This volume offers a grand tour of one of the world's greatest museums, featuring masterpieces dating from ancient civilizations to the 19th century. Two hundred years ago, the doors of hte Louvre opened to the public for the very first time. The palace of the French Kings had been transformed into a museum that today stretches over an enormous area right in the heart of Paris. The royal collections first assembled by Francis I in the 16th century were later transferred to the Louvre palace, and this prestigious core was further enriched with artistic treasures during the Revolutionary period. The collections have been growing ever since, and today are divided into seven departments. Oriental Antiquities, Egyptian Antiquities and Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities illustrate the art and culture of the ancient Near East, Middle East and Mediterranean countries. The other four so-called "modern" departments - painting, sculpture, decorative arts and drawing - span Western art from the height of the Middle Ages to the mid-19th century. With over 400 superb reproductions, this comprehensive guide book highlights the extraordinary range of artistic traditions that have gradually found their place in the Louvre.