Portfolio Naples January 2023 | Page 53

MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE
LOUVRE MUSEUM

MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Michel de Montaigne lived from February 28 , 1533 to September 13 , 1592 . Also known as the Lord of Montaigne , he was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance . He is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre . His work is noted for its merging of casual anecdotes and autobiography with intellectual insight . Montaigne had a direct influence on numerous Western writers ; his massive volume Essais contains some of the most influential essays ever written . The toe on the foot of his statue is bright from being rubbed for luck by students of the Sorbonne .

LOUVRE MUSEUM

The Louvre Museum is the world ' s most-visited museum , and an historic landmark in Paris . It is the home of some of the best-known works of art , including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo . On a regular basis , approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are being exhibited over an area of 782,910 square feet . The Louvre consistently tops the list of most-visited art museums in the world . It is fitting that the city that so honors publicly those who made significant contributions in the life of the mind would have the greatest museum in the world .
The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace , originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II . Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the basement of the museum . Due to urban expansion , the fortress eventually lost its defensive function , and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French Kings . The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace . In 1682 , Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household , leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection , including , from 1692 , a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture . During the French Revolution in the 1790s , the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation ' s masterpieces .
The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings , the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property . Because of structural problems with the building , the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801 . Today , the museum ’ s collection is divided among eight curatorial departments : Egyptian Antiquities ; Near Eastern Antiquities ; Greek , Etruscan , and Roman Antiquities ; Islamic Art ; Sculpture ; Decorative Arts ; Paintings ; Prints and Drawings .
PORTFOLIO MAGAZINE 51