Museum among museums.

Formerly a royal palace, the Louvre has embraced the history of France for eight centuries. Intended as a universal museum since its inception in 1793, its collections—among the finest in the world—span several thousands of years and a territory that extends from America to the confines of Asia. Divided among eight departments, these collections feature works admired throughout the globe, including the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo. With nearly ten million visitors in 2012, the Louvre is the world’s most visited museum.
The Louvre, a universal museum

The Louvre is universal both in terms of the wealth of its collections and the great diversity of its visitors. Of the nearly ten million people who visited the Louvre in 2012, 69 percent were of overseas origin, with 15 percent from the United States of America, 7 percent from China, and 6 percent from Brazil. To adapt to the diverse nature of this public, the Louvre continually strives for greater accessibility. To this end, its initiatives include the progressive widespread use of labeling in two or even three languages to describe the 38,000 artworks exhibited; the revamped numbering of exhibition rooms; the development of a new, more user-friendly floor plan; and the fostering of art education. In addition, the Louvre website (www.louvre.fr/en) offers various visitor tips on planning a visit, gaining in-depth knowledge, and teaching art history to children.
The Louvre, a museum concerned with territorial development

Not content merely to receive visitors, the Louvre often engages in public outreach, in France in particular. The opening, on December 4, 2012, of the Louvre Lens in Northern France is a case in point. The building, designed by the Japanese architectural firm Sanaa, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2010, consists of two main wings with glass and polished aluminum façades that blend seamlessly into landscaped grounds designed by French landscape architect, Catherine Mosbach. The 205 artworks on display there are taken from the Louvre’s collections and are renewed on a regular basis. After Liberty leading the people in 2013, visitors can admire Oedipus and the Sphinx by Ingres. In addition, the Louvre pursues an active policy of loans and exhibitions, throughout France, in collaboration with French regional museums.

Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Musée du Louvre