The Louvre is certainly one of the most popular museums in Paris! But with 210,000 m² of floor space, it’s hard to see it all in one visit. Here are the 10 best works in the Louvre that we think you should see at least once in your life in Paris.
The Mona Lisa
You can’t talk about the Louvre without talking about her! The Mona Lisa fascinates, and even today, she doesn’t seem to have revealed all her secrets. While we know that this is probably Lisa, Francesco del Giocondo’s wife, the various references and readings proposed by Leonardo da Vinci make the field of possibilities infinite.
🎨Department : Italian paintings – Denon wing 1st floor, room 711
Liberty guiding the people
This masterly work by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the “Three Glorious Years”, when the French people rose up against Charles X’s regime. A work of striking realism, as beautiful as it is tragic.
🎨Department : 19th century French painting – Denon wing 1st floor, room 700
Victory of Samothrace
You may have seen it, but never really looked closely. Yet this work, dating from the 2nd century BC, is one of the finest examples of Hellenistic art. A statue that had been offered to the shrine of the Cabir gods in celebration of a victory. The drape is absolutely sublime even today!
🎨Department : Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities – Denon wing Ground floor, room 703
The raft of the Medusa
Le radeau de la méduse (The Raft of the Medusa) tells the true story of the survivors of the shipwreck of the same name in 1816. This major work of Romantic art depicts the tragedy of the scene and the despair of those shipwrecked who had to survive for 12 days…
🎨Department : 19th century French painting – Denon wing 1st floor, room 700
The Venus de Milo
The Venus de Milo has fascinated visitors ever since it entered the Louvre in 1821. Some say it’s a representation of the goddess of love Aphrodite. Although this interpretation is debatable, we never tire of admiring it to this day!
🎨Department : Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities – Sully wing Ground floor, room 346
Coronation of Emperor Napoleon 1st and Empress Josephine in Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris
This masterful 6-meter-high work represents one of the high points of French history, commissioned by Napoleon himself. It shows the Emperor himself crowning Empress Josephine, as well as the splendor of this unique ceremony like no other.
🎨Denon, Room 702 – Daru Room, Neoclassicism
The crouching scribe
Remarkably well preserved, the statue of the Scribe is one of the jewels of Egyptian antiquity. Even today, its colors are still vivid and its eyes have lost none of their original sparkle, thanks to the rock crystal that makes them shine. A statue worth seeing!
🎨Department : Egyptian Antiquities, Sully wing – 1st floor, room 635
Psyche revived by Love’s kiss
This beautiful neoclassical sculpture depicts a vibrant love scene carved in marble. This is the magic and finesse of Canova’s work. A romantic sculpture of rare delicacy and grace on one of the most beautiful themes of all:Love.
🎨Department : Sculptures – Denon wing Ground floor, room 403
Winged bulls from Khorsabad
These human-headed bulls, over 4 meters tall, were once the fervent defenders of the city of Dur-Sharrukin (present-day Khorsabad), but also of the temples of Mesopotamian civilization. Each statue supported part of the vaulted city wall. If you pay closer attention, you’ll notice that the two sculptures seem both frozen and soaring towards the heavens, thanks to a remarkable play on perspective.
🎨Room 229, Richelieu Wing, Level 0
The Wedding at Cana by Veronese
This is the largest painting in the museum’s collection. The latter depicts the scene around Christ, Mary and the apostles in a spectacular setting typical of the finest Venetian palaces. You’ll lose yourself in all the details: from the musicians to the period costumes, it’ s all splendour!
🎨Department : Italian paintings – Denon wing 1st floor, room 711