The Louvre: A Guide to Art

The world’s greatest museum takes readers inside its unparalleled art collection to understand the keys to history of art.

The Louvre’s art collection is a training ground for the eye. In this book, readers will discover more than four hundred of the museum’s masterpieces, dating from before the invention of writing (7000 BCE) up to the mid-nineteenth century, including romantic or realist works. The richly illustrated guide is organized chronologically and features milestone events in world history, such as the fall of Babylon, the invention of the printing press, and the abolition of slavery in France. Punctuated with focused entries that explore themes like cross-cultural exchange, humanity, power, beauty, the sky, and nature, this compact reference offers readers the keys to understanding art from a global perspective.

Demonstrating a cross-disciplinary approach, this accessible guide brings together works from throughout the museum, spanning continents, civilizations, and historical periods. Iconic works from Western and non-Western arts and cultures have been thoughtfully selected to create an unprecedented dialogue between works, disciplines, and civilizations—often highlighting striking similarities—to achieve a more balanced and universal vision of world art history.

Insightful and informative texts accompany the reproductions of artworks, placing them in their artistic and historical context. This didactic art guide is the ideal companion for the twenty-first-century visitor to the Louvre— as well as the art-loving student or armchair traveler—and extends an invitation to discover (or rediscover) the wealth and diversity of the artworks held at the greatest museum in the world.