Name: 10 Artworks to See at the Louvre Museum | Behind the Masterpiece
Uploaded: 2026-02-15T07:11:38.000Z
Duration: 17 min 30 s
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The Louvre is home to some of the world's most famous masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

This 60,000 square meter exhibition space is the world's largest museum and holds over 35,000 pieces of art.

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It is said that if you spend 30 seconds looking at each piece, it would take about four months and that's non stop, 24 hours a day.

But visiting the Louvre is one of the most enjoyable things to do when you're in Paris.

From the Roman and Greek antiquities to Egyptian, African, oceanic and Islamic arts, there's something for everyone to help your visit as you go through this majestic place brimming with culture and history.

The first thing you'll see on your visit is this large glass and metal structure.

The Louvre pyramid has become one of the most recognizable Parisian landmarks.

It was designed by the Chinese American architect I.M.

pei in 1988 as a part of an expansion project.

The French president at the time, Francois Mitterrand, initiated this project in 1981 to add on the Richelieu wing of the palace that was previously home of the Ministry of Finance.

This decade long project doubled the exhibition space with the pyramid as a new entrance.

But it was not loved then as it is today.

Some argued that its modernist style clashed with the classic French Renaissance style of the art and history of the museum.

Others were hesitant about trusting a Chinese American architect who was unfamiliar with French culture to take on this massive renovation of a treasured French landmark.

Today it stands as one of France's most important architectural icons, welcoming millions of visitors every year.

It is almost synonymous with the Louvre, The first piece of artwork everyone is heading towards.

The most famous artwork in history really is the Mona Lisa.

Millions crowd around this rather small painting every year to snap a photo, knowing the power it holds on society today.

Shocking to note that up until the beginning of the 20th century, the Mona Lisa was actually relatively unknown outside of the art world.

Its sudden rise to fame occurred in 1911 when a Louvre employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, stole the portrait to bring it back to his home country of Italy, where he believed it belonged.

He kept the painting hidden in his apartment for two years before presenting it to the Ulfizi Gallery in Florence where it was hung for only two weeks before it was returned to the Louvre.

that was enough time for this previously looked painting to be thrusted into the spotlight.

This oil painting by Leonardo da Vinci is a portrait of a woman seated in front of an imaginary landscape.

The background is done in this format of painting technique, which is the softening of transitions between colors and tones, we see that here, through hazy outlines, blurred forms and the absence of clear lines.

The figure, who is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a silk merchant, sits at the center with her arms folded as she gazes at the viewer with a soft smile.

A smile whose ambiguous nature has made this iconic painting even more enigmatic, enticing the viewers to try and understand both the intentions of da Vinci and his muse.

Eugene Delacroix, a leader of Romanticism, painted Liberty leading people in 1830, the same year of the Second French Revolution, also known as the Three Glorious Days.

This conflict was due to the different views on who should rule France.

For three days, working class citizens fought the French Royal army, abdicating King Charles X and creating a constitutional monarchy, radically altering the course of French history.

This large scale painting provides visual insight into this major historical event.

It is an allegorical painting on the concept of liberty embodied by the female figure atop the crowd, who is believed to be Marianne, a personification of the French Republic.

The other figures are placed in the shape of a pyramid with Marianne at the top, emphasizing her importance to the viewers, whose gaze start and end with her.

She is holding the national flag and is wearing a Phrygian cap, which was a garment that was historically chosen by freed slaves in Greece and Rome for its symbolism, that of liberty.

Behind her, a diverse crowd from all walks of life are amidst, celebrating their victory.

The artist depicted this imaginary scene to show his support for the ones who have risked their lives during the second Revolution for the future of France.

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.

Painted by Paolo Veronese in 1563, this large scale painting sits opposite to the Mona Lisa and often goes unnoticed because of its location.

It is painted in a Mannerist style, an art movement that exaggerates classic characteristics of the Renaissance art movement.

Mannerism is depicted through asymmetrical and unnatural choices of light, colors and figures filled with dozens of subjects.

This piece shows the biblical story of the marriage at Cana, which was attended by Mary, Jesus of Nazareth and some of his apostles.

During the wedding ceremony, the supply of wine ends and at Mary's request, Jesus commands the servants to fill stone jugs with water, which he then transformed into wine, which that is what we are seeing here, the moment of this miracle.

In a grand style of a feast of food, music and people, this painting is the largest artwork at the Louvre and was brought to the museum in 1797, over 200 years after it was completed.

Originally, it was hung at the San Giorgio monastery in Venice.

But under Napoleon's reign, during the French Revolutionary wars, his army took this piece as spoils of war, and

that proved to be a difficult task due to its substantial size.

The soldiers had to cut this artwork down the middle and roll it so it could be brought back to France, where it was to be reassembled.

This exquisite marble masterpiece graces the top of the Daru stairway for all to see as they move through the building.

Located in this modern space, she almost looks like she is floating.

Like many other antiquities, its origins were essentially unknown when it was discovered.

But experts have conducted research for years and now believe that it was likely crafted by the people of Rhodes, a Greek island, in the early second century B.C.

this 18 foot sculpture depicts Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, triumphantly stepping forward to the front of a ship during a successful sea battle.

We can see how much the artist has cared for this piece.

The hard texture of the marble somehow looks wet and windblown as Nike's seemingly translucent garment clings onto her, twisting around her waist and wrapping around her legs.

Discovered in 1863 by a French diplomat and archaeologist, this statue was originally only three pieces, the base, the torso and the legs.

The museum made a choice to add on the wings, which were only partially found, and

stopped there, choosing not to recreate the head or the arms.

Almost a century later, archaeologists from Austria found the figure's right hand.

As the figure is armless, there was no way to reattach it to the sculpture, and they didn't.

But unearthing this open palm was still significant, as it disproved theories that the figure originally had have been holding an object.

Throughout the years, this masterpiece has inspired other artists like the surrealist Salvador Dali or the futurist Umberto Boccioni.

But no other piece can captivate audiences as powerfully as the original.

The Code of Hammurabi is an artifact from ancient Mesopotamia and the earliest collection of written laws.

282 to be exact, in the history of mankind.

The text covers various rules and punishments for theft, agriculture, women's rights, slave rights, murder, and death.

In fact, the common phrase an eye for an eye is actually paraphrased from this text.

Created by King Hammurabi in Babylon in 1760 BC it was brought to Susa 3000 years later as spoils of war.

The steel is made from basalt an extremely hard volcanic rock that's very difficult to work with, making the accuracy of these intricate engravings even more impressive.

The figure on the top left is King Hammurabi himself, symbolically receiving the laws from the sun God on the right, Shamash, who was the patron of justice depicted by the flames behind him.

The two figures are portrayed in a rigid stance.

This was typical of Babylonian art, which aimed to portray recognizable characters and scenes without the desire to make them look real or lifelike.

Before the existence of this piece, rules were passed down generations orally.

Hammurabi was the first ruler who decided to convert rules into written laws on record to be available to all.

This courtyard holds the remains of the city of Dur Sharukin, or the fortress of Sargon.

It was ordered to be constructed by King Sargon ii in late 8th century BC and was to be the new capital of the Assyrian Empire.

It was built at the foot of the Mount Musri in present day Iraq and measured at 1,758.6 by 1635, making it the largest city in the ancient world.

It was worked on for 10 years, but was unfortunately never completed.

Its construction came to an abrupt stop when King Sargon II died in a battle.

The site was Then rediscovered in 1843 by the French vice consul in Mosul.

The Lamassu were among the pieces that were excavated and brought back to France.

These magical creatures take the form of hybrid beasts with bodies and ears of winged bulls, the wings of an eagle and the heads of human males which resemble depictions of Sargon ii.

They are Mesopotamian protective entities and have the combined powers of the many different animals their bodies take the form of.

Yet they are benevolent as seen from their gentle smile.

The roles of these gigantic alabaster figures was to watch over the city.

Should the city have been completed and preserved, the Lamassu would be carved at important doorways in order to provide protection.

This marble masterpiece is famous for its beauty and recognized for its missing arms.

But like many other artifacts, not much was known about this piece when it was unearthed in the 19th century on the Asian islands of Milos.

Thanks to the years of research conducted, experts have now pieced together a narrative.

It is said to have been created by Alexandros of Antioch, a Greek sculptor, sometime during 150 to 125 BC.

This sculpture is made of Parian marble, which is a fine grained, semi translucent pure white material that's found in quarries on the island of Paros, Greece.

It features a semi nude female figure posed in a classic S curve.

Bending one way first and then back to the other.

The identity of this larger than life statue has remained a mystery since it was discovered without its arms.

It's nearly impossible to confirm who she's supposed to represent, as many artistic depictions of Greek goddesses contain clues to their identity in the characteristics of their hands.

Some believe it to be Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty.

This is due to her uncovered body and the statue's proximity to a hand holding an apple when it was discovered, which is an attribute of hers.

Others believe it to be Amphitrite, the sea goddess that was worshipped on the island of Melos, where it was found.