Now you do not have to wait for the pandemic restrictions to lift or regret that you did not see the entire museum during your last visit in the pre COVID-19 time. The entire collection of the Louvre Museum of Paris, France, is now available for viewing online.
As visitors to the famous museum will agree it is impossible to see the entire museum in a few hours as most tourists do. But the online collection (available through collections.louvre.fr) will let you see the most popular exhibits at your own pace and from the comfort of your home.
The database not only includes works on display in the museum but also on long-term loan in other French institutions, or in storage.
Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Musée du Louvre said in a press release, &ldquoToday, the Louvre is dusting off its treasures, even the least-known. For the first time, anyone can access the entire collection of works from a computer or smartphone for free, whether they are on display in the museum, on loan, even long-term, or in storage.&rdquo
So now you can easily see the world&rsquos most famous painting, the Mona Lisa, housed in the Louvre&rsquos largest room, the Salle des États, (also home to other remarkable Venetian paintings), without having to wait for a glimpse through the crowd.
According to the museum, the database already contains more than 482,000 entries, including works from the Louvre and the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix, sculptures from the Tuileries and Carrousel gardens, and &lsquoMNR&rsquo works (Musées Nationaux Récupération, or National Museums Recovery) recovered after WWII and entrusted to the Louvre until they can be returned to their legitimate owners. And the team will update the database on a regular basis as new acquisition are made.
One of the most convenient ways to browse the database is by following the inventories showcased under eight curatorial departments &ndash Near Eastern Antiquities Egyptian Antiquities Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities Islamic Art Paintings Medieval, Renaissance and Modern Sculpture Prints and Drawings Medieval, Renaissance and Modern Decorative Arts.