The Greek Collection at the Louvre

On July 7, 2010, after four years of waiting and a year of construction, the Louvre has re-opened the galleries dedicated to the sculpture of the Classical Greek and Hellenistic Periods (450-30 BC).

Located in the southwest corner of Cour Carre in the Sully wing, these two spaces were once part of the Royal Galleries. Now, along with the Salle des Caryatids, they complete the galleries dedicated to Greek Art.

The first gallery, rooms 7-12, is part of the wing built for the palace of the Renaissance. These rooms take you on a wonderful journey through the Greek world, from the time of
Parthenon to the conquest of Greece by Rome.

The second gallery, rooms 13-16, has Roman replicas of masterpieces of missing Classical Greek sculpture, following a theme dedicated to the gods and heroes from mythology. This leads to the room of the Venus de Milo, who returns to the place she occupied from 1824 to 1848.

In niches around the hall is the history of the iconography of Aphrodite.

The path then extends through the Salle des Caryatids which displays replicas of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic period.

This is one of the oldest rooms in the Louvre and the new exhibit highlights it wonderfully.

As usual, the works are masterfully displayed with detailed signs. A world class display for a world class museum.