The Louvre Just Put its Entire Art Collection Online & It's Breathtaking

Vermeer, The Lacemaker, c1670

French lockdown restrictions due to the pandemic closed the Louvre in October, leaving masterpieces like the "Venus de Milo and the "Mona Lisa" without their usual throng of admirers. But now, we can all access the wonders of one of the world's greatest museums.

The Louvre has released an online platform featuring its entire collection of artworks, consisting of more than 480,000 pieces. They announced their decision on Friday in a press release.

Louvre: "Today, the Louvre is dusting off its treasures, even the least-known’, says Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director of the Musée du Louvre. ‘For the first time, anyone can access the entire collection of works from a computer or smartphone for free, whether they are on display in the museum, on loan, even long-term, or in storage. The Louvre’s stunning cultural heritage is all now just a click away! I am sure that this digital content is going to further inspire people to come to the Louvre to discover the collections in person."

The platform includes the Delacroix museum, which is run by the Louvre, and sculptures from Tuileries gardens. The collection also includes works from Germany that were recovered after WWII, that are due to be returned to the families from which they were stolen.

The Louvre's President-director Jean-Luc Martinez said the decision to release the collection predated the pandemic: “It’s a step that has been in preparation for several years with the aim of serving the general public as well as researchers. Accessibility is at the heart of our mission.”

See the entire searchable collection here: Entire Louvre Collection. Enjoy!

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