Now is your chance to see the "Mona Lisa" and other works of art at the Louvre in Paris - without leaving the comfort and safety of your home.
For the first time ever, the entire Louvre collection is available online, whether works are on display in the museum, in storage or on long-term loan in other French institutions
IT’S the world's most visited museum and houses one of the most famous paintings on the planet - Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa - and those who dream of visiting the Musée du Louvre in Paris can now do so, albeit virtually.
The richness of the Louvre collections can be seen on a new platform that brings together all of the museum’s artworks in one place, and a new website that is more user-friendly and immersive has also been launched.
For the first time ever, the entire Louvre collection is available online, whether works are on display in the museum, in storage or on long-term loan in other French institutions.
Designed for both researchers and curious art lovers, more than 482,000 entries can be seen for free, including works from the Louvre and the Musée National Eugène-Delacroix and sculptures from the Tuileries and Carrousel Gardens.
There are also works from Musées Nationaux Récupération, which were recovered after WWII and entrusted to the Louvre until they can be returned to their legitimate owners.
The museum's most famous works of art like "Winged Victory," "Venus de Milo" and, of course, the "Mona Lisa" are available to peruse online, along with thousands of other items like paintings, sculpture, jewelry, furniture, textiles, and historical objects.
It comes after a year of pandemic-related shutdowns that has seen an explosion in visits to its main website, louvre.fr, which has also been given a major makeover.
"It's a step that has been in preparation for several years with the aim of serving the general public as well as researchers. Accessibility is at the heart of our mission," said president-director Jean-Luc Martinez.
The site offers several ways to delve into the collections including simple or advanced searches, entries by the curatorial department or by themed albums.
An interactive map helps visitors prepare or extend their visit and allows them to explore the museum room by room. Updated regularly by museum experts, the database will continue to grow and reflect advances in research.
The second way to admire artworks from the museum is via its new website.
Divided into three main sections and focusing on works in the collections and the sumptuous settings they're displayed in, the site invites visitors to appreciate the former palace as they move from room to room.
Available in French, English, Spanish and Chinese, the site can be visited on tablets and computers but is intended primarily for use on smartphones. It is designed to stay in sync with the Louvre as the museum develops more digital content.
The Louvre closed to visitors at the start of the pandemic and briefly reopened over the summer with new COVID-19 precautions.
The museum remains closed to visitors at this time due to Paris's lockdown and is currently undergoing renovation like adding new security systems, cleaning sculptures, and reorganizing entrances. (NP)
Tags: #finearts, #Louvre, #onlineexhibit, #COVID19