasbord of culinarythemed art-from fruit baskets to sumptuous banquet scenes to images of the hunt and still life paintings.

Rohan, a young mangaka (Japanese manga artist), meets a beautiful mysterious young woman with a dramatic story. Seeing him draw, she tells him of a cursed 200-year-old painting that used the blackest ink ever known, from a 1000-year-old tree that the painter had brought down. The painting was saved by the curator of the Louvre - Rohan forgets this story until, 10 years later, he tries to locate it on a visit to Paris. Little does he know how violent the curse really is. Fans of manga will appreciate the innovative storyline and the energetic, psychedelic visuals within.