Courtyard of the Louvre

       LouvreCourtyard         

This is a photograph of the Louvre Museum in Paris, taken in the Napoleon Courtyard.

In this picture, you can see the Pyramide and the main entrance to the Louvre at its base. Surrounding the Pyramide are the different wings of the Louvre; the wing on the left is the newer Richelieu wing, dedicated primarily to sculpture, and opened in 1993 after the Ministry of Finance moved out. The Mona Lisa is in the wing on the right. Over the past few years, the entire palace has been thoroughly cleaned and restored, eliminating the soot and dirt that disguised the attractiveness of the palace a few years ago. As you can see, it looks like the effort was worth it.

The palace actually continues off to the left and right, but it is impossible to squeeze it all into a normal photograph. I have a nighttime photograph taken from a more distant spot, if you are interested.

You are looking east in the photograph. Behind the camera and somewhat to the left is the axis of the Tuileries Gardens and the Champs-Élysées.

Photographed on July 2, 2026.