Pictures of the Louvre Museum in Paris

By Courtney Traub, About.com Guide

This view of the dramatic, sweeping plaza on which the Louvre's facade stands shows a strong juxtaposition between classical and modern architecture. The existing Renaissance-era palace, completed in the 17th century by Louis XV, served as the seat of French royalty until Louis XVI built Versailles.

The glass pyramid that now serves as the Louvre's entrance was designed by Chinese architect Ieoh Ming Pei and inaugurated in 1989. The 22 meter/72 ft glass structure is composed of 800 separate pieces of glass, assembled over an aluminum structure weighing 95 tons.

NEXT: A Closer Look at the Louvre's Glass Pyramid

Read More About the Louvre:

• Louvre Museum Profile and Visitor's Guide
• Top Louvre Visitor Tips
• Louvre Museum History
• Carrousel du Louvre Shopping Center
• Louvre-Tuileries Neighborhood Guide

Previous

• Louvre: The "Cour Napoleon" and Glass Pyramid
• A Closer Look at the Glass Pyramid
• Da Vinci's La Gioconda (Mona Lisa)
• Venus de Milo (Aphrodite)
• The Winged Victory of Samothrace (Ancient Greece)
• Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix
• The Apollo Gallery: A Newly Renovated Treasure at the Louvre
• The Hammurabi Code Room at the Louvre

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