A lot can be said about the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. This is in part because it is one of the most famous museums in the world. Perhaps the fact that it is by far the largest museum in the world has something to do with it too. There is a huge collection at the Louvre.

Long before it became the home of some of the most famous and influential works of art, the Louvre was the home of kings. Built near the end of the 12th century as a fortress for King Philippe Auguste, the Louvre soon became home to a large, private collection of art and sculpture. In the summer of 1793 that all changed.

While the small collection continued to be the property of royalty, for the first time the doors were opened to the public for viewing. The collection grew steadily, acquiring many priceless treasures thought to have fallen prey to the ravages of time, including the lost but not forgotten Venus de Milo, bought by Louis XVIII after it surfaced on the Island of Melos in 1820. Perhaps the most popular work in the collection is the Mona Lisa, one of the best known and loved paintings today. Leonardo da Vinci's master work draws viewers and art aficionados like no other work in history, so it is not surprising that it is also the most protected item here.

In 1848 the museum took on new life, and a new annual budget dedicated to finding new items, as it became the property of the state. The modern day Louvre boasts more than 300, 000 pieces, quite an increase from the mere 200 works during the reign of Louis XIII. Among the celebrated artists still enjoying popularity behiund these old walls are such masters as Francois Boucher (seen on this page), Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Pieter Boel, Francesco Albani and Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. Here you can see the works of the great masters in sculpture, sketch and painting, as well as many artefacts from around our fair planet, throughout our history.

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