If you love museums, like I do, the Louvre is certainly on your bucket list. Combining art, history, and antiquities, the Louvre is a former palace and a repository of some of the world’s great treasures.
It would take weeks – even months – to explore this gigantic museum. It is spread across three huge wings and a staggering 400 rooms! Not everyone has a lot of time to spend in the Louvre – sometimes you only have a few hours.
I included objects from all three wings and vastly different time periods in history, as well as three iconic French paintings from the tumultuous early 19th century.
This blog covers:
9. Pacheri - The Louvre’s Mummy
5. Michelangelo’s Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave
2. The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Let me just say – this was a really tough list to narrow down! I could have made an almost completely different top ten list – and I will make a part two in the future! What did I miss? Let me know in the comment section below.
Remember – the Louvre is massive, and it can be confusing to navigate. I linked the official Louvre map in the description below, but things do occasionally move or get lent to other museums.
Also, the lines to get in without a pre-booked slot are really long! For your first trip, I recommend that you book a guided tour with skip-the-line access. Trust me – it makes your experience a lot smoother and really removes the stress.
Now, let’s start with Number 10!
10. The Great Sphinx of Tanis
Location: Entrance to the Department of Egyptian Antiquities, Sully Wing
Starting with number ten, often often called the “guardian of the Louvre Museum.” This is one of the largest sphinxes located outside of Egypt! It was excavated in 1825 in the Temple of Amun in Tanis, the Egyptian capital during the 21st and 23rd Dynasties.
The Sphinx greets us at the Entrance to the Department of Egyptian Antiquities. Check out his outstretched claws – while it may look calm and serene, this kitty’s got claws.
Egyptologists have trouble dating this object, because different Pharaohs scratched out their predecessors’ names and replaced them with their own! This was a cheeky practice very common in Ancient Egypt, and it means that Egyptologists can only date it between the 4th the 12th Dynasty. That's somewhere between 2613 to 2494 BCE to 1991BCE - 1783BCE – a huge date range!
Henry Salt, an English Egyptologist and collector, sold this sphinx (and the mummy we’ll talk about soon) to the Louvre after it was excavated by his Egyptian team. The curator of the Egyptian Department at that time was Jean-Francois Champollion.
I talk about Champollion in depth in my Top Ten Objects at the British Museum Blog, because he translated the Rosetta Stone! He’s the reason we can understand these hieroglyphics. Was it Salt’s to sell? Let me know if you’d like a blog and video just about the controversies of the Louvre.
jalvear, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
9. Pacheri - The Louvre’s Mummy
Location: Sully Wing, 1st Floor, Room 33
Let’s stay in the Sully Wing for number nine on our top ten list to see the only human mummy at the Louvre.
While the Louvre has a large collection of mummy coffins and sarcophagi, which are beautiful to look at, it only has one mummified human. Look at how many people are gathered around him! He is the most famous display of the Louvre’s Department of Egyptian Antiquities. The Museum’s collection spans more than four millennia, from 4,000 BCE to the 4th century CE.
You can traverse its galleries and learn all about Egyptian life and death from the most ancient days of the Egyptian civilisation, through the Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom, Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine eras.
Let’s have a closer look at the mummy, and his unusual and intricate head wrapping. His face a head is encased in woven strips of linen, and the result is a geometric twisted square pattern.
He likely lived between 305 BCE to 30 BCE, during was the Ptolemaic Period of Ancient Egypt. Experts believe that his name was Nenu or Pacheri.
He was almost certainly an upper middle-class person - mummification like this was only for the elite. His most important organs were removed and then preserved in jars, called canopic jars, but his brain and heart were left intact in his body. He was desiccated with salt, and then covered with pungent resin and lovely aromatic oils before being wrapped.
These oils are why the Victorians loved to attend ‘mummy unwrapping parties’ – believe it or not, mummies smell really good! Let me know if you would like a video on mummy unwrapping parties.
Look at his feet – we can see Anubis, God of embalming and cemeteries. Anubis has a man’s body and a canine head, and he will measure the weight of your heart to see if you deserve entry into the realm of the dead.
But wait – there are tons of mummy coffins in the Louvre, so where are the rest of the mummies? When the Egyptian Department first opened in 1827, they couldn’t figure out how to keep the mummies from decaying. This one managed to survive, but the rest were buried in Parisian cemeteries.
By the way, Europeans like Henry Salt were excavating Egypt like crazy at this time, and negotiating with local government officials who may not have had permission or the right to give these objects away. If you’d like to see a video on the ethics of mummies in museums, including displaying human remains and the question of returning them to Egypt, let me know in the comments.
Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix
8. Liberty Leading the People
Location: Denon Wing, 1st floor, Room 700
I have included three French paintings from the 19th century on our top ten list. Yes, I could have included Caravaggio (my favourite), or Titian, or Vermeer, or countless others – but the truth is that you can see many of those artists in other museums. But here at the Louvre, it is all about these three massive canvases.
Let’s start with Number 8 on our list – Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix. Along with Géricault, who we will see soon, he is considered the greatest French Romantic painter, and you can visit his grave at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. I’m going to embed the link for a great tour of Pere Lachaise by my colleague Margaret – give it a watch.
This painting depicts an allegory of the 1830 French Revolution, a symbolic interpretation of the events that toppled King Charles X. The bare-breasted woman in the centre is Liberty, a symbol of French liberation referred to in France as Marianne.
She is a specific version of the goddess of Liberty, depicted countless ways over the millennia, and she personifies liberty, equality, fraternity, and reason. In this painting, she is wearing a Phrygian cap, an Eastern European hat made popular during the French Revolution as a “liberty cap.”
Note that she isn’t perfect or idealised- she has a sweaty hue to her skin, and she appears to have underarm hair, not to mention the musket she clutches in her left hand.
In her right, she is holding the French flag, known as le tricolore, which the militia had worn when they stormed the Bastille and overthrew the king. Until that point, the French flag had been a gold fleur-de-lis.
Of course, you might recognise Marianne from the massive statue the French gifted to the United States in 1884. Though not strictly Marianne, The Statue of Liberty is often considered to be based on this concept.
The people in the painting are all working side by side, even though they are of different classes – this personifies egalite – or egalitarianism. There is a man in a top hat, clearly a member of the French upper class. Near him is a factory worker in an apron, a student with a black beret, and men of other professions – they are working together for the principles of the new French Republic.
This painting was good for Delacroix’s soul and artistic integrity. To keep up with his lavish lifestyle, he had previously been working for King Charles X, and he hated working for a man he considered an ‘enemy’ (I mean, not enough to not take his money…)
He felt much better about this subject matter, which was more in line with his values. He wrote, “I have undertaken a modern subject, a barricade, and although I may not have fought for my country, at least I shall have painted for her. It has restored my good spirits.”
Hammurabi, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
7. The Code of Hammurabi
Location: The Richelieu Wing, Ground Floor, Room 227
Let’s head to a completely different wing – the Richelieu Wing, to see a famous legal document that dates to 1754 BCE. It’s the Code of Hammurabi, which is a remarkably well-preserved set of laws from ancient Mesopotamia. Enacted by King Hammurabi, who was the sixth King of Babylon, and who ruled from 1792 – 1750 BCE. That makes this documentation even older than the biblical laws of Christianity.
The basalt stele is 2.5 metres tall (7.5 feet), and it details 280 laws. They cover some of the most common problems encountered in Ancient Babylon, including nurses’ duties, marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance, and engagement.
Have a look at the top of the stele, and you can see the God Shamash, the ancient Mesopotamian sun God. Shamash is reciting this divine legal code directly to King Hammurabi. Hmmm – that reminds me a bit of the Ten Commandments!
The Code of Hammurabi was discovered in 1901 and was soon translated from its original Akkadian language, using cuneiform script. The first section is a poetic ode to Hammurabi call him the protector of the “weak and oppressed,” while the remaining four sections detail the actual laws.
The Code of Hammurabi is considered a hugely important document that has influenced modern law - it is depicted in the US Capitol, and there is a replica of the stele at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City.
The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David
6. The Coronation of Napoleon
Location: Denon Wing, 1st floor, Room 702
This painting depicts, you guessed it, the coronation of Napoleon, when he was crowned leader of the French Empire on December 2nd, 1804, thus ending the First Republic of France.
In the painting, we can see Pope Pius VII, who didn’t like to travel – he had come all the way from Rome to bless Napoleon’s reign. Napoleon wanted to evoke the previous grandeur of Charlemagne’s coronation, which occurred 1000 years earlier.
The painter was Jacques-Louis David, considered one of the most important French neoclassicist painters. Napoleon didn’t give David much artistic leeway – he was obsessed with the details, and he told David exactly who should be placed where. So much so, that he created fiction.
See, this is not an accurate depiction of the event at all. It is, instead, a highly idealised version of what Napoleon wanted to have happened.
The biggest glaring difference is that his mother Letizia Bonaparte is depicted prominently, she was not there. In fact, she was protesting the friction between Napoleon and his brothers Lucien and Joseph, and she wouldn’t attend. She reportedly didn’t approve of Josephine, who was six years older than Napoleon and couldn’t bare him children, but that is a different post!
During the ceremony, Napoleon reached out and grabbed the crown from the Pope and placed it on his own head. This was actually quite insulting to the Pope, and it made him seem petulant and impatient. After all, the Pope placing the crown on his head was symbolic approval from God.
Napoleon soon realised that he hadn’t behaved very well, so he instead has David portray him placing the crown on the head of Empress Josephine. This is a much more chivalrous and gracious gesture, far more befitting of an Emperor.
The painting was a huge success with the public – and more importantly, Napoleon loved it. He said, “it is not a painting. There are people walking in this picture. Life is everywhere. David, I salute you. You have made me a French knight.”
David, understanding that he owed his success to the Emperor’s approval of his work, later said, “I shall slide into posterity in the shadow of my hero.”
5. Michelangelo’s Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave
Location: Denon Wing, Room 403, Ground Floor
We’re heading towards some of the most famous objects in the Louvre now. When the doors open in the morning, everyone runs towards the Mona Lisa, but I recommend giving these remarkable statues your full attention. I happened to catch them alone, and I know it’s corny – but I actually started crying. It was awe-inspiring to take them in without the crowds.
The sculptures were created by one of the most iconic Renaissance artists, Michelangelo, between 1513 and 1516. Along with four others, they were meant to flank the tomb of Pope Julius II, but they didn’t make it onto the final version of the monument, completed in 1542.
Instead, Michelangelo gave them as a thank-you gift to a gracious host, and they were later sold to the Cardinal of Richelieu in 1632. In 1793, at the height of the Reign of Terror, a widow of one of the Dukes of Richelieu attempted to sell them. The Government seized her assets, and they landed in the Louvre in 1794. They were originally referred to as Prigioni, which means prisoner, but people start calling them the Slaves in the 19th century.
They are more than 2 metres tall (7”4), so they tower over you, and they are every bit as fascinating and complex as Michelangelo’s David (which is in Florence). They depict and evoke agony, ecstasy, life, and death. Michelangelo had just finished the Sistine Chapel ceilings, and these sculptures truly cemented him as the greatest artist of all time. Ok, there isn’t just one – who is your favourite artist of all time? Let me know in the comments.
These are my favourite objects in the Louvre – don’t miss them.
The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault
4. The Raft of The Medusa
Location: Denon Wing, 1st floor, Room 700
If you could only see one painting in the Louvre, I would advise you to bypass the Old Masters and head to The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault. In this work, he shows us a horrifying view into the aftermath of a real shipwreck that rocked the world. It occurred on July 2nd, 1816, when the crew of the Medusa were shipwrecked off the coast of Mauritania in Northwest Africa.
At least 147 men had been aboard the ship, and they realised they faced certain death on the isolated beach, in the hot sun. They worked together to construct a raft from the ship’s hull, but this would be the last time they all worked together. So much for fraternite!
That’s because, within 13 days, all but 15 men would die. The men on the raft were eventually discovered – they were suffering from extreme dehydration. They had survived through cannibalism, and likely murdered some of their shipmates.
This painting depicts the moment when a French military ship passed by the raft. Faced with the wild-eyed men, they refused to save them. However, they were soon rescued, and the cannibalism, as well as the Medusa’s captain’s incompetence, became an international scandal.
Géricault interviewed two survivors of the horror, and even asked them to re-enact their traumatic experience. In a common practice for painters, he studied corpses to get the shades and colours of the dying flesh just right.
I can’t convey just how large this is – it’s a monumental size, 16 ft x 23 ft (5 x 7 metres). He released this painting at the Paris Salon in 1819 and caused a huge stir. Even though he was then an unknown 27-year-old painter, he would soon be considered a master of French Romanticism. He would go on to influence important artists, such as Delacroix, who we just saw, and Manet, one of my favourites, who I detail in my Musee D’Orsay video.
The Venus de Milo
3. The Venus de Milo
Sully Wing, Floor 1, Room 346
Number three on our list is one of the world’s most famous sculptures – The Venus de Milo. But a lot of what you know about her is likely wrong – including her name.
The statue was unearthed on the Greek island of Melos in 1820 and it dates to around 100 BCE. She was discovered by a farmer in his field, and the public immediately began referring to her as “Venus.” But there’s a giant problem with using the name Venus. See, Venus is the Roman goddess of sex and love – Roman, not Greek!
And considering she was found in Greece, if she is a goddess of love and sex, she should be called Aphrodite de Milo, not Venus.
But wait – she’s probably not a goddess of love at all!
She is much more likely to be Amphitrite, the goddess of the sea and wife of sea god Poseidon. For obvious reasons, this goddess was beloved in Melos, and so we should probably start calling her Amphitrite de Milo. But I don’t think that is going to catch on.
So, who created her? It could have been Praxiteles, one of the most talented sculptors in Ancient Greek, but he was alive a few centuries too early. It’s more likely to be a piece by Alexandros of Antioch, who was alive at the right time and in the right place.
There is speculation that she might have been holding an apple, and we know she was originally festooned with elaborate metal jewellery.
We also know that she was painted in bright colours, just like most ancient sculpture. I know – we tend to look at these statues and think, “how understated and sophisticated to be a neutral bone white,” but they were actually a riot of colour.
Funnily enough, Renaissance sculptors like Michelangelo didn’t know this! That’s why his iconic pieces are uncoloured marble.
We’re extremely lucky that 19th century conservators didn’t try to replace her arms, as they did with many other damaged sculptures (we’ll see one next). For me, the Venus de Milo’s imperfection is what makes her so wonderful. I choose to think that about myself, as well!
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
2. The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Location: Denon Wing, Room 703 (Daru Staircase)
Coming in at number 2 - the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It’s in the of the main staircase, where it has resided since 1866 – the only place in the Louvre that does justice to its size and grandeur. This monumental sculpture is considered the finest example of Hellenistic art, and it it's easy to see why.
I visited twice on my recent trip – here is the first time, at around noon. Here is the second time, right when the museum opened! You can really see a difference. It was a very special experience when I had it to myself.
We’re looking at Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory – yes, like the shoes! It dates to around the 2nd century BCE, a similar time frame to our previous entry, the Venus de Milo.
Charles Champoiseau found it in pieces while he was excavating on the Greek island of Samothrace in 1863. As the vice-consul in the Ottoman city of Adrianople, he regularly visited Samothrace looking for buried treasure and antiquities like this one. For Champoiseau and his contemporaries, owning antiquities was a status symbol.
They certainly didn’t give much thought to the ethics of digging up the land in a foreign country and carting aways its treasures. Again, let me know if you’d like a video on the most controversial objects in the Louvre!
The entire piece is more than 6 metres (18 feet) tall. Nike is 3 metres (9 feet) tall just on her own! She stands confidently atop a ship’s bow, which is made from grey marble. In contrast, her body is white marble – though these both would have been painted.
Nike has huge wings, and we can see that the sculptor was extremely skilled. Just look at the way the wind is blowing her robes against the form of her body, making her quite sexual. Folded fabric is difficult to sculpt in a natural way, but this looks effortless.
When you come to see The Winged Victory of Samothrace, stand in a few different places and make sure you have a look at her from different angles. Like our number one piece, the Mona Lisa, it changes depending on the angle.
Unlike the Venus de Milo, this statue has been partially restored – the right wing is a modern replica completed in the 19th century. Thankfully, no one decided to replace her head, feet, and arms, which was the prevailing trend at the time.
By the way, if you want to see her original hand, head to the glass case to the left of the statue. It was only discovered in the same field in 1950!
The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
1. The Mona Lisa
Location: Denon Wing, Room 711
You didn’t think I was going to leave you hanging, did you? Of course, the number one thing you have to see at the Louvre is the Mona Lisa.
Sometimes an object becomes famous because of its history and the popular culture that arises around it rather than just its artistic merit, and that is the case here.
The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, painted between 1503 – 1506. It’s called La Giaconda in Italian, and we now know it depicts Lisa Gherardini, who was the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a Florentine nobleman.
Da Vinci was supposed to give this painting to his patron, but he instead brought it with him to France, leaving behind a flustered Giocondo. Clearly, he recognised that there was something special about the portrait. Had he left it with its patrons in Florence, it would probably not be the subject of so many parodies – and so many massive queues.
Seriously – people make a run – actually running – to try to get here first in the morning!
Mona Lisa is famous for two main reasons. The first is that enigmatic smile! From some angles she looks like she is smirking, from some angles she looks like she is smiling, and from others she is frowning.
But the second reason is more interesting – she was stolen.
The Mona Lisa shot to worldwide fame when it was stolen in 1911 – and museum staff didn’t notice it was missing right away! It was taken by Vincenzo Perugia, a petty criminal wearing a janitor’s uniform. He mistakenly believed it had been stolen from Italy by Napoleon and he thought he was doing his patriotic duty. This was a huge news story at the time.
He stowed it away for two years and was caught when he tried to sell it to an art dealer in 1913. It was displayed in the Uffizi in Florence for a short time, with Italians weeping to see it in person on their home soil. Perugia only served a short time in prison – the Italian legal system went easy on him.
So, wait - how did the Louvre get the Mona Lisa? While many objects in the Louvre have dubious or downright illegal origins, this one is completely legal. French king François I purchased the Mona Lisa when da Vinci died in 1519, and then it hung in the gallery at Fontainebleu.
There is a Napoleon connection after all, but not in the way Perugia thought. Napoleon loved it so much that it hung in his bedroom in the Tuileries, before eventually coming to the Louvre.
There you have it - the top ten objects in the Louvre. What did I miss? Leave me a comment and let me know.