10 Aug: Let’s Open The Louvre
The world’s most famous museum opened to the public for the very first time on 10th August, 1793: exactly one year after France abolished the monarchy. The Louvre, housed in a former royal palace, was redolent with symbolism: treasures once hidden behind the walls of kings and queens were now open to the people.
The collection was already impressive: over 500 paintings, plus sculptures and decorative objects confiscated from the church and nobility. Visitors could finally see masterpieces by Raphael, Rubens, and Michelangelo – works they had only ever heard of. Over time, the Louvre’s collection grew dramatically, especially thanks to Napoleon, who “borrowed” treasures from across Europe and Egypt to fill its halls.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how the museum copes with the overwhelming number of tourists who only want to see the Mona Lisa; reveal why the museum wasn’t ‘complete’ until 1993; and recall possibly its most controversial addition – the glass pyramid entrance designed by I.M. Pei…
Further Reading:
• ‘The Louvre – The Many Lives of the World’s Most Famous Museum, By James Gardner’ (Grove Press, 2020): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Louvre/oMfEDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=the+louvre&printsec=frontcover
• ‘Louvre Museum opens | August 10, 1793’ (HISTORY, 2010): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/August-10/louvre-museum-opens
• ‘The Louvre: A Drone Tour of the World’s Most Famous Museum’ *(Top Virtual Tours, 2019):