Located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, the Louvre (officially the Musée du Louvre) is the biggest and probably the most famous art gallery on the planet. To celebrate its 225th birthday on August 10, 2018, here are 15 interesting facts you might not know about this icon of the art world:
1. It wasn’t actually built to be a museum
Built in 1190, the Louvre was originally a fortress. It then became a royal palace, butthe French monarchy ultimately upped sticks and moved to the Palace of Versailles. Finally, in 1793, the Louvre opened to the public as a museum. The total number of paintings on display at the time? Just 537.
2. The collection grew rapidly, thanks in part to Napoleon
He expanded the collection by around 5,000 pieces as the French army plundered art and archaeological items during the Napoleonic war – but many of them were returned to their original owners after his defeat.
3. Napoleon also changed the museum’s name
He renamed it – what else – the Musée Napoleon. And during his rule, Napoleon hung the Mona Lisa in his private bedroom!
4. Speaking of the Mona Lisa, it was once stolen from the Louvre
In 1911, three Italian men hid in the museum overnight and pinched the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci – it was only returned to the Louvre two years later.
5. These days, security is a bit tighter…
The Mona Lisa has its own bodyguards and is protected by bulletproof glass in a climate-controlled room. But if you’ve never seen La Gioconda in person, prepare for a shock – it’s only 53cm x 77cm!
6. The painting is one of approximately 380,000 artworks in the museum
But only around 35,000 of them are on display at any one time.
7. Don’t just look at the paintings and sculptures
Be sure to look up – the incredible ornate ceilings are works of art, too.
8. The Louvre really stuck it to the Nazis during World War II
Nazi Germany had a special task force dedicated to plundering works of art from the countries it defeated. When Paris fell to the Germans in 1940, the Louvre would have suffered the same fate if it wasn’t for the efforts of Jacques Jaujard, then Director of National Museums. He organised for 4,000 pieces – some of them enormous, all of them treasured and, in many cases, invaluable – to be moved from the Louvre in secret and kept in safety at various places around France. When the Germans were defeated, the treasures were returned to the museum. #legend
9. Just like the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre’s glass pyramid was controversial
It was built in 1989 by Chinese-American architect, I.M. Pei, who was the first non-French architect to work on the Louvre. Traditionalists called the 21-metre-high structure – made entirely from glass and metal – an outrage. I.M. Pei (who celebrated his 101st birthday in 2018) has seen the pendulum of public opinion swing firmly in the opposite direction over the years – the pyramid even starred in the Tom Hanks movie, The Da Vinci Code.
10. An artist once made the pyramid vanish
By executing an optical illusion involving black-and-white photographs of the surrounding buildings, French artist JR made the three-storey pyramid “disappear” for an entire month.
11. As of November 2017, there are actually two Louvre museums in the world
You’ll find the newest museum in the UAE, located on an island overlooking the blue waters of the Arabian Gulf. The Louvre Abu Dhabi has been designed like a medina, or city, with 55 different buildings beneath its massive, beautiful dome, which was created by layering 7,850metal stars and – rumour has it – weighs almost as much as the Eiffel Tower!
12. Beyoncé tours are now available at the Louvre
Earlier this year, Beyoncé and her hubby, Jay-Z, made a video for their single, Everything is Love. The filming location was, you guessed it, the Louvre, and you can now take a 90-minute guided tour of the 17 pieces of art featured in the music clip.
13. It had a very good year in 2017
According to the Louvre’s press room, the most recent figures show that there were 8.1 million visitors to the Louvre in 2017. Get. There. Early.
14. It’s the biggest museum in the world
According to Wikipedia, it’s 5,893 square metres bigger than its nearest competitor, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
15. But don’t worry if you get lost – there’s an app for that
The free app is called “My Visit to the Louvre” and features information about hundreds of major artworks, as well as letting users pinpoint their location – and find an exit.