Louvre [antikvár]

Preface There are many ways of visiting the Louvre. Those with little time to spare are anxious not to miss the major landmarks, the "star" works known from imitations and reproductions all over the world; the Mona Lisa first and foremost, along with the Vénus de Milo and the Victory of Samothrace, as well as a few other works such as Michelangelo's Slaves, the Consecration of Napoleon by David, Liberty leading the People by Delacroix and the Egyptian Scribe. It is quite another matter for anyone studying a particular period, artist or technique; much time has to be spent in front of the works and many visits are required. Between the tourist pressed for time at the one extreme and the indefatigable specialist at the other, there is room for every kind of attentive visitor, the visitor who is curious or enthusiastic; the artist, art lover, or simple sightseer keen to familiarize themselves with how our building works so as to get the most out of visits made at their leisure. This book is designed with them in mind. For their benefit, the most significant works in each of the seven departments have been selected from thousands more which they may discover for themselves and may quite possibly prefer. There is a good reason why this is not a room-by-room guide like others of its kind. The Louvre is currently undergoing long-term and thorough reorganisation. The decision to incorporate the north wing of the Louvre buildings into the museum and to create a spacious entrance under the Cour Napoleon marked by the pyramid has made the complete transformation of the museum possible, with general redistribution of the collections across the whole palace. The advantages are obvious. The public will be given a better reception, there will be a more logical progression to the tour of rooms and lastly, most important of all, works of art will be displayed more advantageously. Certain sections can already be seen in their definitive state: the medieval casde of the Louvre, the ground floor rooms of Greek,