Museography of the Louvre
Introduction to the Louvre museology elements
The museography biases is the science of the organization of the museum. The museology of the Louvre is a mix of old and new architecture, brilliant interior design, color theory, natural light and of course, the top of the French technology.
The Louvre is a pioneer in the Science of Museography and has created a global consultancy service for the world newest museums. The role is to help preserve Human heritage in sensitive and fragile areas by giving a better and safer design for the museums. The Louvre global mission today is to help the Locals conserve and showcase their cultural heritage safely, equitably and gracefully in order to welcome international visitors.
The Museography of the Louvre focus on four pillars and nothing is left to chance:
- Enhancement of the display of the Art object : intensity of light, angles, decorative elements, choice of frame, color of the background wall
- Protection and preservation of the Art object without obstructing the visibility: glare, clarity of the glass, temperature, humidty, air conditioning, security distance.
- Experience of visitors in the building : Giving each visitor a chance to enjoy the famous paintings of the museum at ease, to stop and contemplate without obstructing the flow of the crowd of visitors, planning logical trails for visitors in the Louvre.
- Organization of the rooms : Heavy sculptures in the ground floor, the paintings in a periodically/geographically organized rooms, the ancient civilizations in sperate wings...
I believe that the Louvre Museographic elements and display decorations are part of the Louvre experience. We can see it in vogue today in other museums of the world.
Visitors go to the Louvre not only to appreciate the iconic Art inside but also come to see the building itself, the overall display of the Art, the composure of the different trails, the interior decoration and the mixed architecture.
All these elements, different in each room, can indicate how important they are to Art History.
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We have studied the most important elements from the Louvre Museology and its stunning museographic displays in its exhibits.
If you need us for more clarifications, you can reach out to the author by email and plan a meeting.
Louvre display organization, Museography and museology
Can any work be presented in a museum as big as the Louvre?
No, the size or the material used can be an obstacle.
The Louvre building is eight centuries old and can not expand or change radically.
For example, many installations & performances produced by contemporary artists are sometimes satisfied outside, in open air and in the cour carré or other big spaces of the museum.
Have certain works been designed especially for the Louvre Museum?
In a way, yes. After the Revolution of 1789, artists were led to work for a different public. Museums, recently opened, were then among the institutions allowing creators to work on monumental formats and ambitious historical subjects, generally not very accessible to private collectors of the time, more concerned with acquiring medium-format works. harmonize with their interior. If the museum was not the sponsor, the artists were aware, on the other hand, that it was one of the rare places favoring the presentation and conservation of monumental works. Museums thus offered, in the more or less long term, an opportunity to acquire large format works that had not been commissioned.
Artists were called upon to decorate the Louvre museum: Delacroix in the 19th century, to complete the Apollo gallery, or Georges Braque, in the 20th century for the decoration of the ceiling of the king's antechamber...
Does the Louvre museum still call upon contemporary artists?
Yes, it happened but only for a small decorative space such as François Morellet glass, the American painter Cy Twombly and the famous french painter Georges Braque, Les Oiseaux 1953.
Exceptional modern artist were invited for temporary exhibitions such as Pierre Soulages (Outer Black artist) in 2020 and Glenn Brown in Still Life : Les Choses .
Can a the Louvre sell or exchange works?
Not in France. A French national museum is managed by the State and the local authorities and so, it cannot resell parts of what the "People of France" holds.
* Although many exceptions in History of France were made.
Are there only masterpieces in a museum?
No. The masterpiece is the exceptional iconic artwork, the rare pearl in the career of an artist.
Even if a museum generally presents pieces of high quality , it is impossible that it only has masterpieces.
The Louvre, for example, has more of an encyclopedic vocation.
It presents civilizations and artistic periods in the most complete way possible, with the most interesting creations possible. They are not systematically masterpieces, some works having an artistic interest, others historical, others still anecdotal...
Are the works of the museum in their original state?
It's very rare.
They often arrive at the museum damaged, incomplete, or even altered by artists over time. Canvases have been cut out or enlarged (The Fortune Teller by Caravaggio).
Sometimes their colors have changed over time, due to the instability of the materials used, the pollution from the smoke of candle light, the wax, the carbon dioxide from the hundred millions visitors breaths, and Paris pollution from the cars.
During these last eight centuries, the Louvre have had its share of different sources of human-made pollution and natural catastrophes. Their impact on the paint, on the marble and such can be seen during your visit : Look for the greasy grime on the golden leaves covering its glare, the humidity cracks appearing on the building structure... Thankfully, the Louvre conservation center is renovating not only the paintings and sculpture, but the building itself.
Many specialists and artisans from Paris and Versailles are called to restore the most fragile areas of the Palace such as the renovation of the major Apollo Gallery renovation that happened in 2004 and the Triumphal Arch of the Carousel renovation in 2023.
Bonjour, I am
Flora
I am a licensed tour guide in Paris, passionate about Art History and History.
Thanks to its long and rich history, to its monumentality, the Louvre has become an iconic museum with endless delights and fascinating stories.
Until today, experts are still studying the Louvre History, its architecture and the Art inside