DELACROIX, EugèneLiberty Leading the People (detail)1830Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

DELACROIX, EugèneLiberty Leading the People (detail)1830Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

DELACROIX, EugèneLiberty Leading the People1830Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

Paris, Musée du Louvre

Picture Gallery, The Masterpieces

LEONARDO da VinciMona Lisa (detail)1503-5Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciMona Lisa (detail)1503-5Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciMona Lisa (detail)1503-5Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciMona Lisa (La Gioconda)c. 1503-5Oil on panel, 77 x 53 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CARAVAGGIOThe Fortune Teller1596-97Oil on canvas, 99 x 131 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CARAVAGGIOThe Fortune Teller1596-97Oil on canvas, 99 x 131 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CARAVAGGIOThe Fortune Teller1596-97Oil on canvas, 99 x 131 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CARAVAGGIOThe Fortune Teller1596-97Oil on canvas, 99 x 131 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, Jacques-LouisConsecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine1805-07Oil on canvas, 629 x 979 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, Jacques-LouisConsecration of the Emperor Napoleon I (detail)1805-07Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, Jacques-LouisConsecration of the Emperor Napoleon I (detail)1805-07Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, Jacques-LouisConsecration of the Emperor Napoleon I (detail)1805-07Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

VERONESE, PaoloThe Marriage at Cana1563Oil on canvas, 666 x 990 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

VERONESE, PaoloThe Marriage at Cana (detail)1563Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

VERONESE, PaoloThe Marriage at Cana (detail)1563Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

ANTONELLO da MessinaPortrait of a Man (Il Condottiere)1475Oil on canvas, 36 x 30 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

BELLINI, GiovanniPortrait of a Young Manc. 1500Oil on panel, 32 x 26 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

BOSCH, HieronymusThe Ship of Fools1490-1500Oil on wood, 58 x 33 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

BOSCH, HieronymusThe Ship of Fools (detail)1490-1500Oil on wood, 58 x 33 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

BOTTICELLI, SandroVenus and the Three Graces Presenting Gifts to a Young Womanc. 1484Fresco transferred to canvas, 211 x 284 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

BOTTICELLI, SandroVirgin and Child with Young St John the Baptist1470-75Wood, 90 x 67 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CHAMPAIGNE, Philippe deCardinal Richelieuc. 1639Oil on canvas, 222 x 155 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CHAMPAIGNE, Philippe deLouis XIII Crowned by Victory (Siege of La Rochelle, 1628)1635Oil on canvas, 228 x 175 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CIMABUEVirgin Enthroned with Angels1290-95Panel, 424 x 276 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CIMABUEVirgin Enthroned with Angels (detail)1290-95Panel, 424 x 276 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

CRANACH, Lucas the ElderPortrait of a Young Girlc. 1540Oil on wood, 39 x 25 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, GerardThe Marriage at Canac. 1500Oil on wood, 100 x 128 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, GerardThe Marriage at Cana (detail)c. 1500Oil on woodMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, Jacques-LouisThe Oath of the Horatii1784Oil on canvas, 330 x 425 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DAVID, Jacques-LouisThe Oath of the Horatii (detail)1784Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

DELACROIX, EugèneThe Barque of Dante1822Oil on canvas, 189 x 246 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DELAROCHE, PaulThe Death of Elizabeth I, Queen of England1828Oil on canvas, 422 x 343 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DÜRER, AlbrechtSelf-portrait at 221493Oil on linen, transferred from vellum, 57 x 45 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DÜRER, AlbrechtSelf-portrait at 22 (detail)1493Oil on linen, transferred from vellum, 57 x 45 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

DYCK, Sir Anthony vanCharles I, King of England at the Huntc. 1635Oil on canvas, 266 x 207 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

FOUQUET, JeanPortrait of Charles VII of Francec. 1445Wood, 86 x 72 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

GÉRICAULT, ThéodoreThe Raft of the Medusa1818-19Oil on canvas, 491 x 716 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

GIOTTO di BondoneStigmatization of St Francis1300Tempera on wood, 314 x 162 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

GOYA Y LUCIENTES, Francisco deThe Countess del Carpio, Marquesa de la Solana1793-95Oil canvas, 181 x 122 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

GOYA Y LUCIENTES, Francisco deThe Countess del Carpio, Marquesa de la Solana (detail)1793-95Oil canvas, 181 x 122 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

GROS, Antoine-JeanNapoleon Bonaparte Visiting the Plague-stricken at Jaffa1799Oil on canvas, 523 x 715 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

GROS, Antoine-JeanBonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole1796Oil on canvas, 73 x 59 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

HOLBEIN, Hans the YoungerErasmus1523Oil on wood, 43 x 33 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

HOLBEIN, Hans the YoungerPortrait of Anne of Clevesc. 1539Parchment mounted on canvas, 65 x 48 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

LA TOUR, Georges deChrist in the Carpenter's Shop1645Oil on canvas, 137 x 101 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

LA TOUR, Georges deChrist in the Carpenter's Shop (detail)1645Oil on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciThe Virgin and Child with St Annec. 1510Oil on wood, 168 x 130 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciThe Virgin and Child with St Anne (detail)c. 1510Oil on woodMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciVirgin of the Rocks1483-86Oil on panel, 199 x 122 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciVirgin of the Rocks (detail)1483-86Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

MANTEGNA, AndreaSt Sebastianc. 1480Tempera on canvas, 255 x 140 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

MANTEGNA, AndreaSt Sebastian (detail)c. 1480Tempera on canvasMusée du Louvre, Paris

MEMLING, HansVirgin and Child with Sts James and Dominic1488-90Oil on panel, 130 x 160 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

RAFFAELLO SanzioThe Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist (La Belle Jardinière) 1507Oil on wood, 122 x 80 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

RAFFAELLO SanzioPortrait of Baldassare Castiglione1514-15Oil on canvas, 82 x 67 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

REMBRANDT Harmenszoon van RijnBathsheba at her Bath1654Oil on canvas, 142 x 142 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

RIBERA, Jusepe deClubfooted Boy1642Oil on canvas, 164 x 92 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

RIGAUD, HyacinthePortrait of Louis XIV1701Oil on canvas, 277 x 194 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

RUBENS, Peter PaulPortrait of Anne of Austria1621-25Oil on canvas, 85 x 37 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

TIZIANO VecellioWoman with a Mirrorc. 1514Oil on canvas, 93 x 76 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

UNKNOWN MASTER, FrenchPortrait of Jean le Bon, King of Francec. 1360Wood, 60 x 44 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

MASSYS, QuentinThe Moneylender and his Wife1514Oil on panel, 71 x 68 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

MASSYS, QuentinThe Moneylender and his Wife (detail)1514Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

MASSYS, QuentinThe Moneylender and his Wife (detail)1514Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

MASSYS, QuentinThe Moneylender and his Wife (detail)1514Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

VERMEER, JohannesThe Lacemaker1669-70Oil on canvas transferred to panel, 23.9 x 20.5 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

VERMEER, JohannesThe Lacemaker (detail)1669-70Oil on canvas transferred to panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciAnnunciation1478-82Oil on panel, 16 x 60 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciAnnunciation (detail)1478-82Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

LEONARDO da VinciAnnunciation (detail)1478-82Oil on panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

WEYDEN, Rogier van derThe Annunciationc. 1440Oil on oak panel, 86 x 93 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

WEYDEN, Rogier van derThe Annunciation (detail)c. 1440Oil on oak panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

WEYDEN, Rogier van derThe Annunciation (detail)c. 1440Oil on oak panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

WEYDEN, Rogier van derThe Annunciation (detail)c. 1440Oil on oak panelMusée du Louvre, Paris

EYCK, Jan vanThe Virgin of Chancellor Rolin1435Wood, 66 x 62 cmMusée du Louvre, Paris

EYCK, Jan vanThe Virgin of Chancellor Rolin (detail)1435Oil on woodMusée du Louvre, Paris

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EYCK, Jan vanThe Virgin of Chancellor Rolin (detail)1435Oil on woodMusée du Louvre, Paris

EYCK, Jan vanThe Virgin of Chancellor Rolin (detail)1435Oil on woodMusée du Louvre, Paris

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Musée du Louvre, Paris

LouvreThe Louvre is the national museum and art gallery of France, an epitome of the nation's history and culture. The first building on the site, begun c. 1190 by Philip-

Augustus as a fortress and arsenal, held the royal treasures of jewels, armour, illuminated manuscripts, etc. It was enlarged and beautified by Charles V (reigned 1364-

80), and his successor Charles VI used it as a residence for visiting royalty.

Francis I began to demolish it in the 1520s and in 1546 commissioned the architect Pierre Lescot to build a new palace of four wings around a square court, roughly of the same size as the old castle and on the same site. Only the west and half of the south wings

were completed by Lescot, but his work forms the heart of the present vast structure, and his elegant and sophisticated classical style set the tone for all the future additions,

which were made by virtually every French monarch up to Napoleon III.

Under Louis XIV the royal collection increased from some 200 pictures to over 2,000. In support of the policy for state control of the arts and taste, some of the king's pictures

were opened to public view in the Louvre from 1681 and the exhibitions of the new Académie were held there from 1673. The court had moved into the Louvre in 1652, but it

transferred to Versailles in 1678.

Under Louis XVI the conversion of the Grande Galerie into a museum was begun and as a result of the democratic fervour incidental to the Revolution the Louvre was

opened as the first national public gallery in 1793 (though as a public gallery it was preceded by others, including the Ashmolean in Oxford and the Vatican).

Napoleon renamed the Louvre the Musée Napoléon in 1803 and exhibited there the works of art he had gathered from conquered territories. Most were restored after his fall from power. The Louvre was reopened by Napoleon III in 1851 with the addition of

the Rubens's Medici cycle from the Luxembourg Palace.

In addition to one of the world's greatest collections of paintings, the Louvre houses many other treasures, including large holdings of Greek and Roman antiquities.

Among the famous ancient statues are the Borghese Warrior, the Venus de Milo, and the Victory of Samothrace.

To relieve congestion after the Second World War a special museum for Impressionist art was formed at the Jeu de Paume in the gardens of the Tuileries. The paintings from the Jeu de Paume, together with certain other works from the Louvre, have now been moved to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris (opened 1986), which is devoted

to the art of the late 19th century, c. 1848 - c. 1905.