Tourism Paris and Ile de France

Top 10 must-see works at the Louvre Museum

Discover the 10 iconic works not to be missed during your visit to the Louvre: from the Mona Lisa to the Winged Victory of Samothrace, via Delacroix, Géricault and Canova, immerse yourself in the treasures of an extraordinary museum.

Share:

1 Mona Lisa - Leonardo da Vinci

 

View of the painting La Joconde at the Louvre, France

The Mona Lisa / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com :  alfredosaz.gmail.com via depositphotos


Painted between 1503 and 1517, it probably depicts Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Famous for its enigmatic smile, it was stolen in 1911 and recovered in 1912.


📍 Aile Denon - Salle 711, Salle des États

 

 

2 The Venus de Milo

 

The sculpture Venus de Milo at the Louvre

The Venus de Milo / Iphoto Reidl/Shutterstock.fr


Discovered in 1820 on the Greek island of Milo, this ancient sculpture made between 150 and 130 BC remains a mystery... not least because of its missing arms.


📍 Ground floor, Sully Wing - Room 16

 

 

3 Victory of Samothrace

 

The sculpture Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre

The Victory of Samothrace / photo muratart/Shutterstock.fr

 

Imposing winged statue, nearly 3 meters tall, found in 1863 on the island of Samothrace. It probably dates from the 2nd century BC.


📍 Aile Denon - Escalier Daru, Salle 703

 

 

4 The Raft of the Medusa - Théodore Géricault

 

The painting The Raft of the Medusa at the Louvre

"The Raft of the Medusa" by Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), produced in 1818-1819 and exhibited at the Louvre Museum.

 

Painted between 1818 and 1819, this dramatic masterpiece recounts the sinking of the ship "La Méduse" in 1816, where only 10 survivors are rescued.


📍 Aile Denon - Salle 700, Salle Mollien

 

 

5 The Wedding at Cana - Paul Veronese

 

The painting The Wedding at Cana by Paul Veronese, Louvre Museum, Paris.

The Wedding at Cana (1563) by Paul Veronese (1528-1588). Musée du Louvre, Paris;

 

Huge canvas (almost 10 m wide) painted in 1563. Seized by Napoleonic troops in 1797, it never left the Louvre.


📍 Aile Denon - Salle 711, Salle des États

 

 

6 The Slaves - Michelangelo

 

A close-up photo of the sculpture The Dying Slave by Michelangelo at the Louvre

The Dying Slave by Michelangelo (1513-1515) Photo by Jean-Baptiste D. on Unsplash

 

Two sculptures: "L'Esclave mourant" and "L'Esclave rebelle", created between 1513 and 1515, presented to King François I.


📍 Aile Denon - Ground floor, Room 403

 

 

7 The Rite of Napoleon - Jacques-Louis David

 

The painting The Coronation of Napoleon at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The Coronation of Napoleon “Coronation of Emperor Napoleon Iand Empress Josephine in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, December 2, 1804” by Jacques-Louis DAVID (1807 1809) Louvre Museum, Paris.


Painted from 1807 to 1809 by Jacques Louis DAVID, it depicts Napoleon crowning Josephine at Notre-Dame de Paris, before Pius VII and the imperial court.


📍 Aile Denon - Salle 702, Salle Daru

 

 

8 The Crouching Scribe

 

Sculpture Crouching Scribe at the Louvre Museum

The crouching scribe from the Musée du Louvre (2600 BC) Musée du Louvre / By photo Vladimir Wrangel/Shutterstock.fr

 

Over 4700 years old (c. 2600 BC), this Egyptian limestone sculpture shows a scribe ready to write.


📍 Sully Wing - 1st floor, Room 635

 

 

9 Liberty Guiding the People - Eugène Delacroix

 

Painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Louvre Museum, Paris.

Liberty Leading the People / Eugène Delacroix (1830) Louvre Museum, Paris.

 

Created in 1830 by Eugène DELACROIX, this painting embodies the "Trois Glorieuses", the July uprising. Became a symbol of the Republic.


📍 Denon wing - Room 700 (Romanticism)

 

 

10 Psyche revived by Love's kiss - Antonio Canova

 

Close-up of the sculpture Psyche Revived by the Breath of Love at the Louvre

Psychée revived by the Baiser de l'amour at the Louvre / photo Paolo Gallo/Shutterstock.fr

 

A masterpiece of neoclassicism, this marble sculpture (1787-1793) embodies eternal love and tenderness.


📍 Aile Denon - Salle 4, Galerie Michel-Ange

 

Jérôme Monsieur de France

Jérôme Monsieur de France

Jérôme is a Monsieur de France.
He is the author of this website dedicated to tourism in France, its history, and its heritage. Passionate about historical treasures, French traditions, and the country's most beautiful places, he has been writing for various media outlets for many years on topics related to heritage, tourism in France, and regional cuisine. Here, he shares his ideas for trips, whether for a weekend or a week, highlighting monuments, historical figures, iconic landscapes, and traditional recipes. Through his stories, he invites you to discover French culture, its symbols, and the hidden treasures that make France a unique destination.

Jérôme Monsieur de France

Jérôme Monsieur de France

Jérôme is a Monsieur de France.
He is the author of this website dedicated to tourism in France, its history, and its heritage. Passionate about historical treasures, French traditions, and the country's most beautiful places, he has been writing for various media outlets for many years on topics related to heritage, tourism in France, and regional cuisine. Here, he shares his ideas for trips, whether for a weekend or a week, highlighting monuments, historical figures, iconic landscapes, and traditional recipes. Through his stories, he invites you to discover French culture, its symbols, and the hidden treasures that make France a unique destination.