You don’t go to Paris and miss the Louvre. You just don’t. While going through all 60,600 square meters of this former royal residence may sound like a daunting task, it is nonetheless a rite of passage that each Parisian visitor must experience.
Known today as probably the world’s largest art museum, the Musee du Louvre has actually taken on several incarnations over time. However, it was only during the French Revolution that it officially opened its doors as a public museum, showcasing an inventory of artwork and artifacts that steadily grew over time through acquisitions, donations, and spoils from Napoleon's conquests.
To date there are over 400,000 artworks and artifacts in the museum's possession. To prevent visitors from getting overwhelmed, maps that show the location of the more visited pieces are available at the information booth. My suggestion though is to come up with your own list of must-sees and just have the ushers plan out the fastest route for you through the different wings.
What's on my list: (1) The Winged Victory of Samothrace, (2) Venus de Milo, (3) Psyche Revived By Cupid's Kiss, (4) The Code of Hammurabi, (5) The Grand Odalisque and other works by Ingres, (6) the luxurious appointments of Napoleon's Apartments, (7) Ver Meer's The Lacemaker (which I missed!), (8) The Mona Lisa, but of course!
Enjoy the pics everyone!
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