There is nothing like spending a rainy afternoon in a museum, soaking up the beauty and wonders of art and history. Now, the Louvre, the most visited museum in the world, allows you to do it from home.
The French museum has put online an online platform bringing together all the works of the museum, made up of more than 480,000 pieces, the Louvre announced on Friday in a press release.
Art lovers and researchers alike will now be able to consult the entire Louvre collection online free of charge.
The website features works of art from the collections of the museum’s eight departments, ranging from Islamic art and Renaissance sculptures to Egyptian antiques and paintings by artists around the world.
“Today, the Louvre is dusting off its treasures, even the lesser known,” said Jean-Luc Martinez, President and CEO of the Louvre, in a statement. “For the first time, everyone can access the entire collection of works free of charge from a computer or smartphone, whether they are on display in the museum, on loan, even long-term, or in storage. “
“The magnificent cultural heritage of the Louvre is now just a click away! ” he added. “I’m sure this digital content will inspire more people to come to the Louvre to see the collections in person. “
Visitors can search the museum’s massive collections through simple or advanced searches, entries by curatorial department or thematic albums, the release said.
The website has an interactive map that allows people to explore the museum and each of its works of art piece by piece.
The website will be updated regularly by museum experts as the museum’s collection slowly grows, the statement said.
Lockdown restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic closed the Louvre at the end of October, leaving world famous works of art like ‘Venus de Milo’, ‘Liberty Leading the People’ and the ‘Mona Lisa’ without their usual crowds admirers.
While the museum is still closed to visitors, the Louvre is now the subject of long-planned renovations.
