Treasures of the Louvre (Tiny Folio) [Hardcover]

Michel Laclotte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997 | Series: Tiny Folio

This volume offers a grand tour of one of the world's greatest museums, featuring masterpieces dating from ancient civilizations to the 19th century. Two hundred years ago, the doors of hte Louvre opened to the public for the very first time. The palace of the French Kings had been transformed into a museum that today stretches over an enormous area right in the heart of Paris. The royal collections first assembled by Francis I in the 16th century were later transferred to the Louvre palace, and this prestigious core was further enriched with artistic treasures during the Revolutionary period. The collections have been growing ever since, and today are divided into seven departments. Oriental Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities and Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities illustrate the art and culture of the ancient Near East, Middle East and Mediterranean countries. The other four so-called "modern" departments - painting, sculpture, decorative arts and drawing - span Western art from the height of the Middle Ages to the mid-19th century. With over 400 superb reproductions, this comprehensive guide book highlights the extraordinary range of artistic traditions that have gradually found their place in the Louvre.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: French --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789204061
• ISBN-13: 978-0789204066
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primer on the world's richest art collection., June 14, 2004

By 

M. E. Volmar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Treasures of the Louvre (Tiny Folio) (Hardcover)

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 M. E. Volmar

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average Effort, April 7, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Treasures of the Louvre (Tiny Folio) (Paperback)

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

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tiny is the word, December 27, 2010

By 

susan'sreviews - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Treasures of the Louvre (Tiny Folio) (Hardcover)

I had not appreciated the "Tiny" part of the subtitle and Tiny it is. It's probably less than 4 inches square. It's a question of what you want it for, however. It's little enough to take with you to the Louvre, but since there is no "guidebook" aspect, or explanation of the art works, it is not likely you would do it. It's more of a souvenir and is very economical for that purpose, but little value otherwise.