France is returning to a third lockdown and so, the doors to the world's largest art museum remain closed a while longer. However, the Louvre's collection has now been made available online—a database of over four-hundred-thousand works, which even includes pieces on loan and in storage.
This comes in an effort to preserve the wealth of knowledge which echoes through the halls of the glass pyramid. "The Louvre is dusting off its treasures, even the least known," says museum director Jean-Luc Martinez. "[The museum's] stunning cultural heritage is all now just a click away."
It's the perfect opportunity to feel more cultured as you expand your knowledge of art beyond being able to recognize the Mona Lisa. No plane ticket to Paris needed. From busts of Roman emperors to amulets from ancient Egypt, there's a lot more to the Louvre than the marquee pieces which have made their way to graphic t-shirts.
The Louvre collection can be viewed on the museum's website now.
