Plaatsvinden

The Louvre Museum in Paris is the most visited art museum in the world; it is also one of the oldest, largest, and most famous.

The museum’s official site is available in French, English, and Japanese.

First, it contains information on the museum itself, its history, its garden and tuileries.

Next, there is information about the collection: some 35,000 works of art, displayed in over 60,000 square meters of exhibition space. There is a “kaleidoscope” with a list of visual themes, and an overview of the four online databases that can be accessed through the web site:

• The Atlas describing the works of art exhibited at the museum
• The illustrated Inventory of the Department of Prints and Drawings, a catalogue of the museum’s 140,000 works on paper
• The La Fayette Database of American Art, presenting the more than 1,700 works produced by United States artists that entered the national collections of France before 1940
• The Joconde, with 120,000 descriptions of drawings, prints, and paintings from the 7th century to the present day, from the collections of over sixty French museums

Then there’s an overview of past, current and future exhibitions; information on the Auditorium and the lectures and symposia, readings and performances held there; and an overview of the other activities at the Louvre, such as guided tours, workshops, and classes.

Finally, the web site contains practical information for visitors, e.g., opening hours and admission fees, and online stores where one can buy both tickets and museum-related items, such as books, DVDs, and casts of sculptures.

Our verdict: highly recommended resource, 5/5.