louvre. les 300 chefs-d'oeuvre (version anglaise) [French]

by Frédéric Morvan

The Louvre is one of the largest and most prestigious museums in the world, home to 300,000 works of art. This guide presents the highlights from the museum's rich collections, combining stunning... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: French
• ISBN: 2754100695
• ISBN13: 9782754100694
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: HAZAN
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.9" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

A virtual tour that's almost impossible in real life!

"The Louvre is one of the largest and most prestigious museums in the world, home to 300,000 works of art". Think about what that number really means to a potential visitor. If one lives in Paris, attends the museum daily and takes the time, I mean REALLY takes the time, to soak up the beauty of 100 pieces of art every single day, it would take the better part of ten years to do justice to the Louvre. That sort of magnitude was a little bit intimidating when I felt, as a one-time visitor to Paris for only a week, I could really only justify a few hours out of a morning to visit this fabulous museum when all the rest of the city beckoned as well. So it only made sense after what seemed like a cursory dash through a few wings to hit the souvenir shop and buy a good book that would allow me to savour some of the best of the museum's offerings at leisure and, blessedly, without the distraction of crowds in the bargain. What better sampling than 300 favourites selected by none other than Henri Loyrette, President and Director of the museum. The book, like the museum, is broken down into eight sections - Islamic Art; Near Eastern Antiquities; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities; Paintings; Sculptures; Decorative Arts; and Prints and Drawings. His goal in his own words - " By placing over three hundred major works in their historical context, it will provide you with a better understanding of the artistic movements out of which they grew. With its aid, you will take away an unforgettable memory of the Louvre's riches with you." I couldn't agree more and I plan to savour these memories for many years to come. (I thought it a rather sad irony that one of the paintings I most wanted to see in real life, Vermeer's "The Lacemaker" was in a wing that was closed when I visited the museum. Sigh!) Highly recommended. Paul Weiss