Paintings in the Louvre

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and almost complete, but needs updating........2007-10-02

As a Parisian-born art lover, I have been to the Louvre many times and skimmed through many catalogues and books about its collections. I can reasonably say that this is the most beautiful sum ever published on its paintings collection. The illustrations do justice not only to the masterpieces, but also to more minor works, which other publications seldom show. The text is minimal but lively. It is a heavy item, not easy to bring back home, but it is worth the effort.

The only regret: over the last ten years the museum has acquired some wonderful works, so maybe it is time this book were updated, since it is more than ten years old.

Great overview........2007-06-04

Context: I'm not an academic or a scholar; I'm a regular guy who likes visiting museums when I travel and I wanted to do a little researach before I left. This book worked well for my daughter and I to determine which parts of the museum deserved the most time (on a short trip) and to get a better understanding of the works. I'm not qualified to evaluate it from an academic perspective, but as a layman it was exactly what we needed.

Wonderful Reproductions.......2006-12-14

I love this book. The reproductions in my opinion are really stunning and many fill a full page. Often times you really have to concentrate to follow which painting a caption is eluding to - that is my only criticism of this book. It is a fantastic addition to any art lovers collection, and anyone who has been to or will one day visit the Louvre in person. There is not alot of historical detail so do not buy this book thinking it is an art HISTORY book. It is not that although there is VERY VERY minor detailing of periods in art and a discussion of the history of the Louvre itself. This book is a treasure to be had but not a great instructive work. For the high quality reproductions and the pleasure the reader has of viewing the vast and beautiful painting collection of one of the worlds greatest museums I give it the highest praise of five stars. I should just note that my version is newer than this and has the Mona Lisa on the cover. Cheers!

A Stunning Inspirational Expression of the Louvre.......2006-09-04

I admire deeply the work put together in this book. I believe it was compiled with integrity to the purpose of relaying the center of some of the world's most exquisite art. First of all it is a massive volume in deep, rich color and when you receive it no matter what price you paid it feels well worth it. On several pages you will see a whole painting and then on the next page an enlarged version of the painting's focal point, a section of the art to show the rich detail. Of course you will lose some detail with any representation of this work. But if you can't make it to the Louvre or have been to the Louvre and would like to bring some of the soul stilling art home I highly recommend this book.

Overrated.......2003-04-27

I'm surprised by the glowing reviews for this book. The reproductions are of poor quality. My advice would be to buy a book published in the last ten years, no more.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

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Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre

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The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre
Prudence Oliver Harper , and Joan Aruz
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810964228

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awesome book and PRICE!!!!!
Excellent primer on the world's richest art collection.
Average Effort

Treasures of the Louvre
Michel Laclotte
Manufacturer: Artabras Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0896600378

Customer Reviews:

awesome book and PRICE!!!!!.......2005-10-19

this book was exactly like the one I looked at the Louvre in Paris, France but cheaper. Even paying for the s&h I still got it cheaper. Excellent condition!! Very satisfied customer

Excellent primer on the world's richest art collection........2004-06-14

Housing a majestic collection of nearly 300,000 works of art, only a fraction of which are on display at any one time, no book, no matter its size, can ever come close to actually visiting the Musée du Louvre itself. In that regard, this book is no different.
Where this comprehensive book, written by the museum's director, excels other visual guides of its kind is in both the assortment of the works it presents and in its easy-to-browse organization.
Printed in high-quality plates on semi-glossy paper, and bound in a sturdy, pocket-sized format, this little volume superbly reproduces nearly 400 of the museum's most renowned masterpieces. For each item, its name, author, place of origin, date of creation, materials and dimensions is indicated, and the pieces are chronologically arranged into seven distinct sections, according to the museum's own classification system:
*Oriental Antiquities
*Egyptian Antiquities
*Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities
*Decorative Arts
*Sculpture
*European Paintings
*Drawings
As a bonus, a brief look at the museum's history is offered in the Preface and, for fast check-ups, an Index of Illustrations is provided at the back.
For those who have already visited the museum this book is a first-class visual reminder of what you have seen, and for those who have never been to it, it gives a tantalizing glimpse of this vast and remarkable treasure.
Enjoy!
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

Average Effort.......2002-04-08

This is a light coffee table book that provides a kind of greatest hits list of the collection. A collection that is so big no one single book would really do it justice. Overall I think this book does a fine job at its purpose, which is to provide you a little history and meaning on some selected works. This book is almost akin to a travel memento picture book. The book for me reminds me to always stop by the Museum when I am in Paris

The Pocket Louvre: A Visitor's Guide to 500 Works

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Visiting the Louvre? This One May Help...
Le Louvre
A Wonderful Comprehensive Guide
It was great. Better than "Cats"...

The Pocket Louvre: A Visitor's Guide to 500 Works
Claude Mignot
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Turtleback

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ASIN: 0789205785

Book Description

With more than 500 illustrations and numerous gallery floor plans, this invaluable guide is a mini-museum between two covers, offering visitors all they need to make the most of their visit to the world's largest art museum.

Encyclopedic in its scope and exhausting in its magnitude, the Louvre has vast collections ranging from the 6th century b.c. to the mid-19th century. Its impressive architecture goes back 800 years, to its origins as a fortress guarding medieval Paris. In its contemporary incarnation, recently reconfigured and rebaptized "The Grand Louvre," it spreads over four levels and boasts more than 30,000 works of art; its galleries, shops, and offices occupy some 1.6 million square feet, of which some 645,600 are dedicated to exhibitions.

Such daunting dimensions can make the museum feel like an endless labyrinth to uninitiated visitors. For them, The Pocket Louvre is a unique and essential resource, including: A handy user's guide with information about access to the museum and its many services, from cafs to a post office to shops. Suggested itineraries for visits of varying lengths and for visitors with differing interests. A history of the Louvre and its architecture. A history of the collections. An illustrated catalog of 500 masterpieces, all in color, with useful brief commentaries.

555 illustrations, 540 in full color

Customer Reviews:

Visiting the Louvre? This One May Help..........2007-09-11

The Pocket Louvre is a professionally rendered small-format paperback with two goals: first, to present a set of full-color reproductions of many of the Louvre's most famous works, and second, to assist the viewer in organizing trips to the Louvre in order to see these works in person. The book does a good job of meeting both goals. Whether you are planning on visiting the Louvre or just want a chance to see reprints of some of the more famous works held therein, you'll likely find what you need here.

The Louvre is a mega-museum so immense in size that it makes some of the world's other museums look like booths at an indoor mall. The building complex is so vast, and the museum's holdings so extensive, that it would easily require multiple return visits over some period of time to even begin to see any significant amount of it in any detail. The buildings themselves which house the Louvre have been added to and reworked over some 500 years, and so any visitor to the gallery (there were over eight million of them in 2006 alone) will be met with sprawling galleries, staircases large enough to hold small homes, interconnecting passages, an underground complex, central eating and shopping areas, and more. It can make the unprepared feel faint of heart and can be overwhelming even if one has visited more than once in the past. The Pocket Louvre helps the visitor navigate through this vast setting by breaking the complex into manageable sections by art genre, and then provides written descriptions of the path to take to see the principal works for each. In addition, the book gives us alternatives: do we want a short, or a long, trip? For each, we are provided directions, suggestions, and even some small-scale maps to help us both plan and execute our trip.

The photos in The Pocket Louvre are first-rate. Images are crisp, clear, with good color reproduction, and because the entire text is on semi-gloss paper, possess excellent overall quality. Because the book itself is small enough to be carried to the Louvre itself, it also means, however, that the photos are small, as well. You'll be able to get a very nice review of the art in the Louvre by reviewing the text, but don't think you are getting a coffee table-sized art book. Nevertheless, the photos are reproduced well enough to enjoy using the book as a virtual tour through the museum, and the descriptions of each, though minimal, are informative enough to help us understand what we are looking at.

A true bargain at its price, and a useful aid for a Louvre visit, the book should be in the library of every art lover, art historian, or past or future Louvre visitor.

Le Louvre.......2003-10-30

A trip to Paris would be incomplete without a visit to the world's largest museum and probably the most fascinating in the world, the Louvre.

The difficulty in visiting the Louvre is that it is overwhelming, as it galleries display over eight centuries of the world's greatest masterpieces.
"The Grand Louvre" is spread over four levels and comprises 30,000 works of art that occupies approximately 1.6 million square feet.s
Furthermore, 645, 000 square feet are dedicated to distinct exhibitions.
Put it very simply, "ouch my aching feet!"
In other words, you can't possibly appreciate these great works of art without a well planned out itinerary.
Here is where a comprehensive guidebook entitled The Pocket Louvre authored by a professor of art history at the Université de Tours, Claude Mignot, can prove to be a godsend.

What immediately caught my eye when I thumbed through the guidebook was its practical organization.
Each page contains beautiful illustrations that serve both as a record of works seen and as a capsule of Western art.
However, what is extremely useful is that on the side of each page the author in small print denotes the exact school of the work of art.
Not only are we presented with this information but also Mignot pinpoints the floor and room it is located.
Let us suppose we are interested in viewing the Mona Lisa and we do not want to waste time in trying to locate the painting.
All we have to do is look in the index, find reference to the Mona Lisa "et voilà" we are referred to the appropriate page. We are now told that the Mona Lisa is located in room 6 (Salle des Etats), on the first floor. Furthermore, the author also gives us some useful tidbits concerning this well-known work of art.
With this in mind we can repeat this method when we wish to plan our own trip to the Louvre.

On the other hand we can also pursue the various array of tours suggested by the author.
These tours are broken down into various time frames: the three-hour tour, the one-day classic tour and the four half-day comprehensive tours.
When you read the author's comments pertaining to each one of the tours, you actually feel his presence.

Other useful features of the book are it's over 500 rich photo illustrations and the numerous gallery floor plans.
The table of contents is quite comprehensive and allows the reader to quickly identify the type of tour he or she may wish to embark upon.
There are also various useful tips such as avoiding lines, where to eat, getting to the museum, where to relax and the various services offered in the Louvre.
We are also provided with a capsule history of the Louvre.

Mignot definitely has written a comprehensive guide that is aware of the elements of time and physical endurance that every visitor to the Louvre encounters.
Merci Prof. Mignot!

This review first appeared on the reviewer's own site:
www.bookpleasures.com

A Wonderful Comprehensive Guide.......2001-07-19

We brought this guide with us on our last visit to Paris. We hadn't been to the Louvre before, its size had overwhelmed us. Armed with this guide, we were able to focus on what we wanted to see, and had a wonderful souvenir when we got home. The pictures are tremendous and the section on the history of the Louvre was very interesting. The descriptions of the art itself were, however, frustratingly brief. Also, even though at over 500 pages, the guide is hardly "pocket", it didn't include several paintings we wished it had.

It was great. Better than "Cats"..........2000-08-29

This book captured the essence of the Louvre. It is the perfect resource for those too time-poor to make the trek to Paris. You will want to read it while you have your morning espresso in a sidewalk cafe.

1001 Paintings at the Louvre: From Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century

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LIKE A VISIT TO THE LOUVRE
informative and educating art book of numerous paintings from the Louvre
A VOLUME TO TREASURE

1001 Paintings at the Louvre: From Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century
Vincent PamarSde
Manufacturer: 5 Continents Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 887439277X

Book Description

This lavishly illustrated book provides a wonderful panorama of 4000 years of painting history all selected and reproduced in its pages by one of the most celebrated art photographers of our time. The book includes introductory texts and descriptive captions of the paintings chosen fo rinclusion.

Customer Reviews:

LIKE A VISIT TO THE LOUVRE.......2007-02-05

It's stunning to think how much the creators of this book had to leave out in order to confine themselves to just 1001 works in the Louvre, and limit those to paintings. The Winged Victory of Samothrace. The Venus de Milo. The ancient Egyptian collection's Seated Scribe, alertly awaiting, down the centuries, further dictation. The building itself, the 16th century palace of the Louvre on its massive medieval foundations that can still be visited, mysteriously caverned beneath the miles of corridors where the paintings hang.

But the greatest masters of painting are here: Ingres, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, El Greco, Velázquez, Jan van Eyck, Goya, Raphael, Giotto, Hals...Vermeer's Lace-Maker and Astronomer glow from these pages (the latter painting, interestingly, acquired in 1983 by donation in payment of estate taxes). Here one may wonder whether the insightful Van Dyck's Charles I, King of England replaces mere haughtiness in the monarch's bearing with nobility. Rubens' The Landing of the Queen at Marseille, 3 November 1600 portrays Marie de Médicis, about to become the bride of Henri IV of France, disembarking from a ship wearing an expression of wide-eyed utter blankness, surrounded by allegorical figures including typically Rubensian enormous naked females roiling the water below; the picture makes the viewer gasp at his phenomenal technique while perhaps repressing a grin at the writhing cellulite among the waves. Given the crowds that invariably jam the space in front of the Mona Lisa at the museum, you may be glad of a chance to get a closer look at her - how did Leonardo make the painting look as though he'd smoked it onto the panel? - in the book. Contemplating enigmatic wall paintings from Pompeii, you will be drawn into a time in which we partly recognize ourselves, but are baffled by unanswerable questions.

"He'll make your Paris Louvre shake for it," runs a line in Shakespeare's Henry V. Through the wars that have shaken France since the Louvre's beginnings, it has hidden its irreplaceable treasures when it had to, and survived. Today it houses such a stupendous collection of art objects that no lifetime of visits could be long enough to absorb them all.

If you've been to the Louvre, you surely didn't see them all, however desperately you wanted to. This large volume will help you revisit and remember the paintings from antiquity to the 19th century that you did see. As for those you may have missed, you'll find here many of those most worth seeing. If you're going to the Louvre for the first time, 1001 Paintings will help you prepare to make the most of your visit. It's true that the more you know before you get there, the richer your experience will be. If you're looking for a gift for an art lover, this would be a good choice.

At its list price of $80, this volume might be regarded as a fairly heavy investment. Available at a discount as you're likely to find it, though, it becomes more affordable. The better color reproductions of paintings are, the more expensive they are to produce; and this coffee table-sized book is crammed with decent full-color illustrations. There are souvenir art books available in museum bookstores from which one turns away in disappointment, the reproductions fall so very far short of the originals. The reproductions in 1001 Paintings, however, come acceptably, if not ideally, close to the original art they represent.

The contents, organized by period and place of origin, include Oriental, Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities; Islamic arts; French, Italian, Spanish, Flemish, Dutch and Germanic paintings, as well as those of other Northern schools. The section on Graphic Arts encompasses the magnificent French pastel portraits which by themselves are worth a visit to the Louvre. (Those by Maurice-Quentin de la Tour alone, in fact, are worth a visit.) The section on Decorative Arts, extending the definition of "painting," displays, among other objects, stained glass windows, painted enamels, faience, shields, even ones that may have actually been carried in tournaments, covered with intricately detailed paintings; pictorially carved wooden furniture; and such a bemusing piece as a dazzling Byzantine lidded bowl, dating from the 10th-11th century, which entered the collection of Louis XIV before 1673.

The accompanying essays are readable, instructive and helpful. Too many members of the Louvre's battalions of experts participated to name any here but the editors, Vincent Pomarède and Delphine Trébosc, and the photographer, Erich Lessing.

informative and educating art book of numerous paintings from the Louvre.......2006-07-05

Innumerable paintings from the Louvre are pictured in bright colors on glossy paper catching all their details and shadings. "Painting" is used loosely, so that there are also many rarely-seen works from the famed museum's Cabinet de Dessins (Drawing Gallery) as well as illuminated manuscripts, murals, and works on decorative objects such as porcelain objects and watchcases in addition to the oils, watercolors, gouaches, and others on canvas or paper and usually framed. Beginning with works from the Orient, the organization moving through centuries and across cultures leads to more detailed sections on European paintings by centuries and ends with sections on graphic arts and decorative arts. There are many attractive, voluminous books of art from the Louvre and other outstanding museums. But this one is distinctive for its reach regarding the major genre of painting in the incomparable collection of this leading museum of international reputation. Also, with essays on cultural influences, styles, subjects, and leading painters of the eras and keenly observant, often incisive annotations on each of the numerous works by art historians, the book is especially informative and educating.

A VOLUME TO TREASURE.......2006-06-13

If a trip to Paris including a day at what is arguably the most famous museum in the world isn't in your plans, this gorgeous volume is an excellent armchair visit. Further, it is a visit you can make whenever you wish with no walking, standing or climbing stairs involved!

Edited by Vincent Pomarede and featuring gorgeous photographs (many full page) by Erich Lessing this volume is as the Preface states "a dazzling printed gallery of works selected both to please and instruct." The volume does, of course, contain many well-known and loved masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and La Tour's The Adoration of the Shepherds, in addition it also holds lesser known paintings that merit our attention.

Thumbnail captions by various curators accompany each painting often drawing the eye to an important attribute of the work or placing it in appropriate context with other artists and periods. Although I've used "painting" in its broadest term, also included are remarkable illuminated manuscripts, studies, stained glass, pottery, furniture and tableware.

It is tantamount to impossible to describe the wealth of beauty housed in the Louvre and words are also inadequate to described the wonders found in the 576 pages of this exquisite volume. It is a rare book, one that will be enjoyed over and over again as well as by generations to come.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

Average customer rating:

Lush photos of the Louvre's greatest artwork - itself

The Louvre: An Architectural History
Genevieve Bresc Bautier , Keiichi Tahara , Genevieve Bresc , and Genevieve Brise
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B00009MVI7

Customer Reviews:

Lush photos of the Louvre's greatest artwork - itself.......1999-07-09

This book is a must have for anyone who has ever fallen in love with the Louvre. The photos are incredible, with many panoramic views as well as detailed shots. Finding books on the works of art contained *in* the Louvre is easy, but this is the best book I've seen on the fantastic artwork that is the buildings, rooms, and courtyards of the Louvre itself.

I also loved the historical info on the Louvre provided by the text. Simple staircases I have walked down a number of times suddenly have rich meaning and context for me now. And I appreciated the focus on all parts of the Louvre complex. There's info on the more popular, touristy parts of the Louvre, like the pyramids and Denon, but also details on the more out-of-the way spots tucked away in Sully or elsewhere.

The only problems I found with the book are that the historical info at times assumes that the reader knows quite about about French history. If your history is lacking in a certain period, the text can be a bit hard to follow. I also would have appreciated maps and floorplans of the Louvre to remind me where each area being discussed is and how it relates to the other areas.

Book Description

This massive and lavishly illustrated volume documents a new permanent display at the Louvre of some 120 masterpieces of African, Asian, Oceanic, and America art--the precursor of the Musee du Quai Branly to be opened in 2004. Large color photographs present multiple views of each sculpture, and are accompanied by historical photographs of the objects when first collected and as displayed in museums and French artists' studios.

The philosophy behind this project is to affirm that no individual exists outside of culture and there is no hierarchy among cultures. The Louvre display and new museum are committed to preserving and presenting in the most dignified and respectful way possible the great works of humanity's cultural heritage. The book documenting the exhibition reveals the manifest participation of extra-Western civilizations in the humanist legacy, made accessible at last through a few of these civilizations' most perfectly realized creations. These artists and their works speak to us across the centuries.

Jacques Kerchache is scientific adviser to the Musé du Quai Branly, Paris. The book includes contributions by 48 scholars, among them Robert Farris Thompson, Gregory Forth, Perkins Foss, Michael Gunn, Carol S. Ivory, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Douglas Newton, Esther Pasztory, Leon Siroto, and Richard F. Townsend.

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A top pick which stands apart from the usual graphic novel adventure.

Glacial Period (Louvre)
Nicolas De Crecy
Manufacturer: ComicsLit
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1561634832

Book Description

For the first time in the US, ComicsLit brings over the latest enfant terrible of European comics, a mad genius, and for the first time, The Louvre museum is involved in a co-edition of a series of graphic novels. There will be four and each will be a vision of this great museum by a different artist. De Crecy, at the sight of the incredible richness of the museum¹s collection was overwhelmed and felt small and ignorant. The result is a story set thousands of years hence in a glacial period where all human history has been forgotten and a small group of archeologists fall upon the Louvre, buried in age-old snow. They cannot begin to explain all the artifacts they see. What could they have meant? Their interpretations are nonsense, absurd, farcical.

Customer Reviews:

A top pick which stands apart from the usual graphic novel adventure........2007-03-12

The first volume of 'Glacial Period' represents a departure from the usual graphic novel format, coming from the Louvre, Paris' famous museum, and extending its art into the pop realm. Two French publishing efforts have joined with a literary comics imprint to produce Glacial Period, in which the Louvre will provide a series of four separate graphic novels by four artists: GLACIAL PERIOD is the first, comes from a rising graphic artists star, and is presented in gorgeous, full color throughout. A top pick which stands apart from the usual graphic novel adventure.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

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