The Louvre in Paris and the Louvre in Abu Dhabi provide a different type of artistic cultural experience which I find depends on cultural interests. The Louvre in Paris is the largest art museum in the world with art history that includes the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. Conversely, the Louvre in Abu Dhabi has a mix of artistic experiences around the globe with beautiful modern architecture on Saadiyat Island. If you enjoy classical art history, then the Louvre in Paris is likely the better option, but if you wanted a mixture of cultures and artist designs, then the Abu Dhabi Louvre is probably better suited for interests.
How do the two cultural landmarks compare? Here’s the lowdown on the Louvres.
Paris’ Louvre is a historic treasure house, home to some of the world’s most notable images like the “Mona Lisa.” It’s a great experience for someone who appreciates classic art and history. The Abu Dhabi Louvre takes a different approach and offers the same experience in more modern-day architecture and a blend of global art found in another iconic dome architecture. Both are impressive experiences, although the history of Paris impresses, Abu Dhabi does a beautiful job of weaving innovation, art, and culture with the modern-day experience.
The Louvre Museum, Paris
The most visited museum around the globe, the Louvre in Paris, sits with solemn splendor on the Right Bank of the Seine River.
Designated as the palace of the Bourbon kings, it was transformed by the revolutionary government into a public art gallery in August 1793. It is an immense museum, so vast it can rarely be investigated in even a full day.
It is recommended that you decide prior to your visit what are your three top sites to visit, most people visit Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. During my time at the museum, crowds would gather around the famous three thinking and taking selfies, while the lonely masterpieces wait in the other nearby hall.
Upon arrival, guests are funneled through IM Pei’s Pyramid of steel and glass located in the courtyard, whose form suggests it was meant for another place, perhaps in a vast market garden in which horticulturists are experimenting with triangular tomatoes.
It is wise to buy your ticket ahead of time unless you want to have the opportunity to wait in long lines on the courtyard.
The Pyramid entrance by IM Pei, which has the same dimensions as the Great Pyramid of Giza, opened in 1989, the bicentenary of the revolution. The Louvre’s Egyptology galleries are some of the museum’s most impressive spaces.
The museum’s holdings afford innumerable astonishing instances of the barely believable aesthetic accomplishments of the peoples of Classical antiquity.
I spend most of my time awestruck by antiquities from ancient Egypt, ancient Greece and, of course, the Roman Empire (from which the video hosting service TikTok has definitively established that all adult men globally are fixated by).
However, I have a fondness for the iconic 19th-century French paintings, like The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault and Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix. It is a great treat and a nice privilege to stand in front of monumental paintings.
It’s a little disorienting getting around the vast estate of the Louvre. The signage is strange and feels unprofessional and you may be better off using your GPS to maneuver through the galleries.
