After a brief incursion in the mysteries of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, the time has come to remember my visits to the most grandiose museum in the world: the Louvre! The first time I visited it was at the end of 2006 and, since I was on a tight schedule, I could only squeeze in a couple of hours to see the highlights of the museum. On my second visit, in the first days of 2014, I walked around for more than 4 hours, until my feet started hurting. In this article I will share 10 of my favourite exhibits from the world’s most visited museum (out of which the first 5 are representations of women, because we deserve it 😛 )!

The Louvre Museum in Paris

“The Winged Victory of Samothrace”, also called the “Nike of Samothrace” (approx. 200–190 BC)

The Winged Victory of Samothrace in the Louvre Museum

“Aphrodite”, known as the “Venus de Milo” (Island of Melos, Cyclades, Greece; 100 BC)

Venus de Milo in the Louvre Museum

“Mona Lisa” – Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, by Leonardo da Vinci (1503)

Gioconda or Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre Museum

Portrait of a woman, known as “L’Européenne” (2nd century AD)

Portrait of a woman, known as L’Europeenne in the Louvre Museum

“Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix (1830)

Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix in the Louvre Museum

The Code of Hammurabi, king of Babylon (1792 – 1750 BC)

The Code of Hammurabi in the Louvre Museum

“Seated Scribe” or “Squatting Scribe” (Saqqara, Egypt; 2600 – 2350 BC)

Egyptian Seated Scribe in the Louvre Museum

“The Death of Saint-Innocent“, an allegory of Death (Cemetery of the Innocents, Paris; approx. 1520-1530)

The Death of Saint-Innocent in the Louvre Museum

“The 4 Seasons” by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (16^th century)

The 4 Seasons by Giuseppe Arcimboldo in the Louvre Museum

“Captive” (“The Rebellious Slave“) by Michelangelo Buonarroti (approx. 1513)

The Rebellious Slave by Michelangelo Buonarroti in the Louvre Museum

Apart from the individual works of art, I very much enjoyed visiting Napoleon III Apartments from the 1st floor of Richelieu wing, in the Decorative Arts department. Especially the Grand Salon and the Dining Rooms caught my eyes with their opulent interiors and lavish stucco decorations.

Napoleon III Apartments Grand Salon in the Louvre – ceiling details

Napoleon III Apartments Grand Salon in the Louvre – furniture

Napoleon III Apartments Grand Salon in Louvre Museum

Napoleon III Apartments Dining Room in the Louvre – table

Napoleon III Apartments Dining Room in the Louvre

The Louvre is the most overwhelming museum I have ever been to, mostly due to the immensity of art works inside (in both quantity and quality), but also because everywhere you turn your head, there is something beautiful or spectacular to see. This includes floors and ceilings, which I adore.

Have you been to the Louvre? What are your top picks (if you can make yourself choose)?