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4. The Louvre and its Collections.
Of all the public edifices in Paris the **Louvre (lupara)
(the Old and the New) is the most important, and on account of
its vast and valuable collections the most interesting to strangers.
It occupies the site of a fortress, which Francis I. caused to be
demolished in 1541 in order to make way for the present palace.
It was subsequently occupied by Catherine de Medicis and her
son Charles IX. Here, Aug. 19th, 1572, the marriage of the
Princess Margaret of Valois with the king of Navarre, afterwards
Henry IV. of France, at which most of the Huguenot chiefs were
present, was solemnized. Five days later, on the night of Aug.
24th, the order emanated hence for the massacre of the Huguenots,
at a signal given by the neighbouring church bell of St. Germain
l'Auxerrois. From this palace the guards went forth and assassinated
Admiral Coligny at his residence, the Hôtel Ponthieu near the
Place du Louvre, on the spot where the Café Coligny now stands,
Rue de Rivoli 114. Tradition alleges that out of one of the S.
windows of the palace Charles IX. fired upon his subjects, and
an inscription to that effect was accordingly engraved under the
window in question: "C'est de cette fenêtre que l'infâme Charles IX.,
d'exécrable mémoire, a tiré sur le peuple avec une carabine." Six
years later, however, this inscription was erased, it having been
discovered that that portion of the building had not been erected
till the reign of Henry IV. The window whence the shot was
actually fired was in that part of the palace afterwards demolished
by Louis XIII. to make room for improvements.
After the murder of Henry IV. (by Ravaillac, May 14th, 1610),
whose remains were laid out on a bed still existing, Louis XIII.
only occasionally resided in the palace. The subsequent monarchs
were accustomed to reside at St. Germain, Versailles or in the
Tuileries. The Louvre then became the seat of various government
establishments, and was rapidly falling to decay when Napoleon
I. ordered it to be entirely restored in 1805. As early
as 1796 several apartments were poorly fitted up for the reception
that time the destination of the Louvre has remained the same.
The apartments on the basement story contain Statuary from
the Assyrian and Egyptian down to modern times; on the first
floor are Pictures, Drawings, Antiquities, valuable
Relics etc., on the second floor Marine and Ethnological
collections.
All the collections are accessible daily (Mondays excepted)
from 10 to 12 to visitors with a passport (or visiting-card), from
12 to 4 open to the public. The morning hours are the quietest
and most favourable for the enjoyment of the collections. In
the afternoon, between 1 and 4 o'clock, the crowd is generally
very great, especially in the Picture Gallery. The fact that
upwards of 4000 L. is annually paid for the care of sticks and
umbrellas will convey some idea of the vast influx of visitors.
The annexed plan will serve to afford a clue to the position
of the various chambers and their contents; the openings
in the lines denote entrances. — Sticks and umbrellas must be
given into custody at the doors; a charge of 10 c. each is made.
The principal entrance is below the clock, in the hall leading
from the Cour du Louvre to the Place Napoléon.
Some of the most interesting objects in the different collections
on the Basement-story are here enumerated:
The *Assyrian Antiquities (Musée Assyrien) (separate entrance
in the hall between the Cour du Louvre and Place du Louvre)
are the result of excavations made (1843—45) in the vicinity
of Niniveh, under the superintendence of M. Bolta, French consul
in Syria. The winged bulls with human heads and the reliefs
on the walls are similar to those contained in the British Museum.
Fragments of a vast palace, perhaps upwards of 4000 years old,
are especially remarkable. The winged bulls, which formed the
entrance to the palace, are monoliths. Adjacent are two heroes,
each holding a young lion under one arm and a scourage in the
other hand, alleged to represent the Assyrian kings Nebuchadnezzar
and Senaccherib. The various specimens of Assyrian
hieroglyphics, which are to be seen here, have hitherto defied
the research of the antiquary.
The following hall contains
Antiquities from Asia Minor. By the wall: *Frieze of the
temple of Artemis Leucophrys (Diana with the white forehead)
at Magnesia near Ephesus. *Vase from Pergamos, presented in
1838 by Sultan Mahmoud. Fragments, of other edifices, Greek
inscriptions etc.
Then the Collection of Casts (Sculptures Moulées), continued
on the staircase leading to the collections of the first-floor, and
comprising a number of well-known antiques.
To the l. a room with Assyrian Antiquities is entered, which
as well as the following, contains a collection of remarkable
Phœnician sarcophagi, on which the head of the deceased is
represented in elaborate carving. The next room contains reliefs
from the palace of Nineveh of a less remote date (7th cent. B. C.)
The last room is dedicated to Ancient Greek Reliefs and
Sculptures. In the centre a trilateral altar with representations
of the twelve great gods, on the r. a damaged group of Orestes
and Pylades. A *Metope and a fragment of the frieze of the
Parthenon at Athens; Metopae from the temple of Zeus at
Olympia; reliefs, some of them of beautiful workmanship; inscriptions;
architectural fragments etc. The contiguous cabinets
contains sarcophagi and fragments of buildings from Jerusalem.
The *Egyptian Museum (separate entrance opposite the
Assyrian Museum) on the basement story contains the larger
antiquities (the smaller see p. 68), (A.) gods, kings, statues
and sphynxes, (B.) basreliefs, (C.) shafts of pillars with hieroglyphics
and inscriptions, (D.) sarcophagi, pyramids, votive-tablets.
Of these the most interesting are perhaps the following:
Close to the entrance. *A. 23, a huge Sphynx of reddish
granite, representing king Meneptah, son of Ramses II., who
reigned in the 15th cent. before Christ, believed to be the
"Pharaoh" who oppressed the Israelites. The emblem of royalty
is engraved on the chest and right shoulder.
*D. 8 and 9, two sarcophagi of grey granite and basalt, with
admirably preserved inscriptions and insignia.
*D. 38, to the l. in the centre of the wall: cast of a bas-relief
termed the Zodiac of Denderah, brought from the ruins
of a temple of Isis in the village of Denderah in Upper Egypt.
The female figures at the corners represent the four cardinal
points. The original is in the library (p. 99).
D. 29, a royal monolith chapel, of reddish granite, 9½ ft.
high and 4½ ft. in breadth, raised from the bottom of the harbour
of Alexandria in 1825, dating from B.C. 580.
A. 12, adjacent to the latter, a small group in reddish granite
representing king Ramses II., adorned with the Pschent, a peculiar
head-dress; on either side are the gods Osiris and Horus. Figures
of the goddess Pacht with the lion's head occur frequently.
From the 2nd Room, containing Smaller Egyptian Monuments,
a staircase leads to the first floor. Before ascending, however,
the stranger is recommended to complete his inspection of the
collections of the basement story.
From the same room a long corridor diverges, destined for
the Algerian Museum, still incomplete, which contains several
antiquities found in Algiers, inscriptions, busts, statues and
architectural fragments of the Roman imperial period. Among the
most interesting objects are a mosaic, representing Neptune and
a man on horseback. At the extremity of the passage are a few
Arabian inscriptions.
The Renaissance Sculptures (entrance from the court), dating
from the commencement of the 16th cent., are arranged in
on the r., the Salle de Michal (d. 1514), the visitor should
here inspect the *basrelief of St. George and the Dragon, and
*two recumbent stone figures, the female figure with the rosary
particularly good.
Salle de Jean de Douai, or Jean de Bologne (Giovanni da
Bologna): *two prisoners, unfinished marble statues by Michael
Angelo; a *haut-relief in bronze, the "Nymph of Fontaincbleau"
by Benvenulo Cellini; *Mercury and Psyche, by Adrian de Vries
(1593).
Salle de Jean Goujon (d. 1572): *Diana with the stag, the
celebrated "Diane Chasseresse", a large group, at the side two
dogs, a likeness of Diane de Poitiers, the favourite of Henry II.
Salle des Anguiers (François Anguier d. 1699, Michel Anguier
d. 1686): pyramidal monument to the Duc Henri de Longueville
(d. 1633), who after the death of Bernard of Weimar in the
30 Years' War succeeded him in the command of his army. By
Francheville (1548), a large group in bronze, representing the
four nations conquered by Henri IV., which formerly stood on
the Pont Neuf beside the equestrian statue of that monarch. A
few fragments of the latter are all that now remain.
In the small room to the l. (at present closed), at the entrance,
a cast of the celebrated carved wood chimney-piece in
the council-chamber of the Palais de Justice at Bruges, with
statues of (in the centre) Charles V., (to the l.) Mary of Burgundy
and Maximilian I. of Austria, (to the r.) Charles the Bold and
Margaret of York. Also the tombstones of Charles the Bold
(d. 1477) and Mary of Burgundy (d. 1482), casts from the originals
at Bruges.
The Modern Sculptures (entrance from the court) are contained
in five different halls to the l.
Salle de Coyzevox (1640—1720): Busts of Richelieu and
Bossuet; tombstone of Cardinal Mazarin.
Salle de Puget (1620—1694): Milo, the athlete of Crotona,
torn to pieces by a lion, a celebrated group in marble (p. 66);
Perseus releasing Andromeda; Alexander and Diogenes, a high
relief; Caryatides, casts from those of the Hôtel de Ville at Toulon.
Salle des Coustou (Nicolas 1658—1733, bis brother Guillaume
1678—1746): Louis XV. as Jupiter, and Maria Lesezinska his
consort as Juno. By Bouchardon (1698—1762): Cupid cutting
his bow from the club of Hercules.
Salle de Houdon: Diana, a bronze statue by Houdon (d. 1828);
Ganymede with the eagle, by Julien.—Cupid and Psyche, by Delaistre.
Salle de Chaudet (d. 1810): Narcissus, by Caldelari; Nisus
and Euryalus, by Roman (d. 1835); Biblis metamorphosed into
a fountain, by Dupaty (d. 1825); colossal bust of Napoleon I. in
bronze, by Bartolini; a young Neapolitan trtoie-catcher, by
Rude (d. 1854), Cupid with the butterfly, by Chaudet; the shepherd
Phorbas carrying the young Œdipus by the same; *Cupid and Psyche,
two different groups, both admirable by Canova (d. 1822); the
nymph Salmacis, by Bosio (d. 1843); Zephyr and Psyche by Rutschiel
(d. 1837); *son of Niche struck by an arrow, by Pradier (d. 1852).
The *Ancient Sculptures (Musée des Marbres Antiques)
(approached by the principal entrance) occupy the S.W. wing
of the Louvre and a wing of the new building to the S. In
order to facilitate the stranger's search for the objects here
enumerated, their height in feet and inches is given.
The Salle des Caryatides is the hall in which Henry IV. solemnized
his union with Margaret of Valois; here, too, after his
assassination his body was placed. Here in 1593 the Ligue held
its sessions, and here in the following year the Duke of Guise
caused four of its most zealous members to be hanged. Subsequently
(1659) this hall was employed by Molière as a theatre,
in the performances of which he himself played a prominent part.
The Caryatides which support the gallery at the N. end, and
whence the hall derives its appellation, are by Jean Goujon, who
being a Huguenot was here shot whilst at work on the Night
of St. Bartholomew. The finest works are in the centre: 712.
*Germanicus as Mercury, sometimes termed "the Orator" (5 ft.
6 in.); 711. *The Borghese Vase, of Pentelic marble, with
Bacchanalian relief (5 ft. 3 in.); 710, *Jason (4 ft. 9 in.); 709.
*Silenus with the infant Bacchus; l. 694. Boy with a goose
(2 ft. 10 in.); l. 698. The "Venus Accroupie" or stooping
Venus (2 ft. 11 in.); In the room shut off by partitions: 134.
Centaur overcome by the young Bacchus (4 ft. 6 in.); l. Lion
from Platæa; Hercules with the Apples of the Hesperides;
r. 527. Recumbent Hermaphrodite (4 ft. 6 in. in length).
The principal apartments of the collection, separated by half-partitions
only, are now entered. At the extremity of the long
gallery the Venus of Milo is visible. The visitor turns to the
r. to the
Salle du Tibre. 249. The Tiber as a river-god, recumbent,
at the side Romulus and Remus and the she-wolf, a large group
in marble, 5 ft. 4 in. high, 9 ft. 9 in wide. In the centre:
144. *Achilles; l. Recumbent Fountain-nymph; 234. Antinous
as Hercules.
Salle du Héros Combattant. 262. The **"Borghese Gladiator"
(6 ft. 1 in.), a celebrated work of the Greek sculptor Agasius;
l. 272. Roman portrait-figures as Venus and Mars; l. 281. *Wounded
Amazon (5 ft. 9 in.); l. 282. *Venus of Arles (6 ft.) found at
Arles in Provence in 1651; 281. Wounded Amazon (5 ft. 9 in.).
Salle de Pallas. This room contains several draped statues
restored as Muses; among them: l. 299. Praying nymph, erroneously
restored as Euterpe (6 ft. 2 in.); l. 306. a so-called
Polyhymnia; 310. Pallas (Minerva) with helmet and shield (9 ft.
4 in.), the drapery much admired, found in 1797 at Velletri near
Rome, hence termed the "Pallas of Velletri".
Salle de la Melpomène. 348. Melpomene (12 ft. 1 in.), the
Muse of Tragedy, the drapery admirable. In front of the statue
modern mosaics by Belloni from designs by Gérard; r. Bust of
Alexander the Great.
In the adjacent room: The **"Venus of Milo" (6 ft. 3 in.),
a Venus Victrix treading on a helmet, found in 1820 in the island
of Melos or Milo, the gem of the whole collection, a perfect
statues of Venus of a late Roman period may be contrasted
with it.
Salle de la Psyché. 403. and 383. Dancing Fauns (4 ft. 2 in.);
l. 387. Psyche tormented (4 ft.); l. Euripides, with a list of his
dramas; 391. Young Athlete.
Salle de l'Aruspice. Large Sarcophagus found at Salonica,
representing combats of Greeks and Amazons in life-size relief,
on the cover the recumbent statues of the spouses for whom it
was destined; r. 452. Reposing Mercury; r. 441. Daughter of Niobe.
Salle d'Hercule et Télèphe. l. 180. Venus Victrix; l. 450. Hercules
with his son Telephus in his arms, at the side the hind
by which the latter was reared (7 ft. 6 in.); r. 462. Zingarella
(gipsy), or Diana (?) (4 ft. 10 in.), flesh portions of bronze.
Salle de la Médée. l. 486. Drunken Silenus; Sarcophagus with
reliefs representing the revenge of Medea; r. 496. Cupid and
Psyche; r. Sleeping Ariadne; l. 671. Faun, a bust.
Salle de Pan. l. 446. Barbarian; r. 192. *Minerva "au collier"
(6 ft. 5 in.).
Salle d'Apollon. r. 19. *Apollo Sauroctonos (lizard - slayer),
the youthful Apollo about to transfix a lizard on the stem of a
tree, formerly in the Villa Borghese at Rome (4 ft. 7 in.); l. Pedagogue
and younger son, from the great group of the Children
of Niobe.
Salle de Diane, so named from the celebrated "Diana of
Versailles" formerly preserved here, now in the Picture Gallery
at Rome; 230. Marsyas suspended from a pine-tree, awaiting
the execution of the sentence of Apollo that he should be
flayed alive (8 ft. 2 in.).
To the r. of this gallery is a suite of apartments of inferior
years past. They were in February, 1867, in process of being
re-decorated, and their contents re-arranged. An enumeration of
the more interesting objects they formerly contained may, however,
be found useful.
The Rotonde contains several busts of Roman emperors; 7. and
11. Prisoners, probably barbarian chiefs who figured in the triumphal
processions of some Roman emperor.
Salle des Empereurs. 411. Mars (5 ft. 10 in.).
Salle des Saisons. 46. Venus Genitrix (5 ft.), bearing in her
hand the apple of Paris; 20. Wounded Gladiator (2 ft. 7 in.).
Salle de la Paix. 92. Demosthenes (4 ft. 2 in.), in a sitting
posture, in his hand a scroll (probably the history of Thucydides). —
The eight granite columns are from the cathedral at Aix-la-Chapelle.
Salle des Romains, consisting of three rooms. 116. Roma, a
bust in marble (2 ft. 9 in.); 126. Antinous, a bust in marble
(2 ft. 11 in.); 697. Marcus Aurelius (7 ft. 10 in.); 113. Augustus
(4 ft. 6 in.).
Finally on the ground-floor (entrance from the court) is situated
the Collection of Engravings (Musée de Chalcographie),
accessible for purposes of study only.
The First Floor of the Louvre contains the following collections:
in the Grande Galerie or New Louvre, connecting the Old
Louvre with the Tuileries, in the S. wing, pictures of the Italian,
Spanish, Dutch and German schools; in the parallel wing facing
the Place Napoleon, and in the transverse wing uniting the two,
pictures of the French school; in the Old Louvre, drawings,
engravings, Greek, Roman, Etruscan and Egyptian antiquities,
the Musée Napoléon III. (or Campana; antique terracottas and
inscriptions, mediæval and renaissance curiosities), and the Musée
des Souverains, containing souvenirs of the French kings and of
Napoleon I.
In a N. wing of the Second Floor is the considerable Musée
de la Marine, together with the Musée Ethnographique.
Entering from the Cour du Louvre the vestibule which connects
it with the Place Napoléon, the visitor ascends by a staircase
to the l. to the first floor (W. wing). Here the room of
the bronzes is situated to the l., and beyond it that of the drawings
(p. 70); to the r. the terra-cottas, beyond which is the
Picture Gallery.
The first room to the r. of the staircase should first be entered,
which, as well as the smaller one adjacent, belonging to the Musée
Napoléon III., contains Antique Terracottas, being a portion of
the Campana Collection, purchased from the Papal government
and consisting of 12,000 different specimens (the remaining portion
see p. 67). Most of them were discovered in Etruscan tombs.
There are among them numerous cinerary urns with partially
painted reliefs and Etruscan inscriptions recording the names and
ages of the deceased.
The contiguous Salle des Sept Cheminées contains *chefs d'œuvre
of the Modern French School.
r. 240. Gérard (d. 1837), portrait of the artist Isabey.
256. Granet (d. 1852), lower church of S. Francesco at Assisi.
*274. Gros (d. 1835), Bonaparte in the plague-hospital at Jaffa.
252. Girodet-Trioson (d. 1824), Atala's Interment, from the
work of Chateaubriand.
236. Gérard, Cupid and Psyche.
279. and opposite to it 282. Guérin (d. 1833), Agamemnon
and Clytemnestra.
152. David (d. 1825), Belisarius.
*Géricault (d. 1823), Shipwreck of the Medusa; to the r. and
l. his *Hussar and *Cuirassier, the two latter purchased from the
collection of Louis Philippe in the Palais Royal for 23,400 fr.
(936 L.).
David, Portrait of Pope Pius VII., painted in 1805.
Madame Lebrun, two portraits.
*Prudhon (d. 1823), Crime pursued by Justice and Divine
Vengeance.
*Gros, Battle of Eylau.
Girodet-Trioson, Endymion; Déluge.
*David, The Sabine women interpose between the Roman and
Sabine combatants; above it, Leonidas.
The Salle des Bijoux (to the W.; on the r. of the entrance)
contains a collection of Plate, Jewellery and Ornaments, chiefly
mediæval and of the renaissance period.
From the adjoining Vestibule a handsome wrought-iron door,
of the time of Henry II., leads to the l. into the Galerie d'Apollon,
100 yds. in length. The painting on the central compartment
of the ceiling, by Delacroix, completed in 1852, represents Apollo's
contest with the Python. The oriel window at the extremity of
the hall is erroneously (see p. 50) believed to be the same from
which Charles IX. fired on the people on the night of St. Bartholomew.
The walls are adorned with representation of the
busts of celebrated French artists in *tapestry from the Gobelins
(comp. p. 145), recently manufactured there. In the centre Enamelled
Ornaments and Jewellery, vases, goblets, fayence
articles etc.
To the r. the picture-gallery is entered. Catalogues may be
purchased at the entrance, the Italian and Spanish schools 2 fr.,
Dutch and German 1 fr., French 3 fr., all bound together 7 fr.
75 c. These catalogues contain copious and interesting information
with regard to the pictures and their history, the artists
and their biography, and are indispensable to those who desire
an intimate acquaintance with the gallery; for the ordinary visitor,
however, they are superfluous. For visitors of the former class
the "Essai d'une analyse critique de la `Notice des tableaux italiens
du Musée du Louvre', accompagné d'observations et de documents
relatifs à ces mêmes tableaux", by M. Mündler, is also a most
valuable companion (price 2½ fr.). — By an arrangement very
recently introduced, the pictures are all to be furnished with
tablets, recording the names of the artists, the dates of their
the official catalogue. This has already been effected in the
Salon Carré (see below) and is in course of progress in the Italian
Gallery (p. 62).
It should be observed that in the official catalogues the artists'
family names are arranged alphabetically; thus, instead of Raphael,
Sanzio (or Santi); instead of Titian, Vecellio. The Italian
school, for example, commences with the name of Albani (No. 1)
and terminates with Zampieri (Domenichino, No. 502). The
Italian and Spanish pictures are provided with red numbers, the
Dutch and German with blue, and the French with black. In
order to obtain permission to copy in the Louvre or Luxembourg,
a written application must be addressed to the Sénateur Surintendant
des Beaux Arts (Comte de Nieuwekerke).
The subjoined lists will suffice for the visitor whose time is
limited and enable him to form some acquaintance with the most
celebrated works in the gallery. A more lengthy enumeration would
be beyond the scope of the present volume. The finest pictures
are generally so surrounded with artists and their easels, that the
visitor occasionally finds considerable difficulty in approaching
them. On Sundays the gallery is usually over-crowded. The
entire gallery is nearly ¾ M. in length.
The **Grand Salon Carré, or entrance-hall, contains the
choicest gems of the entire gallery. The light is, however, unfortunately
somewhat too subdued. Each picture deserves the
most careful inspection. In the annexed list the year of the
artist's death is appended where his name is mentioned for the
first time, but afterwards omitted.
In the centre of the hall is placed the celebrated and admirably
preserved **Diana with the Stag, which seeks the goddess's
protection (6 ft. 1 in.), sometimes termed the "Diana of Versailles",
because formerly there preserved, or "Diane à la Biche".
The enumeration commences on the r. of the entrance.
442. Perugino (d. 1524), Madonna and Child, with St. Rosa
and St. Catharine and two angels, purchased from the King of
Holland's collection for 53,000 fr. (2120 L.).
447. Poussin (d. 1665), Portrait of himself.
*465. Titian (Vecellio, d. 1576), Entombment of Christ, purchased
by Louis XIV. from the celebrated collection of the Cologne
banker Jabach, then resident in Paris.
28. Correggio (Allegri, d. 1534), Sleeping Antiope, watched
by Jupiter in the form of a Satyr, formerly erroneously termed
a "sleeping Venus".
337. Guido Reni, Dejanira abducted by the centaur Nessus.
242. Luini (d. about 1530), Salome, daughter of Herodias,
with the head of John the Baptist.
138. Annibale Caracci (d. 1609), The Virgin appearing to
St. Luke and St. Catharine.
403. Solari, or Il Gobbo (d. 1509), Madonna and Child.
94. Bronzino (d. 1572), Portrait of a sculptor.
419. Rembrandt (d. 1669), Portrait of a woman.
239. Fra Sebastiano del Piombo (Sebast. Luciano, d. 1547),
Meeting of Mary and Elisabeth.
*104. Paolo Veronese (Caliari, d. 1588), The Repast in the
house of Simon the Pharisee, 31 ft. long, 14½ ft. high.
*376. Raphael (Sanzio, d. 1520), Virgin and sleeping Child,
with St. John.
*471. Titian, Girl at her toilette, behind her a man holding
a mirror, known as "Titien et sa maîtresse".
460. Rubens (d. 1640), Portrait of his second wife with her
two sons.
**546. (bis). Murillo (d. 1682), Conception of the Virgin, purchased
from the collection of Marshal Soult in 1852 for the
enormous sum of 615,300 fr. (24,612 l.). The artist evidently
borrowed his idea from the passage: "And there appeared a great
wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon
under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."
Rev. XII. 1.
*121. G. Dow (d. about 1674), La femme hydropique, the
artist's master-piece, purchased 150 years ago by an Elector Palatine
for the sum of 2500 L. and presented to Prince Eugene.
150. Van Dyck, A Portrait.
*378. Franc. Francia (Raibolini, d. 1517), Portrait of a man,
once erroneously attributed to Raphael.
162. J. van Eyck (d. 1441), Virgin and Child crowned by
an angel, at her feet the person for whom the picture was painted.
204. Dom. Ghirlandajo (d. 1495), Meeting of Mary and Elisabeth.
*484. Leonardo da Vinci (d. 1519), Portrait of Mona Lisa,
wife of Francesco del Giocondo of Florence.
546. Murillo, Conception of the Virgin, similar to one of the
same subject before mentioned (No. 546, bis).
378., 380., 381. Raphael, Three small pictures, Madonna with
Elisabeth, St. Michael and St. George.
**377. Raphael, The Holy Family, with the young St. John
St. Elizabeth and St. Joseph.
140. An. Caracci, Mourning for the dead Saviour.
453. Poussin (d. 1665), Landscape.
87. Phil. de Champaigne (d. 1674), Portrait of Cardina
Richelieu.
293. Metsu (d. 1658), An officer paying his respects to
young lady.
*375. Raphael, Virgin and Child with St. John ("la belle jar-
dinière").
526. Terburg (d. 1681). Officer offering gold to a young wife.
228. and 229. Claude Lorrain (Gelée, d. 1682), Small Landscapes.
79. Phil. de Champaigne, Christ in the Sepulchre.
477. Rigaud (d. 1743), Portrait of the celebrated preacher
Bossuet.
288. Memling (d. 1484), John the Baptist.
208. Holbein (d. 1554), Portrait of Erasmus.
*481. Leonardo da Vinci, Virgin and Child and St. Anna.
438. Andrea del Sarto (Vannucchi, d. 1530), Holy Family.
433. Rubens, Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, placing the
head of Cyrus in a vessel filled with blood.
**103. Paolo Veronese, The Marriage at Cana, the largest
picture in the collection, 32 ft. long and 21 ft. high, occupying
almost the entire S. wall, containing numerous portraits: Eleanor
of Austria, the young queen of France, at her side Francis I.;
then Mary of England in a yellow robe, Sultan Soliman near a
negro prince; at the corner of the table the emperor Charles V.
with the golden fleece. The musicians are portraits of Venetian
painters of the day. Paolo Veronese himself, in white, plays on
the violoucello, behind him Tintoretto with a similar instrument,
on the other side Titian with a bass viol, Bassano with a flute, etc.
*27. Correggio, St. Catharine dedicated to the infant Jesus.
142. Van Dyck (d. 1641), Portrait of Charles I. of England.
382. Raphael, St. Michael overthrows the wicked Angel.
*211. Hans Holbein, the Younger (d. 1543), Anne of Cleve,
wife of Henry VIII. of England.
The adjoining Grande Galerie (about ¼ M. in length),
which is now entered, contains the Italian, Spanish, German and
Dutch schools. A chronological order is observed in the numbering
of the pictures, those of the same master being placed as
near together as possible: r. denotes to the right, and l. to the
left of the entrance from the Salon Carré.
First Division: Italian School.
The first numbers on the r. belong to the earliest Italian
schools.
209. Giotto (d. 1336), St. Francis of Assisi receiving the
stigmata.
174. Cimabue b. (1240), Madonna surrounded by Angels.
196. Sandro Botticelli (Alessandro Filipepi, d. 1515), Madonna.
l. 214. Fiesole (Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, d. 1455), Coronation
of the Virgin; below are seven small pictures representing the
miracles of St. Dominic.
l. 72. Benozzo Gozzoli (d. after 1485), Triumph of St. Thomas
of Aquinas.
l. 234. Fra Filippo Lippi (d. 1469), Madonna with Saints.
l. 214 (bis) Giovanni di Pietro, surnamed Lo Spagna (d. after
1530), Adoration of the Child.
l. 292. Pinturicchio (Bernardino di Benedetto, d. 1512, Madonna.
l. 318. Francia (Francesco Raibolini, d. 1517), Crucifixion.
r. 486. Copy executed in the 16th cent. of Leonardo da Vinci's
Last Supper at Milan.
*l. 468. Titian, Jupiter and Antiope.
l. 240. Luini, Holy Family.
l. 81. Bonifazio (d. 1562), Raising of Lazarus.
*l. 464. Titian, Christ crowned with thorns.
r. 242. Luini, Equipment of Cupid, a fresco.
*r. 458. Titian, Madonna with St. Stephen, St. Ambrose and
St. Maurice.
r. 389. Copy of Raphael's Madonna of Loretto.
r. 453. Giorgio Vasari, The Salutation.
l. 474. Titian, Portrait.
l. 107. Paolo Veronese (Caliari), The disciples at Emmaus;
the other figures are said to represent the painter and his family.
l. 108. P. Veronese. Portrait.
Second Division: Italian and Spanish Schools.
r. 136. Annibale Caracci, Virgin and Child, St. Joseph offering
the latter cherries ("la Vierge aux cerises").
l. 326. Guido Reni, Christ delivers to Peter the Keys of Heaven.
*l. 372. Sassoferrato, Madonna.
l. 328. Guido Reni, Ecce Homo.
l. 329. Guido Reni, Penitent Magdalene.
l. 332. Guido Reni, St. Sebastian.
67. Battoni, Madonna.
l. 113. Canaletto (Canale, d. 1768), View of Venice, Church
of S. Maria della Salute.
r. 207. Luca Giordano (d. 1705), The Infant Jesus receiving
from angels the instruments of his sufferings.
r. 74. Pietro da Cortona (Berretini, d. 1669), Nativity of
the Virgin.
l. 494. Domenichino (Zampieri, d. 1641), St. Cecilia.
*l. 360. Salvator Rosa (d. 1673), Skirmish among the ruins
of a temple.
l. 186. Poussin, Landscape.
l. 361. Salvator Rosa, Rocky landscape.
r. 57. Guercino (Barbieri, d. 1666), Circe.
l. 651. Murillo, Beggar-boy, "cherchant à détruire ce qui
l'incommode".
l. 317. Procaccini (d. about 1626), Virgin and Child, John
the Baptist, St. Francis and St. Catharine.
l. 320. Guido Reni, David with Goliath's head.
*l. 546. Murillo, the Nativity, a very large picture.
*l. 547. Murillo, Virgin and Child, the latter playing with a
rosary ("la Vierge au chapelet").
*l. Velasquez, Portrait of the Infanta Margaretha Theresia,
(d. 1673), first consort of the Emperor Leopold I.
In the centre of this compartment: 348. Daniele da Volterra
(Ricciarelli, d. 1566), David slaying Goliath, a picture with
two sides.
Third Division: German and Dutch Schools.
l. 279. Quintin Massys or Messys (d. 1530), The money-changer
and his wife.
*l. 206. Holbein (d. 1554), Portrait of Nic. Kratzer, a Bavarian,
Astronomer-royal to Henry VIII. of England.
*l. 207. Holbein, William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Fourth Division: Dutch School.
l. 255. Jordaens (d. 1678). Feast of the Magi ("le roi boit").
l. 256. Jordaens, "Concert de famille".
l. 253. Jordaens, The four Evangelists.
l. 413., 414. and 415. Rembrandt, Portrait of himself.
l. 416. Rembrandt, Portrait of an old man.
r. 153., 154. Van Dyck, Portraits of men.
r. 105., 106. A. Cuyp (d. after 1672), Starting for a ride,
The ride.
l. 428. Rubens, Mary as queen of heaven.
l. 464. Rubens, Landscape.
r. 431. Rubens, Crucifixion.
r. 459. Rubens, Portrait.
r. 470. Ruisdael (d. 1681), Forest scene.
r. and l. 434—454 Rubens, a series of large pictures designed
by order of Marie de Medicis, queen of Henry IV. of France, in
commemoration of events in her life, destined to adorn the Palais
du Luxembourg, and partly executed by the artist himself,
partly by his pupils, in 1621—25. The most successful are: r.
454. Victory of Truth; 436. Education of the Princess; l. 438.
Her nuptials (Oct. 5th. 1500); *l. 441. Birth of Louis XIII.
Under and between these pictures of Rubens, returning to the
commencement of the series:
l. 512. Teniers (d. 1694), The Prodigal son, or rather a scene
in a tavern.
l. 472. Ruisdael, Landscape in a storm.
l. 518. Teniers, "Extérieur de cabaret".
l. 417. Rembrandt, Portrait of a youth.
l. 425. Rubens, Departure of Lot.
*l. 458. Rubens, Portrait of Baron Henri de Vicq, Dutch ambassador
in Paris, purchased in 1850 from the collection of the
King of Holland for 15,984 fr. (640 L.).
l. 412. Rembrandt, Portrait of himself.
l. and r. Several pictures by Dow (d. 1674); Mieris (Francis,
d. 1681; William, d. 1747); Ostade (Adrian and Isaac); Teniers,
genre-paintings.
l. 369. Ostade (Adrian, d. 1685), The painter himself and
his family.
r. 514. Teniers, Temptation of St. Antony.
r. 292. Metzu (d. 1658), Vegetable-market at Amsterdam.
l. 224. de Hooch or Hooge (Peter, d. about 1540), Interior of
a Dutch dwelling.
r. 129. Dow, "La lecture de la Bible".
r. 41. Bol (d. 1681), Portrait of a mathematician.
l. 572. Wouverman (d. 1668), Cavalry attack.
l. 527. Terburg (d. 1681), Music-lesson.
r. 143. Van Dyck, The children of Charles I. of England.
r. 528. Terburg, A lady singing.
r. 400. Potter (d. 1654), Oxen and sheep.
l. 147. Van Dyck, Portrait of Francis de Moncade.
r. 471. Ruisdael, A storm at sea.
r. 137. Van Dyck, Madonna.
r. 149. Van Dyck, Portrait.
l. 152. Van Dyck, Portrait of himself.
l. 144. Van Dyck, The Counts Palatine Lewis and Rupert.
462. Rubens, Carousal of peasants and dance.
French School.
The first five rooms contain the French masters down to
Louis XIV.
1st Room. Older Pictures: Death of Christ and saints
on a gold ground; series of portraits by François Clouet, dit
Janet (d. 1572) and his pupils, etc.
2nd Room. Twenty-two pictures by Eustache Lesueur (d. at
Paris 1655) from the life of St. Bruno.
3rd Room. Scenes from classical mythology, most of them
by Lesueur.
4th Room. Fifteen large sea-pieces by Joseph Vernet (d. 1789),
representing the harbours of France.
A large, oblong hall is next entered, principally dedicated
to pictures by Nicholas Poussin (d. at Rome 1665), and by
Claude Lorrain (d. at Rome 1682), all of which deserve careful
inspection. Among them may be mentioned, r.:
435. Nicolas Poussin, Rape of the Sabines.
298. Jean Jouvenet (d. in Paris 1717), Raising of Lazarus.
521. E. Lesueur, St. Paul preaching at Ephesus.
297. Jouvenet, Miraculous draught of fishes.
222. Claude Lorrain, Seaport.
496. Santerre (d. at Paris 1717), Susanna bathing.
225. Claude Lorrain, Harbour.
415. Nicholas Poussin, Rebecca at the well.
A lofty saloon with vaulted ceiling is now entered, containing
four large pictures by C. Lebrun from the life of Alexander.
In the four lunettes of the ceiling are paintings by Charles Müller,
bearing reference to the history of French art: St. Louis and the
Sainte Chapelle, Francis I. in the studio of one of his artists,
Louis XIV. commencing the construction of the Louvre, Napoleon
l. directing the Louvre to be completed. To the r. of this
is situated the Salle des Etats, in which the annual opening of
the Chambers by the Emperor takes place. Opposite the visitor,
on the l. side:
432. N. Poussin, Baptism in the Jordan.
475. Rigaud (d. at Paris 1743), Portrait of Louis XIV.
349. Mignard (d. at Paris 1695), The Virgin with a bunch
of grapes.
446. Poussin, Time rescues Truth from the attacks of Envy
and Discord, ordered by Cardinal Richelieu as a ceiling-painting.
223. Cl. Lorrain, Disembarcation of Cleopatra at Tarsus.
250. Lesueur, St. Gervasius and St. Protasius refuse to offer
sacrifice to Jupiter.
476. Rigaud, Portrait of Philip V of Spain (d. 1746).
76. C. Lebrun (d. at Paris 1690), Death of Meleager.
In the Second Saloon pictures by modern masters, on the r.:
329. C. van Loo (d. at Paris 1765), Hunters' breakfast.
261. Greuze (d. at Paris 1805), The paternal curse.
262. Greuze, The chastised son.
*263. Greuze, The broken pitcher.
330. C. van Loo, Portrait of Maria Lescziuska, Consort of
Louis XV.
*82. Madame Lebrun (Elisabeth Louise Vigée, d. 1842), Portrait
of herself and daughter.
276. Gros (d. at Paris 1835), Francis I. and Charles V. visiting
the tombs of St. Denis.
154. David (d. at Brussels 1825), Paris and Helen.
633. C. Vernet (father of Horace, son of Joseph), Hunting scene
in the forest of Meudon.
*281. Guérin (d. at Rome 1833), Æneas relating to Dido the
fate of Troy.
On the short wall:
499. Sigalon (d. at Rome 1837), The love-letter.
*494. L. Robert (d. at Venice 1835), Festival of the Madonna del
Arco at Naples.
*493. L. Robert, Reaper in the Pontinian marches.
On the left side (towards the Place Napoléon):
577. Tocqué (d. at Paris 1772), Portrait of Maria Lesczinska.
150. David, Oath of the Horatii.
321. Lethière, Brutus condemning his sons to death.
235. Gérard (d. 1837), Entry of Henry IV. into Paris.
A passage now leads to the Galerie des Sept Mètres, so-called
from its breadth, which contains a selection of pictures of the
older Italian school. At the entrance *Diana, an ancient marble
statue found at Gabii near Rome. On the W. wall:
r. 252. Andrea Mantegna (d. 1506), Wisdom conquers Vice.
43. Giorgione (Barbarelli, d. 1511), Madonna with saints and
portrait of the person for whom the picture was painted.
472 Titian, Portrait of a man.
*384. Raphael, Portrait of the Princess Joan of Arragon.
89. Titian, Portrait of a man.
437. Andrea del Sarto, Caritas, a woman with three children.
88. Bordone, Vertumnus and Pomona.
*95. Johann Stephan of Calcar (born at Calcar on the Lower
Rhine in 1499, d. at Naples in 1546, one of Titian's best pupils),
Portrait of a man.
469. Titian, Portrait of Francis I. of France.
*277. Palma ("Il Vecchio", d. 1548), Adoration of the Shepherds.
241 Luini, Virgin and sleeping Child.
On the E. wall:
l. *251. Andrea Mantegna, Dance of the Muses, an allegory.
470. Titian, Portrait of Alphonso of Avalos, Marquis of Guasto,
commander of the armies of the emperor Charles V. in Italy and
his wife Mary of Arragon, a celebrated beauty, to whom Cupid
Flora and Zephyr are represented as doing homage.
99. P. Veronese, Ahasuerus and Esther ("l'évanouissement
d'Esther").
459. Titian, Holy Family with St. Catharine and a white rabbit,
("la Vierge au lapin").
480. Leonardo da Vinci, John the Baptist.
385. Raphael, Portrait of a youth, erroneously said to be
Raphael himself.
483. L. da Vinci, Portrait of a woman.
*482. L. da Vinci, The Virgin in the Sepulchre.
379. Raphael, St. Margaret.
283. Raphael, Portrait of Count Balthasar Castiglione.
173. Conegliano (Cima, d. after 1517), Virgin and saints.
186 Raphael, Portrait.
Returning through the Galerie d'Apollon to the large French
picture-gallery (Salle des Sept Cheminées, p. 47), the visitor now
turns to the r. and by a door in the corner enters the halls of
the Musée Napoléon III. (suite of rooms towards the Seine), an
admirable collection of Etrurian and Greek vases, Greek and
Phœnician inscriptions, busts, tombstones, idols, bronzes, statuettes,
antiquities etc., some of them from the Campana collection (p. 56),
Thessaly by Henzey, and from Asia Minor by Perrault.
Paintings on the ceiling: 1 st Room. Alaux, Nic. Poussin being
introduced to Louis XIII. (Phœnician inscriptions; statues, statuettes,
busts and inscriptions from Cyprus; vases, phials and
terracottas from Rhodes; in the cabinets by the window amulets and
ornaments from different districts of Syria, Moabitish pottery etc.
— 2nd Room. Steuben, Francis I at the battle of Marignano.
(Red vases for domestic purposes, amphoræ etc.) — 3rd Room.
Eug. Devéria, Louis XIV. at Versailles inspecting Puget's marble
group of Milo of Crotona (p. 54). (Etruscan vases, commencing
with those of the rudest form.) — 4th Room. Fragonard, Andrea
del Sarto showing his picture of "Caritas" to Francis I. (Etruscan
terracottas, reliefs, cinerary urns etc.) — 5th Room. Heim, Revival.
of the arts in France, with eight small lateral pictures. (Vases
of the most ancient style.) — 6th Room. Fragonard, Francis I.
knighted by Bayard. (Ancient vases.) — 7th Room. Schnetz,
Charlemagne and Alcuin, founder of the university of Paris.
(Vases of more modern style.) — 8th Room. Drolling. Louis XII.
saluted as father of his people by the states-general at Tours.
(Small vessels in clay, drinking-cups etc.) — 9th Room. *Léon
Cogniet, Bonaparte in Egypt. (Objects in glass; also a collection
of *frescoes from houses of Pompeii, presented in 1825 by Francis I.
of Naples.)
The visitor should now retrace his steps to the Salle des
Sept Cheminées and by a door to the l. enter the Musée de
Charles X., which contains a valuable collection of smaller Greek,
Etruscan, Roman and Egyptian *Antiquities; the paintings on the
ceilings date from 1827, and are as follows:
1st Room. Ingres, *Deification of Homer. — Collection of vases
of glass and enamel.
2nd Room. Heim, Jupiter entrusts Vulcan with the fire for
the destruction of Herculaneum and Pompeii. — Vases on the
table well deserving inspection, found in S. Italy.
3rd Room. Meynier, Nymphs of Parthenope (Naples) emigrating
to the Seine. — Collection of beautiful Greek terracottas,
statuettes, urns etc.
4th Room. Picot, Cybele protecting Herculaneum from total
destruction. — Etruscan vases in the glass cases.
5th Room (passage-room, the so-called throne-room). Gros,
Allegorical painting in honour of Louis XIV. — This and the
four following rooms contain Egyptian Antiquities.
6th Room. Picot, France unveils Egypt. — Egyptian Antiquities:
carved stones with hieroglyphics (scarabæi), amulets, figures
of animals, idols, Isis and Osiris, figures in brass and clay.
7th Room. Abel de Pujol, Egypt seeking Joseph's protection
from the seven plagues. — Collection of mummies, scarabæi,
archæologist Champollion.
8th Room. *Horace Vernet, Raphael and Michael Angelo in
the presence of Pope Julius II. — Collection of Egyptian implements,
weapons, manufactures, ornaments and carving.
9th Room. Gros, "Le génie de la France aide l'art et l'humanité".
— Collection of mummies, inscriptions, bronze utensils,
weapons, scarabæi.
In the centre of the large Staircase Hall which is now entered,
sarcophagi and statues; among the latter Rameses II. in a sitting
posture. In the recess a colossal black statue of Isis.
Turning to the l. the visitor now enters the Musée des Souverains.
The first two rooms, with richly gilded ceilings, contain
Sèvres vases and a silver statue of Henry IV. when a boy,
the third contains a complete model of a chapel of Henry III.
(1578); in the fourth, armour of French monarchs; the chair of king
Dagobert; the reputed crown of Charlemagne ("dite de Charlemagne",
for it is a well known fact that the genuine crown is
at Vienna), worn by Napoleon at his coronation; reminiscences of
French kings; prayer-books (one of Charles the Bald, richly ornamented
with carved ivory and precious stones); weapons, the
font of "St. Louis"; costumes of various orders; the helmet and
shield of Charles IX., richly plated with gold; the sceptre, "main
de justice", sword and spurs of Charlemagne; a valuable cabinet
of Marie Antoinette; candelabra of polished stones, presented to
Marie de Medicis by the republic of Venice; *jewel casket of
queen Anna; writing-table of Louis XVIII. employed by him when
a prisoner; coronation robes of Charles X.; secretaire of Louis Philippe,
bearing traces of having been broken open (February, 1848).
The fifth room is a spacious apartment, exclusively devoted
to *Souvenirs of Napoleon I. It contains the emperor's camp
bed, his grey coat and the three-cornered hat, the round hat he
wore in St. Helena, his state and coronation robes, richly decorated
saddles etc.: also the cradle of the king of Rome, "ayant depuis
servi au Duc de Bordeaux".
The three next rooms contain the Picture Gallery of the
Musée Napoléon III., devoted exclusively to mediæval paintings.
1st Room. Byzantine Pictures, most of them figures of saints
on a gold ground, some with Greek inscriptions.
2nd Room. On the principal wall: 263. Portrait of Pope
Sixtus IV., of the Flemish school; 267. Portrait of Dante, of the
same school; 270. Portrait of Thomas Aquinas, by a Flemish master;
99. A battle, a curious picture by Paolo Uccello, who died in Florence
about 1479 in his 83rd year; 236. Dante and Beatrix, two
portraits in the same frame, of the Italian school.
3rd Room. 279. Francis Pourbus (Flemish school of the 16th
cent.), Portrait of Marie de Medicis; 225, Raphael's School,
Gregory II.; 247. Sassoferrato, Virgin and Child; 246. Same master;
250. Copy of the same subject.
The visitor now enters a suite of apartments of various sizes
(a staircase ascends from the first of these to the Naval Muscum),
occupying one half of the N. wing and comprising Mediæval and
Renaissance Curiosities of the Musée Napoléon III. The first
two rooms contain carved Oak Furniture and Italian Fayence.
The next room contains specimens of the Fayence Work of the
celebrated Bernard de Palissy (d. 1589), consisting principally of
dishes with moulded representations of snakes, frogs, lizards, fishes,
plants etc.
The 4th Room is devoted to Metallic and Bronze Articles, such
as knives, locks, embossed plates etc. Two Bronze Reliefs are
here especially worthy of note, the originals of which were
executed in marble by Pierre Bontemps in 1552 for the tombstone
of Francis I. in the burial chapel of St. Denis; they are
placed on the side walls opposite to each other. On the wall
opposite to the window is a beautiful enamel picture from the
manufactory of Limoges, representing the various events of the
Passion.
In the 5th Room mediæval Glass and Porcelain. Opposite to
the window, on the wall, a Glass Mosaic, representing the lion
of Venice, executed by Antonio Fasolo in the manufactory of Murano
in the 16th cent.
The 6th Room, the Salle Sauvageot, contains a collection of
mediæval miniature pictures, carved wood. vases etc., bequeathed
to the Louvre by M. Sauvageot. Between the windows a life-size
portrait of Henry II.
In the 7th Room, the last of the Musée Napoléon III., the
attention of the visitor will be arrested by an *Altarpiece of carved
ivory, about 6 ft. in height, a perfect master-piece of its kind,
dating from the end of the 14th cent. It was brought from the
town of Poissy, and stands by the wall, opposite the window.
The 8th Room, the central apartment of this N. wing, situated
immediately over the entrance to the Cour du Louvre from the
Rue de Rivoli, contains Crayon Drawings, most of them portraits.
The following suite of rooms, occupying half of the N.
and half of the W. wings, is devoted exclusively to a very extensive
and valuable collection of Drawings, of great interest in
the study of art, some of which are not without attraction for
the ordinary visitor.
9th Room. Drawings of the Early French School.
10th Room. Crayon Drawings, miniatures, Chinese pictures etc.
11th Room. Drawings of the Modern French School. Here
is preserved an unfinished oil painting by David, probably intended
Paume (p. 170). One of the four finished heads is that of Mirabean.
The nude figures serve to show the amount of care David
bestowed on anatomical proportions.
12th Room. Modern French School. Antoine Watteau.
13th Room. French School. Charles Lebrun.
14th Room. Lesueur, Sketches of his illustrations of the life
of St. Bruno (p. 65).
15th Room. Claude Lorrain, N. Poussin, Lesueur.
16th Room. Dutch and German Schools: Dürer, Holbein,
Rubens, Rembrandt, Teniers etc. On the wall facing the visitor:
Cavalry skirmish, sketch by Rubens from Leon. da Vinci.
17th Room. Bolognese School. Ceiling Painting: Mauzaisse,
Divine Wisdom giving laws to kings and legislators.
18th Room. Italian School: Drawings, two in crayons, by
Correggio. Ceiling-painting: Drolling, Law descends to the earth.
19th Room. Italian School: Drawings by the most celebrated
masters, Leon. da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Raphael, those
of the first particularly well executed. On the ceiling: Blondel,
France receives the Charter from Louis XVIII.
20th Room. Earlier Italian School. On the ceiling: Blondel,
France victorious after the battle of Bouvines.
At the egress from the collection of drawings are placed the
tools with which the foundation-stone of the New Louvre was
laid, July 25th, 1852. They were presented by the architect
Visconti, who died before the completion of the structure.
Contiguous to the small ante-chamber, with bronze copies of
celebrated antiques, on the r., is the Hall of the Bronzes of the
Musée Napoléon III. The handsome door of wrought iron leads
to an isolated saloon, containing a valuable collection of ancient
utensils, weapons and statuettes. A magnificent view is enjoyed
hence. In the centre-cabinet are preserved ornaments in gold
and silver, mirrors, buckles, keys, seals, bracelets; also a gilded
helmet found at Amfreville in the Departement Eure, in 1861.
By the window a gilded bronze statue of Apollo, over life-size;
l. antique Apollo; then seats, candelabra, busts and statuettes.
In the cabinet on the r. several toilet caskets with engraving,
found at Palestrina near Rome, vases, lamps etc. In the cabinets
by the wall are statuettes; l. beautiful selection of *Roman
weapons, helmets, shields, swords, lances etc.
Having thus completed his circuit of the first floor of the
Louvre, the visitor should not omit now to proceed to the *Musée
de la Marine, situated on the second floor (ascent by the stair
mentioned at p. 70; comp. ground-plan, p. 57).
This museum contains a valuable collection of various objects
connected with ship-building, navigation etc., such as models of
weapons and relics of historical interest. For the non-professional
visitor the following objects are perhaps those most deserving
of inspection:
1st Room. The French fleet from 1786 to 1824. No. 33.
Large plastic representation of the embarkation and transport of
the obelisk of Luxor (p. 8); 34. The erection of the obelisk in
the Place de la Concorde. On the principal wall an inscription
to the memory of the heroic Lieutenant Bellot of the French
navy, who perished in 1853 in an Arctic expedition, placed there
by English residents in France.
2nd Room. 150. Machine for adjusting the masts of a ship.
3. Relief-plan of the town and harbour of Brest: Models of ships.
3rd Room. Models of pumps and machines; 349. Ship in the
stocks about to be launched; 5. Relief-plan of the town and
harbour of Lorient; 522. Model of the "Valmy", a ship of the
line of the first class.
4th Room 621. Large model of a 120 gun ship, occupying
the entire apartment
5th Room. 960. Bell from the chapel of the citadel of St. Jean
d'Ulloa (Mexico), which was pierced by a cannon-ball from a
French corvette in 1838; small sailing-vessels etc.
6th Room. 885 to 958. Large obelisk decorated with relics
of the frigates "Boussole" and "Astrolabe", which had been sent
on a voyage of discovery under the command of Captain de Lapérouse
in 1783, and foundered at sea. Traces of the ill-fated
expedition had been discovered by the English Captain Dillon in
the island of Ticopia in 1828, whereupon a French vessel was despatched
for the purpose of bringing home the relics 956. Letter
written by Lapérouse; 780. Bust of Lapérouse. — Busts of
celebrated French navigators and naval heroes. — Models of ships.
7th Room. 721. Model of the steam vessel of war "le Véloce".
8th Room. Rigging and ships chains. Two relief-plans of
Toulon, dating from 1790 and 1850.
9th Room. Fire-arms of various calibres.
10th Room Scientific instruments, sextants etc.; also a very
large geographical globe.
11th Room. 640. Model of "le Louis XV.", a man of war of
the middle of the last century. 640. Model of "La Réale", an
admiral's ship built at the close of the 17th cent. and artistically
adorned by the celebrated sculptor Puget (p. 54). The original
carving in gilded wood (No 760—775) hangs on the wall.
4. Relief-plan of the town and harbour of Rochefort.
The adjoining rooms contain the Musée Ethnographique,
recently founded.
1st Room. Curiosities from Africa, most of them presented
by M. Delaporte, consul at Cairo. 32. Model of the slip from
launched at Toulon in 1829; 659. Model of the machine by
means of which the "Rivoli", a ship of 72 guns, was raised in
the harbour of Venice in 1812.
2nd Room. A collection of the spoil captured in various
French naval expeditions, consisting principally of curiosities from
Japan, China and Mexico. Model of the pagoda of Juggernaut
in India surmounted by the image of Wischnu, the principal
deity of the Indians, to whose shrine every Indian is bound to
make a pilgrimage at least once in his life.
Beyond this are three rooms with curiosities from China,
most of them collected during the French expedition of 1860:
porcelain, paintings, boxes, idols, models of Chinese buildings,
weapons etc.
American Antiquities. The commencement of a collection
of implements, tools, idols and ornaments, most of them of stone,
from Mexico, Chili and Peru, resembling in many respects the
Egyptian antiquities, and proving that the aboriginal inhabitants
of America were, on the discovery of America by Columbus (1492)
not far behind the Egyptians in civilization. The collection is
temporarily placed in a passage on the second floor near the
outlet of the Musée Ethnographique.
On quitting the old Palais du Louvre, the visitor should direct
his steps to the magnificent New Buildings connecting the Louvre
with the Tuileries on the N. side. This gigantic work was commenced
in 1848 from designs by Visconti and rapidly completed
(1850—56) under Napoleon III. at a cost, as it is estimated, of
75 million francs (3 million L.).
The portal is decorated with a group representing Intelligence
and Labour, the former unfolding the plan of the edifice, the
latter with a cornucopia; beneath is a statue of France leaning
on a sceptre.
In niches on the exterior, at the entrance to the Place du
Carrousel in the Rue de Rivoli (Pavillon de Rohan), are placed
statues of the following celebrated generals of the first Republic
and Empire: Hoche, Kléber, Lannes, Masséna, Desaix, Marceau,
Soult and Ney.
The galleries of this new structure (Place Napoléon) are occupied
by a long series of statues of literary celebrities: La
Fontaine, Pascal, Mézeray, Molière, Boileau, Fénélon, La Rochefoucauld,
Corneille etc.
The ministerial offices of the state and imperial household
are now situated in this edifice. Here, too, is the Louvre Library
(private library of the emperor). On the ground-floor the Impérial
Stud, comprising the Emperor's private saddle-horses (among
Solferino) and the gorgeous carriages of state. A second extensive
stud is situated on the Quai d'Orsay, at the corner of the
Avenue Rapp, at the extremity of the Pont de l'Alma (p. 85).
Permission to inspect these establishments is obtained by addressing
a written application (p. 92) to General Fleury, "Premier
Ecuyer de S. M. l'Empereur", at the Tuileries.
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