From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is famous for holding iconic works of art, like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Did you know it also houses one of the richest and most comprehensive collections of Islamic art in the world?​​

For the first time ever, an exceptional selection of these artworks is crossing the Atlantic and coming to the United States in From the Louvre: Masterpieces of Islamic Art.  

Admire a range of objects, including a striking Syrian-Egyptian basin inlaid with silver figures, an enigmatic Andalusian bronze lion, and a monumental portrait of a Persian king covered with jewels. These masterpieces were created between the seventh and nineteenth centuries and in a vast geographic area that extends from Spain to India. Their technical quality and artistic refinement are stunning.

Learn about the fascinating journeys of twenty-six works from their places of origin to the Louvre. Frequently exchanged to secure and strengthen alliances, they were invested with new power and meaning as they moved from the possession of sultans, princes, and nobles to that of artists, archaeologists, and collectors. Once enjoyed by select individuals, these extraordinary works are now accessible to all as universal masterpieces.

The exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Souraya Noujaim, Director of the Islamic Art Department, Musée du Louvre, Paris, and Dr. Simon Rettig, Associate Curator for the Arts of the Islamic World, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website

Image credit: Basin, Known as the "Baptistery of Saint Louis"; signed by Muhammad ibn al-Zayd; Syria or Egypt, Mamluk dynasty, ca. 1330–1340; engraved and inlaid copper alloy, gold, silver, black compound; coats of arms of the House of France, Paris, 1821; entered the Louvre in 1793; Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts de l'Islam, LP 16; © 2009 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois