Paris's Musée du Louvre is consistently the world's most visited museum—and for good reason.
The grand art museum houses 35,000 masterpieces, from prehistory to contemporary works. But with over 600,000 square feet of exhibition space, navigating the enormous museum can be overwhelming if you don't know what to look out for.
Christine Kuan, the chief curator at Artsy, selected 15 must-see works of art at the Louvre.
"The world-famous Musée du Louvre houses thousands of priceless masterpieces," Kuan said. "Every year more than 8 million people flock here to enjoy its magnificent treasures. It is one of the reasons Paris is the international arbiter of taste and culture."
Kuan also provided commentary on the works of art and told us why they're not to be missed.
"Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci (1503-1506). "The most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (aka La Gioconda or La Joconde) with her mysterious smile and cutting-edge illusionism for the early 1500s. This masterpiece has been on display at the Louvre since 1797. Millions make the pilgrimage to Paris to see the real thing each year."
"Nike of Samothrace" (c. 190 BC)."The Nike of Samothrace (or Winged Victory) depicts the Greek goddess of Victory as if soaring to new heights. Astounding in its expressive quality, it is considered a Hellenistic tour de force. Certainly would inspire anyone to want to win!"
"Raft of the Medusa" by Théodore Géricault (1818-1819). "Based on a true tabloid-like tragedy of shipwreck and cannibalism, Théodore Géricault painted this icon of French Romanticism at the age of 27. The blood and gore depicted here was based on Géricault’s tireless study in morgues. Of course, everyone then (and now) had to see the painting in the flesh."
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