By Lissa Poirot

Did You Know the Louvre Is Filled With Stolen Artwork?

The Louvre is one of the world’s largest and oldest museums. An iconic structure in Paris, with its signature glass pyramid, the Louvre is filled with over 480,000 objects and works of art.

The Louvre Was Once a Fortress

Before the Louvre became the world’s largest museum, the site was home to a medieval fort that protected Paris’ border along the Seine.

Then, It Became a Palace

In the 14th century, King Francois I demolished the fortress in order to build his new palace. The Renaissance-style building matched his own style as he  became a patron of the arts

The King Brought in Leonardo da Vinci

Francois’ love for the arts led to him inviting Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci to the palace to become the king’s painter, architect and engineer.

Introducing the Mona Lisa

While in residence as the king’s artist, da Vinci painted “a Florentine lady” and presented it to the Cardinal d’Aragon who visited Clos Lucé in 1517.

A REAL CROWD PLEASER

Francois eventually retrieved the painting, keeping it in rotation at his palaces outside of the Louvre. She found her way to the museum after the fall of French royalty.

The People’s Museum Opens

After the French Revolution in 1789, the palace of the Louvre was abandoned. The National Assembly turned the building over to the government and turned it into a museum for the public to view all of the art collected by the royal family over centuries.

The Thefts Begin

A museum with only 500 works was not enough for the expansive building. In 1794, Belgium and Germany were forced to give up their works by mostly Flemish artists, including Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and Gaspar de Crayer. The National Convention pillaged buildings, including churches, to steal these works, claiming it a right for instilling democracy to the people.

Napoleon Arrives on the Scene

When Napoleon Bonaparte was made general of France’s troops in Italy, he joined in on the looting. As he crossed Italy in 1796, he seized works by Antonio da Correggio, Raphael, Michelangelo, da Vinci and more.

Collecting Masterpieces

As became his norm, any treaty included artwork. There would be no peace until he received some of the best. Within a year, he took 500 manuscripts from the Vatican and 300 antiquities in the Treaty of Tolentino.

  • Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges