The Louvre
The Louvre is a famous museum on the bank of the river Seine in central Paris. Its extensive collection of art and historic artefacts includes hundreds of important paintings, works on paper, sculpture and antiquities, not least Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa which has helped it become one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions.
The building known as The Louvre Palace was originally founded as a medieval fortress and was converted into a Renaissance style residence by the French King Francis I in the mid 16th century. Its beginnings as a gallery date back to Louis XIV using the Louvre as the main location to display the royal collection, following his decision to move the Royal court to Versailles.
Sporting approach to the Paris Olympics
06 July 2024Most Parisian galleries are going away for the summer but one hardy soul is holding an Olympic exhibition
Louvre buys Vénus de Milo cast at auction
30 January 2024The Louvre Museum has used its pre-emption right to successfully secure a 19th century cast of the Vénus de Milo at Artcurial.
News in brief including the Louvre securing a 19th century cast of the Vénus de Milo
29 January 2024A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the Louvre Museum using its pre-emption right to secure a 19th century cast of the Vénus de Milo at an Artcurial auction
Louvre buys medieval panel discovered in a French kitchen
08 November 2023A medieval panel discovered above a stove in a kitchen in France has been bought by The Louvre Museum.
Louvre and Sotheby’s team up to trace provenance of artworks bought by museum during Second World War
25 January 2022The Louvre has agreed a partnership with Sotheby's to research the provenance of artworks acquired between 1933-45 by the museum.
Pre-emptions: stepping in at the fall of the gavel
19 October 2020Pre-emption, the right of a French museum or institution to step in at the fall of the gavel to claim a lot at auctions staged in France for purchase at the hammer price, is a common occurence in such sales.
Louvre secures Renaissance bronze by French sculptor
15 June 2020A newly discovered bronze by a French Renaissance sculptor was acquired by the Louvre museum for €1.15m (£1.05m) at an auction in Paris on June 9.
Louvre buys sketches showing Napoleon’s seizure of art during Prussian campaign
08 October 2019A group of drawings and a sketchbook compiled by an artist assigned to Napoleon’s campaigns in Prussia and Poland in 1806-7 has been secured by the Louvre at a Toulouse auction.
Speculation mounts over whether Louvre in Paris will label Salvator Mundi as a ‘workshop’ picture
30 May 2019The question regarding the authorship of Leonardo's ‘Salvator Mundi’, the world’s most expensive painting, has again been the subject of media attention this week after it was claimed that experts at the Louvre in Paris are reluctant to exhibit it as a fully autograph work.
Salvator Mundi: Louvre museum asks owner to loan world’s most expensive painting for Paris exhibition
20 February 2019The Louvre museum in Paris has requested the loan of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ for its major exhibition dedicated to the artist opening in October.
Pre-emptions in Paris: Four of the latest museum purchases at the Drouot auction centre
05 November 2018The right of French museums to claim a lot offered at auction as soon as the final price is determined by the fall of the hammer always adds an extra dimension to any auction in France.
Unveiling of Salvator Mundi at Louvre Abu Dhabi delayed
04 September 2018Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism is postponing the unveiling of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Salvator Mundi’ at The Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Louvre acquires ancient Greek vases excavated by Napoleon’s brother at auction
29 May 2018Two Attic black figure vases that formerly belonged to Lucien Bonaparte, the younger brother of Napoleon, were acquired by the Louvre from an auction held at Drouot in Paris by Pierre Bergé et Associés (PBA).
Louvre secures funding from 8500 donors to buy £8m Book of Hours once owned by Francis I of France
20 February 2018The Louvre Museum in Paris has raised more than £8m to buy a jewel-encrusted Book of Hours.
Saudi prince identified as buyer of Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi as $450m painting heads to The Louvre Abu Dhabi
09 December 2017A member of the Saudi royal family has been identified as the winning bidder of Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi.
Leonardo’s Salvator Mundi heads to The Louvre Abu Dhabi
06 December 2017The Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced on Twitter that Leonardo's Salvator Mundi is heading to the newly opened museum in the Middle East.
Louvre aims to buy £8m Book of Hours
30 October 2017The Louvre museum in Paris is hoping to raise more than £8m to buy a jewel-encrusted Book of Hours.
Louvre buys duc de Berry’s tomb mourners at Paris auction
24 June 2016Two finely carved marble figures of mourners from the tomb of Jean de France, the duc de Berry (1340-1416) brother of King Charles V of France were secured by the Louvre for €4.4m (£3.67m) at Christie’s Paris last week.
Louvre acquires tureens made for George III
16 January 2012SOTHEBY’S Paris have announced that they have negotiated a private treaty sale to the Louvre for an undisclosed sum of a pair of silver tureens, covers, liners and stands by the French goldsmith Robert-Joseph Auguste.
Louvre acquire ‘withdrawn’ royal French jewel
29 April 2008The Louvre have secured the return of a French Crown Jewel after 121 years, through a private sale with Christie’s New York.
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