THE MUSEUM THE HISTORY OF THE LOUVRE

Almost every subsequent French monarch starting from the 12th century lived there until the French Revolution. Each monarch that lived there made some sort of change to the structure trying to make it even more luxurious than the last monarch who lived there. The Louvre changed to a museum in 1682. One event during the French Revolution also burned down the Tuilerie Palace, which was a queen's own palace. Now, we can wander in the Tuilerie Gardens, thinking of such things. The French Revolution also was the event that made it become a museum. The French Revolution was caused because they were in a severe economic crisis, and Prince Louis Capet had just become King Louis XVI, who was easily manipulated by others around him. For instance, he tried to get revenge on Britain by helping America become an independent country. However, America didn’t exactly give back the money that lent them, resulting in even more debt.The Revolution took up 10 years and finally ended. THE MONA LISA 1

The Mona Lisa is believed to be the most famous painting in the world. Painted roughly 500 years ago by Leonardo da Vinci, there are still many mysteries surrounding it. However, most historians, archaeologists, artists and many more experts can agree on the following statements:

Leonardo da Vinci painted Lisa Gherhardini for her husband— Francesco del Giocondo

• It was painted somewhere between 1503 and 1506 • The portrait a form of celebration for possibly the birth of a new son or moving into a new house

• The famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci was brought to France by King Francis I in 1517.Then it stayed there except for one time when Louis XIV (14) moved to Versailles and brought it with him. THE MONA LISA 2

Why is this painting so famous? This can be described through 3 simple words: stolen, style, smile.

Stolen: The Mona Lisa was stolen by a handyman at the Louvre in Aug. 1911. It had been very ordinary at that time, and everyone thought that some photographers might be taking photos of it. (Back then, photography was still quite new, and they wanted to take photos of the paintings so that everyone could see them.) They only realized it in the afternoon. After 28 months, it was finally found. (The excuse given by the thieve was that he thought the painting belonged to Italy, because Leonardo da Vinci was Italian.)

Style: The portrait is very different from some of the other portraits back then. It uses a new type of painting style named sfumato, which is a style where colors shade gradually into one another, and there are no clear outlines. This is demonstrated most through the thin veil Leonardo da Vinci painted. Experts estimate that he used as many as 30 layers of paint to do so!

Smile: Mona Lisa's smile has remained a mystery for centuries. Most people can't decide whether if it is a smile or not. When you focus one area of her face (such as the cheekbone) it does, but then, when you look again, it isn't! THE WINGED VICTORY OF SAMORTHRACE

The Winged Victory depicts Nike—the Greek goddess of victory. The marble masterpiece was created not just to commemorate the Greek gods, but to celebrate the victory of a naval battle. The theory was hypothesized because Nike is standing on the head of a ship. Her garments are also dramatically blown back by the wind.Additionally, there were many battles at sea during the Hellenistic period, when fighting for control of the Aegean Sea.

A few years ago, One of the hands of Nike was found in Austria but cannot be attached back to the sculpture because it is still armless. However, it still provided many archaeologists and historians a lot of information and the fragmented hand can be viewed on the top of Louvre’s Daru staircase, where the Victory of Samothrace has been for many years. LIBERTY LEADING THE PEOPLE

This painting was painted in the 19th century. It often reminds us how political oil paint on a canvas can be. In fact, it was given back to the artist eight years after it was purchased, and the exhibit and entered in several museums including the Louvre in less than thirty-five years. Eugène Delacroix depicts Liberty beckoning the rebels to keep on going. By painting the detailed two men on the left side of Liberty, Delacroix depicts classes united against the monarchy. The man with the loose shirt and pistol is from lower class, but the pin on his hat proves that he has revolutionary sympathies. The other man with a tall hat, a jacket, and a vest is from upper class. However, Delacroix also expressed how much sacrifice there was for the French Revolution. Additionally, Delacroix also contrived a pyrimaid within the artwork to organize the figures and creates a feeling of organization despite the chaotic scene. Near Eastern Antiquities

DEPARTMENTS Egyptian Antiquities IN THE LOUVRE Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities The Louvre Museum is also organizes the artworks within Islamic Art each department in chronological order. Sculptures

Decorative Arts

Paintings

Prints and Drawings THE LENS LOUVRE AND MUSEUMS

Lens Louvre: In 2003, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, the Minister for Culture and Communication back then and Henri Loyrette, president of the Musée du Louvre, announced plans to build the regional branch for the museum. They chose the northern city of Lens. The museum was opened in 2012. Today, it looks like the picture above. Louvre Abu Dhabi: After a decade of delays, the Abu Dhabi opens on Saadiyat Island in the .

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