Paris, Louvre

Q19675

It is hard to write a review of the Louvre in Paris, because it is one of the world’s largest museums. There are many departments, and each one of them might, in its field, have been a museum of the first order. For example, it is hard to find another Egyptological museum in Europe that equals the Louvre.

The museum also has a reputation for interesting expositions – one on Meroe and one on the archaeology of Saudi Arabia during my latest visit – and to be honest: one ought to visit the Louvre twice a year to keep in touch. The people of Paris are unusually blessed.

If you visit the museum for the first time, you will be surprised by the pyramid-shaped entrance. Use the time you lose to pass the bomb check and buy a ticket to look at it, because it is a monument of the first order.

I already mentioned the Egyptian department, where you can easily spend a full day. There are portraits of the Egyptian kings and objects from daily life, and what is even better: the full history is dealth with, so you will also find objects from the first millennium BCE. The Greek, Roman, and Coptic age are not ignored either, although you need to go to Greek department for the royal portraits of the Ptolemies.

The Egyptian department is deservedly famous, and attracts many visitors, who are usually exhausted when they are half-way their tour. Usually, they will take the shortest route to the exit, which brings them through the departments of Cypriote, Arab, Palmyrene, and Phoenician art – which are, as a consequence, full of people who are not interested in the objects. That is a pity, because these rooms alone justify a trip to Paris. Still, if you manage to ignore the crowd of tired visitors to the Egyptian department, you will certainly enjoy coffins from Sidon, Byblos, and Carthage, Nabataean inscriptions, and statues from Cyprus. One of my favorites is a relief of one of the divine triad of Palmyra. You will need half a day to study it well.

Next to it is the Oriental department. The most famous object is, of course, the Code of Hammurabi. Don’t concentrate on the diorite monolith only, but also look in the small display in the same room, because there you will see cuneiform tablets with the same text – one of them written more than a millennium later and proving that these laws had become some kind of Mesopotamian classic, and it is probably no coincidence that the division of these Old Babylonian laws returns in the Ten Commandments.

The Code of Hammurabi was found in Susa, which is a prominent part of the oriental collection. You will also see a wall decorated with Achaemenid soldiers and cuneiform tablets from this Iranian town. Other important excavations are Mari and Khorsabad, but there is a lot more to see. There are also rooms devoted to Jordan and western Syria; they are not adjacent to the eastern Syria and the other Levantine rooms, which is a bit impractical – but the Mesha stela is worth the detour. You need a full day to study the entire oriental department.

The Roman department is surprisingly small. Yet, there is a lot of fine sculpture, including a nice series of portraits of Roman rulers. Next to it is a comparatively small Etruscan department. A gallery of rather mediocre statues brings you to the room devoted to Roman art that was later restored, which is great fun: usually, you can immediately see which part is ancient and which is an addition. (Here, you will also find Canova’s famous Amor and Psyche.) You need about half a day to see it all, read the explanatory signs, and take your photos.

The Greek department is larger – you again need a full day to study it all. The two most famous pieces are the expressive Nike of Samothrake and the famous Venus of Milo. The latter is more or less the museum’s raison d’être. Napoleon had looted the Italian museums, but after he had found his Waterloo, all those works of art had to be returned. In an age in which it was believed that inspiration by great art created great minds, and that Greek art was the most inspirational, the emptying of the Louvre was believed to be a national disaster, but fortunately, the Venus of Milo was found. Now, France could compete again with the British, who had the Elgin Marbles. That the armless deity was a Hellenistic and not a Classical statue, was ignored – the inscription which proves it, is now conveniently lost.

The Greek department also has some fine temple remains (from a/o Assos), the Tanagra statuettes that I increasingly love, and lots of pottery. Unfortunately, the rooms with Greek ceramics have recently been closed. I haven’t seen the Croesus to the left for quite some time: last time, the room was closed to install better protection; before that, it was on loan to another museum.

The crowds are very large, and you may count yourself lucky that I did not bring you to the paintings. This makes a visit to the Louvre a bit difficult, and you must prepare yourself well; fortunately, the museum’s website is excellent. Four days is the minimum for the ancient departments.

Finally, I must mention one little gem that is often ignored and where you can, consequently, quietly look at the objects: the room with metal objects. There is some fine silver work, but you will also see the helmet of a gladiator, a nice statuette of the Tyche of Antioch, the head of Demetrius Poliorcetes, a hoplite’s panoply, a curse tablet from the Crimea, Roman military diplomas, and so on.

But unfortunately, that’s the only part of the museum where you will not meet many other people. In fact, the museum is too big, and I think that it would be wiser to split it into smaller museums.

This museum was visited in 1984, 1989, 2008, 2010, 2020.

301 pictures related to this museum

Eshnunna, Relief of Ištar	Pyla, Temple of Apollo, Portrait of a man	Nineveh, Palace of Aššurbanipal, Relief of Arbela	Delos, Portrait of Alexander the Great
Senusret III	Drawing of Ramesses VII	Cherchell, Inscription of Micipsa	Susa, Hellenistic or Parthian figurine of a harpist
King Djedefra	Caere, Sarcophagus of the Spouses	Susa, Inscription of Nicocles	Caere, Banditaccia necropolis, Wall painting of an archer
Susa, Dedication to Inšušinak	Corinth, Hoplite battle (Tydeus painter)	Apries	Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of man dressed as an ostrich
Arsinoe II	Demetrius I Poliorcetes	Corinth, Small painting of Poseidon	Nineveh, Palace of Aššurbanipal, Sumerian-Akkadian Dictionary
Khorsabad, Foundation Tablet	Antioch, Judgment of Paris	Sarcophagus with the body of Hector	Susa, Stone relief with a banquet scene
Ptolemy I Soter	Aegis of Osorkon IV	Chalouf, Darius' DZb inscription	Amulet of Darius
Herodes Atticus	Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib, king Sargon	Giza, Diner of Nefer	Rome, S. Pietro, Sarcophagus with Christ as Lawgiver
Bawit, Coptic church, Model	Coptic tunic	Pharsalus, Funerary stela with a relief of a flower offering	Tombstone of Iglum, son of Sa'adillat
The Azara herm	Dibon, Mesha Stela	The Azara herm	Beirut, Christian phylacterium, invoking the protection of several celestial beings to protect one Alexandra
Senusret III	Kition, Egyptianizing capital	Alexandria, Tombstone of Longinus of II Traiana	Alexandria, Alexander the Great as City Founder
Drawing of Amenhotep I	Yemen, Woman's head	Sippar, Contract from the reign of Xerxes about a canal	Cleopatra II or III as Isis
Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief	Ugarit, Alphabet tablet	Susa, Relief with the sacrifice of goat	Theodosius II
Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus	Susa, Neo-Elamite decoration (dragon)	Marib, Dedication to Almaqah	Achaemenid jar with representation of Bes
Ptolemy XII Auletes	Rhodes, Dish with a sphinx	Livia (Paris)	Dedication by Ilîmagud Mayfa
Khorsabad, Iron tool	Aššur, Annals of Tikulti-Ninurta II	Ptolemy X Alexander	Horus, Osiris, Isis
Bawit, Portrait of a lady	Susa, Stela of Šutruru	Beirut, Tombstone of Valerius Rufus of VII Claudia	Bishapur, Palace, Stucco apse
Utica, Oil lamp with a lion and a panther	Susa, Funerary portrait	Cleopatra VII Philopator in Egyptian style	Gortyn, Inscription with laws
Artemis and Apollo killing the Niobids	Agrippa Postumus	Babylonian map of the western Zagros. A road, a mountain, and a river are indicated.	Charlemagne
Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Elamite)	Geta	Merenptah	Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief: the bull-man
An Egyptian poem about the battle of Kadesh	Susa, Gold plate with royal warrior	Cartouche of Osorkon I	Susa, Sasanian cup
Eretria, Two-headed phial	Ptolemy II Philadelphus	Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Sphinxes	Athens, Heliaia, Allotment plate
Faustina II	Susa, Stone fish	Susa, Soldiers' Relief	Ptolemy IV Philopator
Madaba, Funeral inscription of Itaybel	Pittacus	Susa, Soldiers' Relief	The Albani Alexander
The Azara herm	Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of a Dionysiac head	Susa, Battle axe	Agrippa
Olympia, Temple of Zeus, Model	Susa, Middle-Elamite model of a sun ritual	Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Babylonian)	Idalion, orientalizing gold dish
Ramesses IV	Statuette of a Libyan	Susa, Soldiers' Relief	Nectanebo I wearing the war crown
Achmim, Funerary stela of Pamim	Domitian	Ladjvard, Sasanian king, perhaps Peroz	Susa, Soldiers' Relief
Byzantine, Dromedary-shaped lamp	Smyrna, Honorific decree for an officer of VI Ferrata	Susa, Weight from Didyma	Justinian I (Barberini Ivory)
Vase painting of an archaic Greek galley	Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Immortal, Counterweight of a spear	Yemen, Relief of a bird eating grapes	Byblos, Temple of Baalat, Figurine of a bull
Antinoopolis, Coptic textile, Nilotic scene (including nilometer)	The Tyche of Antioch (figurine)	Nimrud, Relief of an Anatolian fort	Bawit, Icon of Christ and St.Menas
Osorkon I	Assos, Temple of Athena, Relief of a symposium	Smyrna, Diadumenianus	Tepe Sialk, Pot from the fourth millennium BCE, decorated with an ibex
Berenice II	Ptolemy III Euergetes	Sardes, Temple of Artemis, Relief of the "Mistress of the animals". (The archer partly visible to the right must be Heracles.)	Saqqara, Serapeum, Relief of Isis and Nectanebo II
The Azara herm	Taharqo venerating the falcon-god Hemen	Figurine from Bactria	Suovetaurilia
Tyre, Hellenistic building inscription from Al-Ma'shook	Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Inscription	Fayyum, Coptic chalice	Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Flowers
Sphinx of king Siamun	Susa, Soldiers' Relief	Arsinoe III	Uruk, Cuneiform tablet with first use of a zero
Susa, Apadana, Inscription DSf (Old Persian)	Lascuta, Imperator inscription	Seleucus I Nicator	Susa, Soldiers' Relief with inscription
Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Goddess	Ajax and Cassandra.	Montuhotep II wearing the red deshret crown	Susa, Letter from Artabanus II, requesting the appointment of one Hecataeus as treasurer
The Azara herm	Psammetichus I	Furnos Minus, Christian funerary mosaic	Oea, Punic sphinx
Bosra, Nabataean altar	Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib, prince Sennacherib	Cirta, Sanctuary of El-Hofra, Votive stela	Khorsabad, Relief of rafts on a great river
Relief of a Roman officer	Bishapur, Palace, Mosaic of a musician	Rhagae, Dancers on a piece of pottery	Alexander IV
Mithridates V Euergetes	Lagash, Vulture Stele, Sumerian phalanx	Amasis	Susa, Soldiers' Relief
Informal portrait of Sobekhotep IV	Annius Verus	Fragment of the sarcophagus of Sety II	Susa, Soldiers' Relief
Socrates	Tayma, Aramaic funerary inscription	Crassus	Boy with hoop and rooster
Corbulo	Susa, Apadana, Capital	Timna, Dedication by Rathad'il	Demetrius Poliorcetes
Khorsabad, Relief of two courtiers	Portrait of a man, third quarter of the first century CE (the so-called "Vitellius")	Kition, Figurine of a woman	Susa, Silver rhyton
Antonia Minor	Figurine of an Etruscan warrior	Byblos, Relief of a lion	Edessa, Mosaic of a lady
Tayma, Relief of a sacrifical meal; Assyrian influence	Thyatira, Relief of a gladiator (thraex)	Rhodes, Mycenaean jar with a bull (LH IIIa2)	King of the Eleventh/Twelfth Dynasty
Susa, Soldiers' Relief	Athens, Black-figured dish with a Scythian archer	Yemen, Dromedary pendant	Coptic jar with decoration of a woman with wild animals
Sobekhotep IV	Apollonia, Relief of two hoplites	Thelsae, Nabataean altar	Gladiator helmet
Antiochus III the Great	Aelius Caesar	Persian nobleman; statue from Egypt	Matidia
Rhodes, Mycenaean cup (LH IIIa2)	Alexander I Balas	Susa, Stela of Adda-hamiti-Inšušinak	Egypt, Byzantine textile, Erotes picking grapes
Julia Mamaea	Baalbek, Mosaic of the Birth of Paris	Bowl from Tepe Hesar I	Pompey the Great. Louvre, Paris (France)
Alexander, Statuette from Lower Egypt	Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Lion	Tayma, Dedication to Salm	Statuette of Bes, dedicated by Pakher, chancellor of king Psamtek I
Ptolemy IV Philopator or Ptolemy VI Philometor	Relief of a scribe	Megara, Figurine of two hoplites	Utica, Oil lamp with a lion and a crocodile
Hermopolis, Portrait of a Cleopatra I, Cleopatra II, or Berenice III	Moabite warrior god	Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Lion	Susa, Soldiers' Relief with inscription DSm
Statuette of Raherka, inspector of the scribes, and his wife Merseanch	Susa, Middle-Elamite basrelief of warrior gods	Susa, Soldiers' Relief	Bottle from Tepe Hesar level II
Statues of Sekhmet	Head of Croesus on a Greek vase	Assos, Temple of Athena, relief, Triton	Titus
Antiochus VI Dionysus	Nimrud, Northwest Palace of Aššurnasirpal II, Foundation Inscription	Nicomedia, Hellenistic Funerary relief	Valerian Jr
Palmyra, Tombstone of a priest	Antinoopolis, Coptic textile, Praying man with candelaber and ankh	Smyrna, Attalus II Philadelphus	Susa, Rim of a cup with the name of Xerxes
Cyprus, Bilingual Greek-Phoenician inscription	Didia Clara	Alexandria Troas, Psyche on a dromedary	Assos, Temple of Athena, Relief of two bulls
Susa, Statue of queen Napirasu, wife of Untaš-Napiriša	Ptolemy XI Alexander, gold sealing ring	Fausta	Khorsabad, Lamassu
Ugarit, Temple of Baal, Stele with the king of Ugarit in front of the god Baal Saphon	Mask of a Sumerian	Hadrumetum, Sanctuary of Baal Hammon, Punic stela	Wadi Miyah, Palmyrene triad: Aglibol (Moon), Ba'al Šamem (Lord of Heaven), and Malekbel (Sun)
Greek plate with a picture of the Chimaera. Louvre, Paris (France)	Tepe Sialk, Sherd from the fourth millennium BCE	Portrait of a Roman man (CE 070-100)	Hadrumetum, Sanctuary of Baal Hammon, Punic stela with three baetyls
Old Paphos, Epitaph of King Echetimus	Sippar, Cylinder with a building inscription from the reign of Hammurabi	Ur, Foundation statuette of Amar-Sin	Sallustia Orbiana
Enkomi, Late Bronze pectoral with sphinxes	Shabaqo	Salonina	Cyrene, Statue of Antinous
Esarhaddon and his mother attend the restoration of Babylon	Messalina	Susa, Achaemenid administrative document	Sobekhotep IV
Idalion, statue of Melqart	Byblos, Temple of Baalat, Figurines	Rhodes, Head-shaped aryballos	Choga Zanbil, Model
Apollonia, Relief to commemorate the battle of Actium	Ostracon with a Coptic Writing Exercise (Thebaid)	Girsu, Tablet with a fragment of the Sumerian Creation Epic	Julia Domna
Nectanebo I, wearing the crown of Upper Egypt	Heraclius and Khusrau	Sippar, Victory stela of Naram-Sin	Nefertiti and Akhenaten
Choga Zanbil, Ziggurat, Doorknobs (Paris)	Susa, Soldiers' Relief, Mythological creatures	Leo I	Susa, The Awan King List
Susa, Treaty between Naram-Sin and Elam	Tayma, Taymanite inscription	Lambaesis, Rules for the trumpetters of III Augusta	Ugarit, Stele of the "smiting god"
Statuette of a hippopotamus	Susa, Temple of the Šutrukids, Relief	Khorsabad, Lion-taming spirit ("Gilgameš")	Khorsabad, Relief of Sargon and Sennacherib
Utica, Funeral stela	Keki, the courtier	Saba, the Arab warrior Mushayqat Hamayat ibn Yusuf on a dromedary	POWs being led away on an Akkadian victory stele
Marib, Dedication to Almaqah, detail	Tayma, Nabataean votive stela	Soknopaiou Nesos, Stele of Isis, Horus, and Cleopatra VII Philopator	Upper part of the Codex of Hammurabi; taken from Babylon to Susa, it was excavated in what is now Iran.
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