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This programme contains
some strong language.
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My name's Andrew Hussey
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and I'm the Dean of the University
of London Institute in Paris.
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I first came to
the city as a teenager
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and I have had a big connection
with it ever since.
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Now, I live and work here.
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I still love the place
and I'm still fascinated by it.
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But these days, I travel
around Paris not just for pleasure,
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but also to explore the places that
inspire my writing about the city.
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But there's still one trip in
Paris that I always make
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with a fair amount of trepidation.
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And that's here.
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To the Louvre.
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As you can see, the Louvre is big,
brooding and vast.
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To be honest, I've always been quite
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intimidated by this most
massive of museums.
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But in this film,
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I want to change the way that I,
and maybe you, see it too.
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So I want you to come with me
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on a tour of this extraordinary
institution,
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and to do a little bit of
time-travelling in French history.
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On the way, I am going to try
and make sense of a place
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that's jam-packed with over 35,000
pieces of art
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that you'll find in mile after
mile after mile of galleries.
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It's a building that's over 800
years old and bursting with history.
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So come with me and see the Louvre
transformed
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from a medieval fortress to a royal
palace,
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and then to a modern-day museum.
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We will look at the great art
of da Vinci,
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Rubens,
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David
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and Gericault.
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We will enjoy
the glories of antiquity
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and explain why the magnificent
artworks that you can see today
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arrived in the museum,
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and what they tell us about both
the Louvre and France.
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I want to argue that if you know
the secrets of the Louvre,
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know its history, know the
glorious art within these walls,
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then I think
you can understand France.
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The Louvre.
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Well, there's lots and
lots and lots and lots of art here.
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So, where to begin?
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Why not start with one of the oldest
paintings in the museum?
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From the 15th century, a work of art
with a gruesome subject.
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It will give us our first clue to
the Louvre's long history.
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Look at this.
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This is a painting called La
Crucifixion du Parlement de Paris.
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There's a lot of interesting
stuff going on here.
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Here in the foreground, for example,
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this bloke with his head
in his hands.
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That's Saint Denis, who was
one of the patron saints of Paris.
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Saint Denis was martyred
in the third century,
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beheaded on the high ground above
the city,
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the present-day quartier
of Montmartre.
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But his is not the only
image of suffering.
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At the centre of the painting
is Christ on the cross.
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On one side of him
is the grieving Virgin Mother,
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comforted by Mary Magdalene. On
the other, St John the Evangelist.
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And this is art with a purpose.
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It was deliberately hung in the main
chamber of the Parlement de Paris,
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a reminder to lawmakers
to show due humility
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in the face of divine justice.
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But one other detail provides
an insight into more earthly
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matters of bricks and mortar.
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This is the best
approximation of what the Louvre
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would have looked liked
to medieval Parisians.
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What they saw was a fortress,
a citadel of military power.
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The medieval Louvre
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was built strategically close
to the River Seine,
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along the walls
of the medieval city.
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A 30-metre tower looked out
to the West and the enemy,
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the English, on a border sometimes
only 45 miles away.
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The castle dominated
the Parisian skyline,
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a very visible, a very deliberate
assertion of French power.
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On the outside of today's museum,
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there are a few clues to what
lies underneath.
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The opening of a well and a cesspit.
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Below, there are the thick,
strong walls and tall palisades
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that defended the Capetian
and Valois kings of France
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from their enemies.
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This is the Louvre entresol,
the basement of the museum.
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30 years ago, excavations took place
which revealed these walls,
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which show just how
forbidding the Louvre was
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in its original medieval
incarnation.
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Now, there's been a lot of debate
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over the meaning of the word
"Louvre".
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But I'm going to go with the
old French term, "louver",
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which means "fortress"
or "stronghold".
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I think that pretty much sums
up the place and its history.
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When the Renaissance came
to France in the 16th century,
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this military fortress became
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a royal palace of great style
and culture.
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In the museum today is the portrait
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of the man who began
this transformation.
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This is Francois I,
King of France,
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and the first great
builder of the Louvre.
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It was painted around 1530
by the artist Jean Clouet.
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It's a portrait of a real
Renaissance man. He is a fighter.
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Check out the hand on the sword ever
ready. But he is also a lover...
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of culture. And
so it's a picture of refinement.
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Check out the tasteful clothes.
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He is every inch, as the French
would say, a man "a la mode".
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Francois I began the tradition
that French kings should be both
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connoisseurs of art
and patrons of artists.
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In 1516, he persuaded an elderly
Leonardo da Vinci to leave Italy.
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The painting days of the great
genius were over,
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but it is thought that he brought
with him...you-know-who.
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This painting that millions come
to see today was the first-ever
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work of art to enter the French
royal collection.
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# Mona Lisa
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# Mona Lisa, men have named you... #
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Ah, Mona Lisa.
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Mona Lisa.
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That smile, that smile.
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Enigmatic, mysterious,
tender or mocking?
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"What is it about that smile?"
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I asked the Louvre's curator of
Renaissance art, Vincent Delieuvin.
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La probleme que j'ai avec
La Joconde, c'est...
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TRANSLATION: 'The problem I have got
with the Mona Lisa
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'is that she is such
a big media star.'
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THEY SPEAK FRENCH
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TRANSLATION: 'What you have to do is
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'to try and forget that she
is such a big star
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'and really get into the painting.
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'Get up close
and love it for what it is,
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'and she definitely invites us
to love her.
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'It's such an incredible ability
of the painter to portray that
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'most difficult and subtle of human
expressions, the smile.
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'There are 1,000 ways of interpreting
a smile, and that was the genius
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'of Leonardo, to be able to capture
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'such a subtle and rich human
expression.
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'She is such a flirt.
Of course she's a huge flirt.
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'The French like that sort of thing,
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00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,320
'but hey, you're not completely
untouched by her, are you?'
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# Mona Liiiii-saaaa. #
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What else is there left to
say about this painting?
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Only that in the 16th century,
La Joconde, as it's known
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in France, was something quite
new in Western art.
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TRANSLATION: 'The idea of creating a
sense of contact between the viewer
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'and the subject had never
been done before.
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'Or the open posture with her hands
turned towards us.
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'She's greeting us as if we were
in her palace, in her room, even.
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'It's even smiling at us.
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'That technique of drawing the viewer
directly into the painting
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'was hugely innovative.
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'Was all this a new departure for
Western art? Absolutely.'
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'How many politicians' portraits have
you seen in the style of La Joconde?
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'Everyone uses Leonardo's style,
from the framing to
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'the posture, to the direct approach
of the subject to the audience.'
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So how influential was this approach
to portraiture at the time?
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Well, let's go back
to the portrait of Francois.
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Had its creator, Jean Clouet,
seen the Mona Lisa?
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We don't actually know. But Francois
does look us straight in the eye.
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His body is turned
towards the viewer
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and his hands face the same way
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as da Vinci's Florentine lady.
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And as with her, we are drawn
towards the personality of the King.
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Francois was not only a patron of
the arts but a builder of palaces.
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He'd spent some time in Italy
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and he wanted to emulate the
style of the Renaissance palazzi.
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So the medieval tower was
pulled down.
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Moats were filled in and a
courtyard built, the Cour Carree,
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overlooked by this imposing
and ornamented facade.
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And within, the King demanded
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a makeover of gloomy
royal apartments.
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This is the Salle des Caryatides.
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I think it's a place that best
captures the spirit
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and feeling
of the Renaissance Louvre.
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It's a vision of science
and nature in harmony,
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and it signals the beginning
of the French classical tradition.
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You can see its expression in the
four sculptures by Jean Goujon,
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which give the room its name.
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These are the four caryatides.
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They have a function as pillars,
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but they are also
works of art in themselves -
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beautifully sculpted forms,
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every curve and fold capturing
a fleshy allure.
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And they stand sentinel to an
elegant stairway that reveals to us
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yet another treasure of the Louvre.
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If we look around here, we see
images also sculpted by Jean Goujon.
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And they give us pointers to the man
who commissioned this
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passageway, between the first
and second floors of the palace.
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He and his mistress have a
love of hunting.
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And here, look at this letter H.
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That's a royal monogram, a kind
of graffiti tag chiselled in stone.
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And H stands for Henri II,
who succeeded Francois II.
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Both within and without, every ruler
who wanted to use the Louvre
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as a symbol of their power would
leave their mark in this way.
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So, the walls read like an alphabet
designed for posterity.
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00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,960
The Renaissance Louvre
was a place of great culture
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but it was also
the location for great violence
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during the infamous
Saint Bartholomew's Eve massacre.
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00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,200
When religious war between
Catholics
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and Huguenot Protestants threatened
to tear France apart,
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00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,480
the palace was witness to great
horror that began with
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that most familiar of sounds from
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00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,120
the nearby church of
Saint Germain L'Auxerrois.
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00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:53,240
In the early hours
of the 24th of August 1572,
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the sound of monks tolling
the bell for Matins could be
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00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,480
heard as usual throughout
the streets of Paris.
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00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:00,320
But this particular morning,
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00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:06,160
this normally reassuring sound was
the cue for slaughter to begin,
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00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,240
of Protestants by Catholics.
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00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:12,000
"Tuez-les tous!" was the battle
cry. "Kill them all!"
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00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,040
Writer on the Louvre, Daniel
Soulier, told me about the moment
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the very heart of power in France
became a killing field.
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SPEAKS FRENCH
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TRANSLATION: 'These windows were the
Queen's rooms.
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'So all the key decisions surrounding
the Saint Bartholomew massacre
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'would have taken place just
metres above where we are now sat.
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00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:06,120
'We know that many people were killed
here in the courtyards of the Louvre.
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00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,360
'They were slightly hesitant
to kill people
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00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:12,200
'in the actual royal apartments,
so we imagine that they
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00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,880
'dragged a lot of people out
here in order to kill them.
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00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,520
'There is another story
that people tell.
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'The King at the time, Charles IX,
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00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,080
'sat in a balcony window
with a crossbow,
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00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:32,240
'firing down upon Huguenots who were
trying to escape on the River Seine.'
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There was a survivor of this
terrible day in the Louvre,
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00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,560
a Huguenot prince of the blood,
Henri of Navarre.
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00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:53,680
Days before the massacre,
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Henri had married the sister of
Charles IX, Marguerite de Valois.
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00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,400
20 years later, the couple
were King and Queen of France.
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00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,880
The last Valois king had
died childless and Henri,
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00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:10,320
next in line to the throne,
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00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,360
became the first ruler of a new
dynasty, the Bourbons.
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00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,240
But to become Henri IV for all
of France,
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and crowned as such in Paris,
a deal needed to be struck.
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00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,160
Henri would have to convert to
Catholicism.
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00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,640
He passed through here,
the Rue St Honore,
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00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,040
which is just opposite the Louvre,
heading for Notre Dame to hear Mass,
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00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,520
and this was
the 22nd of March, 1594.
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00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,960
He did this because, as we know,
to give France peace
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and unity, it was worth a Mass.
235
00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:43,680
"Paris vaut bien une messe."
236
00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,560
A statue of Henri IV is on the Pont
Neuf, which was itself completed
237
00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:55,800
in his reign, to connect the right
and left banks of the Seine.
238
00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:57,800
But the King was also determined
239
00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:00,480
to make his mark on
the royal palace nearby.
240
00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:09,600
Henri wanted to link the Louvre
241
00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:13,480
to the recently built
palace of the Tuileries nearby.
242
00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,120
So to connect the two palaces,
he ordered this built -
243
00:17:16,120 --> 00:17:17,120
the Grande Galerie.
244
00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,600
A name was now given to this
grandiose vision of expansion.
245
00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,240
Le Grand Dessein, the great plan.
246
00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,360
As you can see, it's all
conceived on the grandest scale.
247
00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:36,240
It is half a mile from there to
there, for example.
248
00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,640
And the idea was that this is
a place of entertainment
249
00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:41,360
and magnificent spectacle.
250
00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:43,560
You could come here, for example,
251
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,080
to watch the water pageants
on the Seine.
252
00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,840
But it's also a mystical space,
a sacred space.
253
00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,520
It's where Henri IV and the Bourbon
kings who came after him,
254
00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,320
literally believed that they
had the divine touch.
255
00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,600
They believed,
most importantly, that they
256
00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,240
could cure people
of the disease of scrofula,
257
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,080
which is a really nasty kind of
tuberculosis of the neck.
258
00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,080
What would happen is that the
King would receive people,
259
00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,680
and say "The King touches you.
God cures you."
260
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:13,800
Either way, I hope it worked.
261
00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,840
Now, there is a clue to Henri's
life and loves in the Louvre.
262
00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,640
It's a painting that is not
in one of the main galleries,
263
00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,400
where thousands gather to
look at the usual suspects.
264
00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,000
But if you find this mysterious
and striking work of art,
265
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:41,280
you won't be disappointed.
266
00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,960
This is Gabrielle d'Estrees
and her sister.
267
00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,240
Gabrielle d'Estrees was
the mistress of Henri IV.
268
00:18:54,240 --> 00:19:00,360
As they say, every picture tells a
story. Have a look at the gestures.
269
00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:03,560
Gabrielle's sister is holding her
nipple between thumb
270
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,920
and finger, to indicate that she
is pregnant with the King's son,
271
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:08,840
the future Duc de Vendome.
272
00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:16,120
Gabrielle is also holding
a bejewelled hand of gold.
273
00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,760
It's not worn on her finger
to symbolise a marriage,
274
00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:21,160
but it is thought to be
the King's coronation ring,
275
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:23,160
a token of his love and his loyalty.
276
00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,560
The two women are sitting
in a bath,
277
00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,200
perhaps filled with milk or wine,
as was the aristocratic custom.
278
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:38,520
Both are beautifully made up to show
off their white alabaster faces.
279
00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,560
Women of the time, actually,
280
00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:42,280
would crush up the innards of
swallows
281
00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,240
and mix them with lilies,
ground pearls and camphor
282
00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:49,080
and smear the paste on their faces
to get this ghostly look.
283
00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,560
This didn't seem to dampen
the ardour of Henri,
284
00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,560
who couldn't resist Gabrielle.
285
00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:03,480
She bore him three other children
before her sudden death in 1599.
286
00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,040
Henri's own life also came to
an abrupt end,
287
00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:11,000
on the streets of Paris
on the 14th of May, 1610.
288
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,800
One of his greatest achievements
was to have guaranteed
289
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,280
the religious liberties
of Protestant Huguenots.
290
00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:20,600
But for such tolerance, he would
never be forgiven by those who saw
291
00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:24,640
themselves as holy
warriors for the true faith of Rome.
292
00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:28,200
The fun-loving Henri came to a gory
and violent end.
293
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,800
It was here,
on the Rue de la Ferronerie.
294
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,040
This was where a religious
fanatic called Francois Ravaillac
295
00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:38,320
pulled back the blinds of the
carriage the King was travelling in
296
00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,480
and plunged a long knife, three
times, deep into his chest.
297
00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,400
The assassination of Henri
left uncertainty
298
00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,000
over who would now rule France.
299
00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,720
Here's the story in paint
of the woman who did.
300
00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:02,080
Here in the Louvre
301
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,120
are 24 canvases devoted to the life
of Marie de Medici,
302
00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:06,240
Henri's second wife.
303
00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,120
As regent,
the Queen had many enemies.
304
00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,600
She needed to legitimise
her grip on power.
305
00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:16,520
So she turned to the weapon of art
306
00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,680
and the greatest painter of the day,
Peter Paul Rubens.
307
00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,560
I talked to curator Blaise Ducos
308
00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:28,200
about the biggest painting here
showing the Queen's coronation.
309
00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:34,280
TRANSLATION: 'Here, the first big
impression is one of a great movement
310
00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,360
'over towards the main focus
of the painting, which is, of course,
311
00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:41,000
'Marie de Medici in the process
of being crowned
312
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:42,840
'in the Saint-Denis Basilica
313
00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,680
'the day before the assassination
of Henri IV.
314
00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,760
'You can even see him
in the background,
315
00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:55,200
'but very much recognisable,
watching the Queen.
316
00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,080
'And in the process, giving her
the sense of legitimacy that without,
317
00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,440
'she wouldn't have been able to
govern and rule as regent.'
318
00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,920
This is painting
on the grandest of scales.
319
00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,760
This the art of the Baroque,
320
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:21,200
with its extravagant use of
movement and colour
321
00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,680
and its feeling of sensuality.
322
00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:28,560
And all of this simply leaps out
here.
323
00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,560
SPEAKS FRENCH
324
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,920
TRANSLATOR: 'It's a piece
of theatre in many senses,
325
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:41,080
'and you have to look at it that way.
326
00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,800
'They're very theatrical paintings,
very...Baroque.
327
00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,120
'And, of course, Rubens was
the great Baroque painter.'
328
00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:56,680
And it was the sheer ornamentality
of the Baroque
329
00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,600
that fired the imagination
of the next ruler Of France
330
00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:01,960
to mould the Louvre
in his own image.
331
00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,960
This is the famous portrait
of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud.
332
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:25,480
He was the Sun King,
333
00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,720
the L'Etate C'est Moi -
champion of bling.
334
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:30,680
He was the Bourbon who brought
335
00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,520
new levels of pomp and grandeur
to the Louvre.
336
00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,760
But to my mind there's
something over-the-top,
337
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,600
even desperately camp
about this painting.
338
00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,680
Have a look at the big hair,
the shoes, the clothes,
339
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,720
the rich, rich colours.
340
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,200
All of it seems to be screaming
luxury and power,
341
00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,040
but, after all, that was what
it was all about.
342
00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:58,520
During the early years
of Louis' reign,
343
00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,760
the Louvre echoed to the sounds
of thousands of labourers,
344
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,840
masons and joiners,
working to create new facades -
345
00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:09,280
stuccos, elaborately carved ceilings
and wood panelling.
346
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,160
Work started on an opposing facade
on the outside of the Cour Carree.
347
00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:15,960
This colonnade would look out.
348
00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:20,360
A Parisian would look up to the
palace with due deference and awe.
349
00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:24,560
Here, in the Cour Carree,
350
00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:28,560
Louis completed the building work
begun by his father.
351
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:30,800
He quadrupled the size of this
courtyard
352
00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:32,200
to the dimensions you see today.
353
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,480
And with one express aim -
354
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:38,120
to make the Louvre a bigger
and more imposing place.
355
00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:49,080
And inside a royal waiting room was
built - the Rotonde d'Apollon -
356
00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,880
to wow impressionable visitors
to the palace.
357
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,840
Just off the Rotonde,
a spectacular gallery was built -
358
00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:03,160
the Galerie d'Apollon, designed by
the King's architect, Louis Le Vau.
359
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,920
I'm looking around because
everything here
360
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,600
has a kind of mystical
or allegorical meaning,
361
00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,880
and all of that is literally
revolving around the King himself.
362
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:15,680
And just look at this place!
363
00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,880
It's splendid, it's glittering
with all this gold glory -
364
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:24,440
it really is the personification
of what it means to be the Sun King.
365
00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,120
Every image here reinforces
366
00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:34,120
the assertion that the King
was god-like -
367
00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:38,640
the centre of the universe.
368
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,320
Looking down from high,
on a country where he, and he alone,
369
00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:44,680
had absolute power.
370
00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,360
With a rule over France,
371
00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:51,280
that could never ever be
questioned by mere mortals.
372
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,120
And like his illustrious predecessor
Francois,
373
00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:58,760
Louis was not only a builder,
374
00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,600
but someone with a huge appetite
for collecting art -
375
00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,440
the Charles Saatchi,
if you like, of the 17th century.
376
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,320
During his reign,
the size of the royal collection
377
00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:12,160
expanded from 150 to
exactly 2,376 paintings.
378
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,240
He bought the best French art
of his time -
379
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:23,880
32 Poussin, 11 Claude,
26 Le Brun and 17 Mignard.
380
00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,280
And foreign masterpieces like this
lovely but sombre painting,
381
00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,440
The Death of the Virgin
by Caravaggio.
382
00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,800
All now hang here in what
was HIS Louvre.
383
00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,080
The Louvre was a luxurious
plaything for Louis XIV,
384
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:51,960
but there was one big problem -
it was in Paris, and he hated Paris.
385
00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,680
But, funny enough,
the Parisians also hated him.
386
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:59,680
So what happened in 1670 was that
Louis XIV left Paris for Versailles
387
00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,720
in a great, big, splendid,
royal huff.
388
00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,560
And he hardly ever set foot
in the place again.
389
00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,200
But he didn't leave empty-handed -
390
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,200
he took all of his artworks
with him.
391
00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,560
With the exit of Louis XIV
to Versailles,
392
00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,400
the Grand Dessein was put on hold.
393
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,480
Much of the building work
remained unfinished.
394
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,240
The colonnade was left
without a roof.
395
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,600
Throughout the 18th century,
396
00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,160
the Louvre had a much more
ramshackle feel to it.
397
00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:38,480
And it echoed to a more plebeian
cacophony of sounds and voices.
398
00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:46,560
The Grande Galerie changed from the
preserve of royals and aristocrats,
399
00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:51,080
and became instead the centre
for artistic hustling in Paris.
400
00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:55,680
This is where you'd find engravers
hard at work, furniture-makers,
401
00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,360
makers of the very finest hats -
402
00:27:57,360 --> 00:28:01,080
it was a place of great energy,
bustle and commerce.
403
00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:03,880
But the most important thing
that happened here,
404
00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,960
was that by royal warrant, artists
were allowed to come and live here,
405
00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:11,480
and they copied paintings,
and then they made their own art.
406
00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:14,760
And this was the moment when
the Louvre properly became
407
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:20,000
a centre of cultural exchange in the
endless carnival of Parisian life.
408
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,960
As the palace began to open
its doors to vulgar outsiders,
409
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,320
the presence of the Royal Academy
of Painting and Sculpture
410
00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:33,320
in the King's former apartments,
411
00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:37,440
still preserved a sense of decorum
and gravitas in the Louvre.
412
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,320
First in the Grande Galerie,
and here in the Salle Carree,
413
00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,160
the Academy held an annual,
then biennial, exhibition.
414
00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:54,120
Starting on St Louis' day
25th of August,
415
00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,880
the Salon was open to the public.
416
00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:01,040
The idea of showing art to all
who wish to come was novel,
417
00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:03,080
and proved fantastically popular.
418
00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,080
Events at the Salon were something
419
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,600
to be argued about
in another institution,
420
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:13,520
for ever dear to all Parisians.
421
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:20,280
This was the first-ever coffee house
in Paris,
422
00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:23,120
opening to customers in 1686.
423
00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,920
From the word go, the Cafe Procope
attracted intellectuals.
424
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,200
In the 18th century, the philosophes
of the Enlightenment came here -
425
00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,440
and amongst them was someone
very important to our story.
426
00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,320
Behind me here -
this is Denis Diderot.
427
00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:39,560
Now Diderot wrote penetrating
critiques of the Salon,
428
00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,640
and in doing so he effectively
invented art criticism.
429
00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:48,080
And he threw down a challenge
to artists with an ambition
430
00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,800
to impress him in the Salon -
431
00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,600
"First of all move me, surprise me,
rend my heart,
432
00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:58,360
"make me tremble, weep, shudder,
outrage me,
433
00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,680
"and delight my eyes afterwards,
if you can."
434
00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:13,880
Diderot was delighted by one artist,
whose wonderful and poignant
435
00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:16,240
self-portraits you can find
in the Louvre.
436
00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,800
And this is the painter,
Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin.
437
00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,920
Chardin did this pastel drawing
of himself when he was 76,
438
00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,400
and the infirmity of old age had
stopped him painting in oils.
439
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:38,160
In his still lives,
440
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,160
Chardin was painting on a much
smaller scale than a Rubens.
441
00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,920
And the canvases of Chardin have
an apparent simplicity about them.
442
00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,440
But this art is not simplistic,
and in these paintings
443
00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:55,160
small, not big, is beautiful.
444
00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,240
The work of Chardin mesmerised
Diderot
445
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:02,440
who saw something magical at work.
446
00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,320
"Oh, Chardin, it's not white,
red and black
447
00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:09,880
"that you are mixing on your
palette,
448
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,440
"it's the very substance of objects.
449
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:16,400
"It's the very air and light that
you put on the tip of your brush,
450
00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,080
"and place on the canvas."
451
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,760
I talked to curator
Marie Catherine Sahut about Chardin
452
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:26,600
and what he taught Diderot.
453
00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,280
SPEAKS FRENCH
454
00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,520
TRANSLATOR: 'All Chardin's efforts
went into the magic
455
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,160
'of turning inanimate everyday
objects into beautiful artwork.
456
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:45,360
'And for Diderot, I think, it was all
about entering into the paintings
457
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,520
'and the mind-set of Chardin,
458
00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:53,400
'and trying to find out what it was
that made it so magical.
459
00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:58,760
'The word "magic" is, in fact, used
a number of times by Diderot,
460
00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,520
'and Chardin taught him
to go right up to a painting,
461
00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:04,840
'as, when you get up close
to a painting,
462
00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,040
'it ceases to have any
significant meaning.
463
00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,080
'It becomes just streaks of paint.
464
00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:14,920
'And then gradually,
as you move away from it,
465
00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:20,040
'everything slowly creeps
into focus.'
466
00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:28,760
There is one painting of Chardin
467
00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,240
that I especially wanted to look at
here -
468
00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,440
the one that is considered
his masterpiece - The Ray.
469
00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:38,720
Yes, it's a still life.
470
00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,600
But with such energy and motion -
471
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,440
look at the cat about
to pounce on the oysters!
472
00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,080
And what really draws the eye,
473
00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,400
is the eviscerated form
of the ray fish.
474
00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:05,520
TRANSLATOR: 'I think Chardin created
a true character of the ray,
475
00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:10,800
'personified in many senses with
a seemingly tragic character.
476
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:15,280
'He uses the form of the ray,
this triangular shape that you see,
477
00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,760
'but also its whiteness
to construct his painting.
478
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,160
'And then there's
the semblance of a face,
479
00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,600
'that many people
read into the painting.
480
00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:27,440
'Which is, in fact, neither the
mouth, nor the eyes, but the gills.
481
00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,120
'It's a sort of anthropomorphic
vision of this ray.
482
00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:34,000
'Which is, of course,
also rather dramatic,
483
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,800
'with his insides coming out,
reddened.'
484
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:44,040
Whatever genius we now recognise
in the still lives of Chardin,
485
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,760
this style of art was seen by
the Academy as inferior
486
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:50,160
to the more high-minded
genre of history painting.
487
00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:00,760
Works inspired by the past can be
seen in the Salle Rouge...
488
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,640
..where hang the creations of one
artist from the last 18th century
489
00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,600
who received the acclaim
of the Salon
490
00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:10,080
with paintings that looked
back to antiquity
491
00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:12,760
as a source of moral instruction
to the present.
492
00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,280
This is a self-portrait
of the artist who features
493
00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:31,240
in the next part of our story -
494
00:34:31,240 --> 00:34:32,240
Jacques Louis David -
495
00:34:32,240 --> 00:34:34,720
and it captures him at a bad moment
in his life
496
00:34:34,720 --> 00:34:37,600
when he was in prison
during the French Revolution.
497
00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:41,080
But the curious thing is
the expression on his face.
498
00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,120
Is he angry? Is he frightened?
499
00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:46,440
Or is this the self-regard
of the tormented artist?
500
00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:50,280
He was certainly vain enough, but
we're getting ahead of ourselves.
501
00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:57,960
In 1784, David painted this -
The Oath of the Horatii.
502
00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:01,520
And he did it for the man who'd
given him a studio and lodgings
503
00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,120
in the Louvre - Louis XVI.
504
00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,840
It tells the story of three brothers
sworn to defend Rome.
505
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,240
Look at the outstretched arms
reaching towards the father
506
00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:21,600
who holds the weapons
of war in his hand.
507
00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:25,880
And look at the way the picture
splits in two -
508
00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,720
between its masculine
and feminine characters.
509
00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:35,000
The style is simple, austere
with sombre colours.
510
00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,720
The painting took
the Salon of 1785 by storm -
511
00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:43,960
hailed as an instant masterpiece
of neoclassical art.
512
00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:49,400
But what meaning did it have
for the monarch who paid for it,
513
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:50,840
and the others who saw it?
514
00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,920
Everyone agreed it was
a patriotic painting.
515
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,680
But was there something more
subversive going on here,
516
00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:00,760
addressed to those now seeing
themselves as citizens?
517
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,280
Because this was a painting
whose message would change
518
00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,880
during a turbulent decade
of French history.
519
00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:13,200
Just in the ten years after David
had painted The Oath of Horatii,
520
00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,480
his patron, the King, was dead.
521
00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:18,880
He was sent to the guillotine
here in the Place de la Concorde.
522
00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:22,960
This was the most shocking moment
yet in the drama of the Revolution
523
00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,800
that had begun with the storming
of the Bastille.
524
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:30,560
On a windy morning,
on January 21st, 1793,
525
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,920
Louis the XVI mounted the scaffold,
watched by thousands.
526
00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:38,400
There was a roll of drums...
527
00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,440
..and then the 12 inch blade fell.
528
00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:44,920
CROWD ROAR
529
00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:49,240
As was the custom, the severed head
dripping with blood, was held aloft
530
00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:52,800
for display to the citizens
of the first French Republic.
531
00:36:57,080 --> 00:36:58,920
As so began the Terror,
532
00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:03,360
when 18,000 men and women were sent
to the guillotine,
533
00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,200
and David, now an elected deputy
to the National Convention,
534
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:08,880
was up to his neck in it.
535
00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:12,320
David voted for the killing
of the King,
536
00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:16,240
and eagerly signed arrest warrants
so others could go to their deaths.
537
00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:20,040
When Robespierre's great rival
Danton went to his death,
538
00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:23,120
David was there shouting out
mockingly...
539
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:27,720
"Le voila, le scelerat ! C'est ce
scelerat qui est le Grand-juge !"
540
00:37:27,720 --> 00:37:31,000
"Here, look at the criminal
who thinks he's the big judge."
541
00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:37,280
David became Robespierre's
cultural commissar.
542
00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:40,480
He demanded that artists
be at the service of the people,
543
00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:43,800
the meaning of their art
appropriated for the Revolution.
544
00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,280
David included his own art
in this command.
545
00:37:47,720 --> 00:37:52,040
So, when his masterpiece The Oath
of the Horatii was shown again,
546
00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:55,760
it was interpreted as a work
of revolutionary virtue,
547
00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:59,240
with oaths to La Patrie,
much "fraternite",
548
00:37:59,240 --> 00:38:01,280
and a taste for martyrdom.
549
00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,040
But what paintings like this needed
was a public place
550
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,560
to educate loyal citizens
of the Republic.
551
00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:15,240
So David and fellow revolutionaries,
turned to an idea
552
00:38:15,240 --> 00:38:17,920
proposed by Enlightenment
thinkers like Diderot,
553
00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:22,200
who'd advocated that a permanent
exhibition space be created -
554
00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:25,040
a museum. So, where?
555
00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:32,560
On the 10th of August, 1793,
556
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:35,400
exactly 12 months after
the fall of the Ancien Regime,
557
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:40,080
the Louvre was declared Musee
de la Nation, "the people's museum".
558
00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,320
And the ceremony took place
here in the Grande Galerie.
559
00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:47,320
What actually happened was that all
art in France was nationalised,
560
00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,480
all art in fact in the territories
that France also had its eye on.
561
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:52,080
So what happened really was that
562
00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:54,880
from the royal collection in
Versailles, from churches,
563
00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:57,400
from aristocrats, from exiles -
564
00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:01,560
all art now belonged to the people,
"la grande patrie".
565
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:03,040
This was brutal and necessary,
566
00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:06,240
argued the likes of David
and his fellow revolutionaries.
567
00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:09,840
But what was really happening was a
seismic shift in European history.
568
00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,960
This was the moment when art
ceased to be
569
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,160
the preserve of the rich
and the wealthy
570
00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,640
and was really at the service
of the people.
571
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:28,000
The new museum worked to
the revolutionary 10-day week.
572
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:31,440
The first six were reserved
for artists who were at liberty
573
00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:33,520
to take paintings off walls to copy,
574
00:39:33,520 --> 00:39:35,760
free to put chalk marks
on the canvases.
575
00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,320
Then the Louvre was open
three days for the public.
576
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:43,040
With the last day
for cleaning and repairs.
577
00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,200
And to add to the galleries
of confiscated art,
578
00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,600
the revolutionary army was given
the order to seize new treasures
579
00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,200
during the campaigns abroad.
580
00:40:01,720 --> 00:40:04,040
On the 27th of July, 1798,
581
00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:06,160
on the anniversary of the fall
of Robespierre,
582
00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:10,080
an extraordinary procession
of revolutionary booty from Italy
583
00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:12,080
made its way across Paris.
584
00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:14,920
And it ended up here
on the Champs des Mars.
585
00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:19,080
There were 80 wagons stuffed to
the gills with books, manuscripts,
586
00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:21,080
rare plants and exotic animals.
587
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:22,840
And there were also lots of
paintings
588
00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:25,280
from church and aristocratic
collections -
589
00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,720
including Titian and Raphael -
590
00:40:27,720 --> 00:40:30,160
whose ultimate destination
was the Louvre.
591
00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,240
On a banner proclaimed the slogan
of the day -
592
00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:35,920
"Ils sont enfin
sur une terre libre."
593
00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:38,880
"At last,
they're in a free country."
594
00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:47,000
Today there are works
of extraordinary beauty
595
00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:48,640
for us to enjoy in the Louvre,
596
00:40:48,640 --> 00:40:51,680
and all because of this
revolutionary plundering.
597
00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:57,160
There are sculptures
by Michelangelo -
598
00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:00,000
The Dying and The Rebellious Slaves.
599
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,080
They were taken
from the Vatican in Rome.
600
00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:10,360
And from the Benedictine monastery
of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice,
601
00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:12,760
was seized this vast canvas -
602
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:15,840
The Wedding Feast at Cana
by Veronese.
603
00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:19,200
Its life-size figures
604
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,760
had been dominating the refectory
for over 200 years.
605
00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:29,960
The painting was so big it had to be
cut into two
606
00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,360
to make the journey by mule
across the Alps.
607
00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,440
Vincent Delieuvin knows
the painting intimately.
608
00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:45,320
THEY CONVERSE IN FRENCH
609
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:50,040
TRANSLATOR: 'When we take step back
and get a sense of the perspective,
610
00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:55,240
'there are the columns reaching out
at the back, which give it amplitude,
611
00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:58,960
'and, of course, there's the colour -
the greens, the blues and the reds.
612
00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:01,920
'All bouncing off and complementing
each other.
613
00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:03,600
'It's extraordinary.
614
00:42:05,240 --> 00:42:10,160
'Across the painting, it's the
little hidden gems that I love.
615
00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:13,320
'All the little details.
616
00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:17,120
'There's even a musical performance
going here in the foreground.
617
00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:26,360
'And there's a woman over here that's
looking straight at us,
618
00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,200
'as if...flirting with us!
619
00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:31,200
'Next to the one picking her teeth.
620
00:42:32,240 --> 00:42:35,880
'All of these amusing little bits
and pieces.
621
00:42:35,880 --> 00:42:39,800
'Even the slightly sterner men -
you can see this chap over here,
622
00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:43,480
'who is holding himself very distant
and severe.
623
00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:45,920
'Those that look like they're about
to fall asleep
624
00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:47,080
'because of the alcohol.
625
00:42:49,080 --> 00:42:53,160
'It's such a vibrant painting -
almost noisy, if you will.
626
00:42:57,840 --> 00:42:58,840
'But in the end,
627
00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:00,480
'what I find extraordinary
628
00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:02,880
'is the figure smack bang
in the middle of the painting.
629
00:43:05,720 --> 00:43:08,440
'This is the haloed figure of
Jesus Christ
630
00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:10,840
'with the Virgin Mary by his side.
631
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:15,000
'Staring into space,
oblivious to the revelry around him.'
632
00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:20,520
Perhaps the message here is simple -
633
00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:24,240
all this pleasure around me
is ephemeral,
634
00:43:24,240 --> 00:43:26,800
what I bring you is eternal.
635
00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:39,480
By 1798, when this booty reached
Paris,
636
00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:44,120
the revolutionary ardour of David,
indeed of France, had cooled.
637
00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:46,960
After the fall of Robespierre,
David was arrested
638
00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:49,600
and put in prison where this
self-portrait was painted.
639
00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:54,880
So perhaps this gaze shows
a certain scepticism
640
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:59,160
and distaste for the rough
old trade of politics.
641
00:43:59,160 --> 00:44:03,280
But if David was anything,
he was a survivor.
642
00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:05,920
On his release, the painter was
ready to ride
643
00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:07,520
the next wave of history.
644
00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:12,560
Time to offer his talents to
the next strong man of France.
645
00:44:14,840 --> 00:44:20,920
TRUMPET FANFARE
646
00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:42,040
David found himself at
the beck and call of a man
647
00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:44,920
who said that he didn't know much
about art and architecture,
648
00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:47,240
but he did know
exactly what it meant
649
00:44:47,240 --> 00:44:49,560
when it came to
buffing up his image.
650
00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,800
This was a man who'd been a
military hero during the Revolution.
651
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:55,280
Then after the coup d'etat
that ended the Directory,
652
00:44:55,280 --> 00:44:56,920
he was the First Consul.
653
00:44:56,920 --> 00:45:00,320
He was the despot who
crowned himself Emperor.
654
00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:02,360
Yes, Napoleon Bonaparte.
655
00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:30,160
If you visit Napoleon's Tomb
here at Les Invalides in Paris,
656
00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:32,280
you can see enshrined in marble
657
00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:35,920
evidence that the Louvre
was important to Napoleon.
658
00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:46,640
I love this. This is the celebration
of Napoleon's public achievements,
659
00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:51,080
it's, "Look upon my works,
ye tourists, and be impressed."
660
00:45:51,080 --> 00:45:54,360
And either side is a list of
everything that he's achieved
661
00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:56,000
as public works.
662
00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:59,720
And in the centre of it is the
Travaux du Louvre, the Louvre.
663
00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:05,720
Once Napoleon had absolute power
in France, he wasted little time
664
00:46:05,720 --> 00:46:10,200
in using the Louvre for the
purposes of self-promotion.
665
00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:15,960
The dictator ordered that
the Revolutionary Museum
666
00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:18,320
now be called
the Musee Napoleon.
667
00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:22,360
And he had this mini and first
Arc de Triomphe erected here
668
00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:24,560
in front of the Louvre
on the Carrousel
669
00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:26,920
as a monument to his martial glory.
670
00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:32,720
On top were beautiful
bronze statues of horses
671
00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:35,120
plundered from
St Mark's Square in Venice.
672
00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:40,280
Friezes celebrated Napoleon's
many military campaigns.
673
00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:44,200
And there's this inscription
dedicated to the Austrian Campaign,
674
00:46:44,200 --> 00:46:47,640
and the decisive French victory
at the Battle of Austerlitz.
675
00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,240
Napoleon put his imprint on walls
and ceilings with the letter N,
676
00:46:53,240 --> 00:46:56,320
and his chosen images
of bees and eagles.
677
00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:04,640
And he needed a painter to
immortalise the most sacred
678
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:07,480
moments of his life in
the most sacred spaces.
679
00:47:09,080 --> 00:47:12,280
On the 18th of December 1803,
a proclamation declared,
680
00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:16,840
"Nous avons nommes M David
notre premier peintre."
681
00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:19,800
Much to the immense
self-satisfaction of David,
682
00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:22,280
he was now "our" first painter,
683
00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:25,320
and in 1804, "we"
had a job for him.
684
00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:30,640
Napoleon made sure that
David, his court painter,
685
00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:33,080
witnessed the moment that
he crowned himself Emperor
686
00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:37,880
here in Notre Dame on
the 2nd of December 1804.
687
00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:42,560
Originally, David had a
ringside view for his sketching,
688
00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:45,040
but then the master of ceremonies,
689
00:47:45,040 --> 00:47:47,520
an aristocrat called
Louis-Philippe de Segur,
690
00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:49,720
who was very conscious
of class and rank,
691
00:47:49,720 --> 00:47:51,840
moved David right up
into the galleries,
692
00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:54,400
right high up where he could
neither see the procession
693
00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:57,120
nor, crucially,
could he see the crowning.
694
00:47:57,120 --> 00:47:59,600
When this happened,
David exploded, he went mad,
695
00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:03,200
there was a fight, real fisticuffs,
and it was only after this punch-up
696
00:48:03,200 --> 00:48:05,960
that David got his
rightful place back.
697
00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,160
The rest, of course, is
art history, but, you know,
698
00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:10,640
talk about an artistic temperament!
699
00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,920
The finished work's in the Louvre,
700
00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:19,360
and it's a piece of work
on a huge scale.
701
00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:24,120
It's the detail that's important,
and this is what preoccupied
702
00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:28,040
David and Napoleon when they
met to discuss the painting.
703
00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:35,640
David captured the moment that
Napoleon crowned Josephine queen,
704
00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:37,240
not his own coronation.
705
00:48:37,240 --> 00:48:39,440
Her kneeling figure was copied
706
00:48:39,440 --> 00:48:42,720
from Rubens'
Coronation of Marie de' Medici.
707
00:48:42,720 --> 00:48:44,960
By the way, she's had
years taken off her
708
00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:46,960
by David's painterly facelift.
709
00:48:48,560 --> 00:48:51,080
Originally, David had painted
the Pope with his hands
710
00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:54,880
folded in his lap, until the
Emperor explained that he hadn't got
711
00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:59,280
the Pontiff all the way from the
Vatican just to sit and do nothing.
712
00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:04,280
So, David changed this to Pope
Pius VII blessing the coronation.
713
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,600
And there's mischief here too.
714
00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:16,240
Look at the wily survivor
Talleyrand and his turned up nose.
715
00:49:16,240 --> 00:49:18,720
This is the man that
Bonaparte famously called,
716
00:49:18,720 --> 00:49:21,320
"a piece of shit
in a silk stocking."
717
00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:25,640
The female figure on the balcony,
718
00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:28,600
that's Napoleon's mother,
who couldn't stand Josephine
719
00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:31,280
and actually wasn't
there on the big day.
720
00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:34,520
But on instruction,
David put her in the picture anyway.
721
00:49:36,400 --> 00:49:41,560
And there, of course, sketchbook in
hand, is the great artist himself.
722
00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:48,320
Despite the success
of this painting,
723
00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:51,000
there was a prickly
relationship between David
724
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,760
and the courtiers
around the Emperor.
725
00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:55,440
This picture was meant to be
726
00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:58,280
the first of four
celebrating the coronation,
727
00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,960
but the project was never completed
after squabbles about money.
728
00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,480
So it's perhaps no coincidence
that in 1806, the great general
729
00:50:07,480 --> 00:50:10,200
gave David and fellow painters
their marching orders.
730
00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:12,080
They had just 24 hours
731
00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:16,360
to pack up their studios in
the Cour Carree and get out.
732
00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:21,600
And when Napoleon married
for the second time in 1810,
733
00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:24,040
David wasn't asked
to record the ceremony
734
00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:25,920
when it took place in the Louvre.
735
00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:32,200
The close relationship between
painter and despot was over
736
00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:34,240
as their fortunes declined,
737
00:50:34,240 --> 00:50:38,240
David to new rivals
with new ideas about art,
738
00:50:38,240 --> 00:50:41,760
Napoleon to the hubris that
led to his fall from power
739
00:50:41,760 --> 00:50:44,120
and the return of
the Bourbon monarchy.
740
00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:51,880
The rule of Napoleon was ended in
1815 with the Battle of Waterloo,
741
00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:55,480
and the Restoration of the
Bourbon dynasty was secured.
742
00:50:55,480 --> 00:50:58,160
The Louvre was renamed
Le Musee Royal,
743
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:01,200
and all of the visual
propaganda changed too.
744
00:51:01,200 --> 00:51:02,560
Out went the Napoleonic N
745
00:51:02,560 --> 00:51:04,880
and the bees and the eagles
that had been his symbol,
746
00:51:04,880 --> 00:51:08,960
and in came the image of the lily
and the monogram LL for Louis XVIII,
747
00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:11,400
and there was other
interesting stuff.
748
00:51:11,400 --> 00:51:14,440
If you look up here, you can see
that this is the face of Napoleon.
749
00:51:14,440 --> 00:51:16,320
What happened was that the new King
750
00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:18,360
had a wig placed
on Bonaparte's head,
751
00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:22,480
transforming him into the image of
his illustrious forebear, Louis XIV.
752
00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:33,080
The Restoration was a challenging
period for the Louvre, forced
753
00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:38,240
to concede to demands that 5,000
pieces of plundered art be returned.
754
00:51:38,240 --> 00:51:42,080
The bronze horses on top of the
Arc de Triomphe went back to Venice,
755
00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:45,560
and were replaced by
these grey imitations.
756
00:51:48,920 --> 00:51:50,440
Some treasures did remain.
757
00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:55,080
The Wedding at Cana was kept,
simply too big to be moved again,
758
00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:56,080
the museum argued.
759
00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:04,040
An elderly David was now in exile
like his former patron Bonaparte,
760
00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:07,080
but a new generation
of painters was emerging
761
00:52:07,080 --> 00:52:09,080
and producing
stunning works of art.
762
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:14,640
One is to be found
in the Salle Rouge.
763
00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:24,080
This painting, Le Radeau de la
Meduse, The Raft of the Medusa
764
00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:28,000
by Gericault, is one of the
great treasures of the Louvre.
765
00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:31,600
It was the talk of the Salon when
it was first exhibited in 1819,
766
00:52:31,600 --> 00:52:34,560
and it was very quickly acquired
by the then-director of the Louvre,
767
00:52:34,560 --> 00:52:39,840
the Compte de Forbin. I think it's
an extraordinary, complex painting.
768
00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:42,440
It's realistic but
it's not quite real,
769
00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:46,480
you've got these human bodies
constructed as a kind of pyramid.
770
00:52:48,520 --> 00:52:51,200
It's very romantic,
it's about human suffering
771
00:52:51,200 --> 00:52:53,560
but also about
the impossibility of hope.
772
00:52:56,960 --> 00:53:00,080
But what you really feel
is that you're in the painting,
773
00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:04,040
you're in that pyramid
of human suffering.
774
00:53:04,040 --> 00:53:07,400
And you can see the kind of
forensic nature of Gericault's work.
775
00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:09,680
He was the kind of man who
spent hours in mortuaries
776
00:53:09,680 --> 00:53:11,920
and hospitals
sketching out dead bodies
777
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:15,200
and he wasn't even afraid to take
home the limbs to work out the
778
00:53:15,200 --> 00:53:20,000
tricky bits, and that's what makes
this painting so stark, so powerful.
779
00:53:22,720 --> 00:53:24,200
There was no bigger scandal
780
00:53:24,200 --> 00:53:28,320
than the shipwreck of the frigate
Meduse off the West African coast,
781
00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:31,240
captained by the hapless
Viscount Chaumareys.
782
00:53:31,240 --> 00:53:35,720
Of the 147 crew, only 13 survived.
783
00:53:35,720 --> 00:53:37,800
This was headline news,
784
00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:41,760
and the public lapped up lurid
tales of cannibalism and madness.
785
00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:48,880
Such a juicy story translated
to canvas could only be
786
00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:52,440
good for the career
of the 20-year-old artist.
787
00:53:52,440 --> 00:53:55,760
I asked curator Sebastien Allard
about the painting.
788
00:53:58,600 --> 00:54:00,640
HE SPEAKS FRENCH
789
00:54:00,640 --> 00:54:03,880
TRANSLATOR: 'It was, and has been
taken as a form of allegory,
790
00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:07,720
'since Gericault's depicting
a ship that was wrecked
791
00:54:07,720 --> 00:54:11,800
'as a direct result of the
incompetence of its captain.
792
00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:17,080
'Survivors were stranded on a raft
without food, water or hope,
793
00:54:17,080 --> 00:54:20,720
'and people took all this as an
allusion to the French State
794
00:54:20,720 --> 00:54:24,800
'after the fall of the Empire,
governed by incompetence.'
795
00:54:29,760 --> 00:54:33,320
There are more intense, romantic
sensibilities at work here.
796
00:54:37,800 --> 00:54:43,120
TRANSLATOR: 'We can see here a taste
for rather dark and sinister painting
797
00:54:43,120 --> 00:54:47,320
'that's in stark contrast to the
relatively clear and bright paintings
798
00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:49,320
'of David, and which, of course,
799
00:54:49,320 --> 00:54:52,800
'acts as a tool towards the
dramatic effect of the painting.
800
00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:56,080
'And it's a rather macabre style,
801
00:54:56,080 --> 00:54:59,520
'with a penchant
for death and corpses.'
802
00:55:08,240 --> 00:55:12,040
As well as bringing the best of
contemporary art into the Louvre,
803
00:55:12,040 --> 00:55:15,480
these decades of the Restoration
saw the arrival from Egypt
804
00:55:15,480 --> 00:55:20,640
of mysterious and magical objects
that were old yet very new.
805
00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:25,520
On the 25th of October 1836,
806
00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:29,360
the great obelisk
behind me here was unveiled.
807
00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:30,960
It came from a temple in Luxor
808
00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:33,840
and was the gift
of the Khedive of Egypt.
809
00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:35,680
Its original base featured monkeys
810
00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:38,640
who had suspiciously
large erections,
811
00:55:38,640 --> 00:55:41,160
and obviously this had to be
replaced by something
812
00:55:41,160 --> 00:55:45,240
much more austere, in granite
and fashioned in Brittany.
813
00:55:45,240 --> 00:55:48,480
But nonetheless, this latest
monument was a great success,
814
00:55:48,480 --> 00:55:50,320
and the most important thing was
815
00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:53,960
that it announced a new mania in
France for all things Oriental.
816
00:55:56,200 --> 00:55:59,360
The man who arranged the passage
of the obelisk to Paris,
817
00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:02,080
and who brought so much
to the story of the Louvre,
818
00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:04,720
was Jean-Francois Champollion.
819
00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:12,480
Now Champollion worked here
in the Louvre, and he established
820
00:56:12,480 --> 00:56:16,720
the superb and stunning
collection that we see here today.
821
00:56:16,720 --> 00:56:20,160
But not only that, Champollion
was the first person to decipher
822
00:56:20,160 --> 00:56:25,400
hieroglyphics, and in doing so, he
invented the science of Egyptology.
823
00:56:29,680 --> 00:56:33,200
Inspired by Napoleon's
Egyptian Campaigns,
824
00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:36,400
Champollion devoted his life to
understanding this ancient culture.
825
00:56:38,440 --> 00:56:41,920
By the age of 16, he knew
a dozen ancient languages,
826
00:56:41,920 --> 00:56:43,920
and with this
extraordinary facility,
827
00:56:43,920 --> 00:56:46,760
he began the long task
of deciphering hieroglyphs.
828
00:56:48,800 --> 00:56:53,080
In 1824, in the
Precis du systeme hieroglyphique,
829
00:56:53,080 --> 00:56:57,160
Champollion revealed that he had
cracked these hidden codes.
830
00:56:59,080 --> 00:57:02,600
By this time, Champollion had
persuaded the King to buy three
831
00:57:02,600 --> 00:57:04,400
private collections for the Louvre,
832
00:57:04,400 --> 00:57:07,880
and these were housed in
a dedicated Musee Egyptien.
833
00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:16,240
When it opened, Champollion wrote
an open letter to visitors saying,
834
00:57:16,240 --> 00:57:19,080
"I'm thrilled just thinking
about what I have to show you."
835
00:57:19,080 --> 00:57:21,880
And he was dead right
to be thrilled.
836
00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:27,400
Along with statues
of Egyptian pharaohs,
837
00:57:27,400 --> 00:57:30,440
there were religious artefacts
and everyday objects.
838
00:57:32,080 --> 00:57:34,120
Today, we take these for granted,
839
00:57:34,120 --> 00:57:38,800
but in 1826, this was
the shock of the new.
840
00:57:41,800 --> 00:57:45,800
We should pause to reflect
on this moment in our story,
841
00:57:45,800 --> 00:57:48,520
because it signals another
important transformation
842
00:57:48,520 --> 00:57:49,960
for the Louvre.
843
00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:55,640
Before, it was a
palace with paintings.
844
00:57:55,640 --> 00:57:59,320
Now, it's what we recognise
properly as a museum,
845
00:57:59,320 --> 00:58:02,960
full of works of art
from all ages and cultures,
846
00:58:02,960 --> 00:58:06,080
and a place for
scholarly investigation.
847
00:58:08,800 --> 00:58:12,760
In its way, this was
a cultural revolution.
848
00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:19,320
And speaking of revolution,
849
00:58:19,320 --> 00:58:21,720
what had happened to
the French taste for it?
850
00:58:21,720 --> 00:58:23,680
MUSIC: "La Marseillaise"
851
00:58:31,800 --> 00:58:36,480
After 15 years of monarchy,
the barricades went up in Paris.
852
00:58:36,480 --> 00:58:40,960
For three days, between the
27th and 29th of July 1830,
853
00:58:40,960 --> 00:58:43,960
there was street-fighting
across the city to challenge
854
00:58:43,960 --> 00:58:46,880
the autocratic rule of Charles X.
855
00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:48,240
"Les Trois Glorieuses",
856
00:58:48,240 --> 00:58:51,640
as it was known in revolutionary
folklore, is naturally commemorated
857
00:58:51,640 --> 00:58:56,360
here with this fine and thrusting
monument at Place de la Bastille.
858
00:58:57,280 --> 00:59:00,840
But one young French artist
wanted to do things his own way
859
00:59:00,840 --> 00:59:03,080
to commemorate this July Revolution.
860
00:59:03,080 --> 00:59:06,000
He wanted something
more sweeping, more daring,
861
00:59:06,000 --> 00:59:09,960
something more epic,
and what he did is in the Louvre.
862
00:59:14,440 --> 00:59:18,920
28th of July, Liberty Leading
the People by Eugene Delacroix,
863
00:59:18,920 --> 00:59:21,680
is to be found in the Salle Rouge.
864
00:59:25,440 --> 00:59:28,680
In 1830, Delacroix had written
to his brother that he was
865
00:59:28,680 --> 00:59:31,520
taking on a modern subject,
a barricade.
866
00:59:31,520 --> 00:59:36,600
"If I haven't fought for my country,
at least I'll paint for her."
867
00:59:36,600 --> 00:59:40,360
The painting that emerged from his
studio was the hit of the Salon.
868
00:59:42,080 --> 00:59:43,320
It's realistic.
869
00:59:43,320 --> 00:59:46,760
Delacroix used real people as
models to depict real events,
870
00:59:46,760 --> 00:59:48,400
but it's also allegorical.
871
00:59:50,400 --> 00:59:54,640
There's bare-breasted Marianne,
bayoneted musket in one hand,
872
00:59:54,640 --> 00:59:57,480
the Tricolour flag of
the Republic in the other,
873
00:59:57,480 --> 01:00:00,160
the personification of
Liberty in revolution.
874
01:00:01,320 --> 01:00:03,800
This Republican Amazon
leads young and old
875
01:00:03,800 --> 01:00:05,840
and all classes to the barricades.
876
01:00:07,560 --> 01:00:10,880
Here, the top-hatted
figure of some means,
877
01:00:10,880 --> 01:00:13,560
and here
the pistol-packing student.
878
01:00:15,560 --> 01:00:17,640
At their feet, the dead,
879
01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:22,480
a Royalist National Guardsman
and this semi-naked figure,
880
01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:25,720
surely copied from
Gericault's Raft of the Medusa
881
01:00:25,720 --> 01:00:27,160
that Delacroix knew so well.
882
01:00:29,400 --> 01:00:32,840
And it all takes place against
the smoking backdrop of Paris,
883
01:00:32,840 --> 01:00:37,680
the Republican flag hanging
from Notre Dame in the distance.
884
01:00:39,160 --> 01:00:43,960
And the colours used here,
red, white and blue of course.
885
01:00:46,080 --> 01:00:50,040
There is, perhaps, no more iconic
image in all of French history.
886
01:00:55,520 --> 01:00:59,280
And it didn't take long for the
street-fighting men and women,
887
01:00:59,280 --> 01:01:03,240
commemorated by Delacroix,
to be at it again.
888
01:01:03,240 --> 01:01:06,160
As Karl Marx observed,
"History was repeating itself."
889
01:01:08,320 --> 01:01:12,040
Revolution in 1848 was,
in that very French way,
890
01:01:12,040 --> 01:01:13,600
followed by reaction.
891
01:01:16,120 --> 01:01:18,280
The nephew of Napoleon,
Louis Bonaparte,
892
01:01:18,280 --> 01:01:20,600
came to power by coup d'etat
893
01:01:20,600 --> 01:01:23,240
that ended the short-lived
Second Republic,
894
01:01:23,240 --> 01:01:28,520
and like his uncle, declared
himself Emperor of a Second Empire.
895
01:01:35,600 --> 01:01:39,480
At the heart of this Empire would
be a city of Grands Boulevards
896
01:01:39,480 --> 01:01:42,920
and buildings built
by Baron Haussmann.
897
01:01:42,920 --> 01:01:48,000
And the Louvre was to become
the symbol of a modernised Paris.
898
01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:52,240
In 1852, a new Louvre Project
was announced that would complete
899
01:01:52,240 --> 01:01:55,520
the Grand Dessein by connecting
both sides of the Louvre
900
01:01:55,520 --> 01:01:57,360
to the Palace of the Tuileries.
901
01:02:01,400 --> 01:02:03,360
The old tenement buildings
and stalls
902
01:02:03,360 --> 01:02:05,680
that had been part of the
site for centuries were
903
01:02:05,680 --> 01:02:08,520
bulldozed to make way for
this vision of the future.
904
01:02:13,400 --> 01:02:17,080
The Louvre was once more to be
a focus for political power.
905
01:02:17,080 --> 01:02:19,320
The Emperor would rule from here.
906
01:02:19,320 --> 01:02:22,720
It would be the site of government,
with bureaucrats in the new wings
907
01:02:22,720 --> 01:02:24,400
working away for France,
908
01:02:24,400 --> 01:02:27,400
and it would be a symbol
of French cultural power,
909
01:02:27,400 --> 01:02:29,240
with its magnificent museum.
910
01:02:30,680 --> 01:02:33,200
The sheer ambition of this
project was explained to me
911
01:02:33,200 --> 01:02:34,520
by Daniel Soulie.
912
01:02:35,880 --> 01:02:38,800
HE SPEAKS FRENCH
913
01:02:38,800 --> 01:02:40,280
TRANSLATOR: 'We say in France
914
01:02:40,280 --> 01:02:42,560
'that Napoleon really gave
"the full packet".
915
01:02:42,560 --> 01:02:45,480
'It was a full-on Imperial project.
916
01:02:45,480 --> 01:02:51,200
'He threw limitless money, limitless
people and limitless resources at it.
917
01:02:52,600 --> 01:02:56,240
'The Emperor had a hand in everything
that happened in the Louvre,
918
01:02:56,240 --> 01:02:58,040
'so all possibilities were open.
919
01:03:01,320 --> 01:03:05,600
'He ordered that where the little
town had sprung up here behind us,
920
01:03:05,600 --> 01:03:08,360
'the Richelieu Wing should be built,
921
01:03:08,360 --> 01:03:11,360
'and the Denon Wing on
the other side over here.
922
01:03:13,160 --> 01:03:18,000
'With these two new wings, he was
able to enclose the space and create
923
01:03:18,000 --> 01:03:22,440
'a courtyard of vast proportions,
right at the centre of the building.'
924
01:03:28,680 --> 01:03:33,520
Grandeur on the outside was
reinforced by opulence within.
925
01:03:33,520 --> 01:03:36,880
Again, no expense was spared.
926
01:03:38,080 --> 01:03:40,360
Just look at all this luxury.
927
01:03:40,360 --> 01:03:43,760
The walls, the fittings,
the carpets and the furniture.
928
01:03:46,400 --> 01:03:48,080
What does it remind you of?
929
01:03:48,080 --> 01:03:51,520
Yes, Louis XIV,
and that was deliberate.
930
01:03:53,160 --> 01:03:56,360
This Second Empire style
was a self-conscious
931
01:03:56,360 --> 01:03:59,720
and some said vulgar way
of aping the Sun King.
932
01:04:01,480 --> 01:04:05,120
But Louis Bonaparte wanted
everybody to know that his Louvre
933
01:04:05,120 --> 01:04:08,360
was as much a glittering reflection
of his Imperial eminence
934
01:04:08,360 --> 01:04:09,800
as any in the past.
935
01:04:14,040 --> 01:04:16,480
But the destruction
of the old Louvre
936
01:04:16,480 --> 01:04:18,640
was mourned by one poet and critic.
937
01:04:20,760 --> 01:04:24,640
Charles Baudelaire was a
regular visitor to the museum.
938
01:04:27,920 --> 01:04:31,240
It was a warm and comfortable
place to meet his mother.
939
01:04:34,360 --> 01:04:38,440
He once took a five franc whore
to look at the ancient statues.
940
01:04:38,440 --> 01:04:41,760
She professed to be
scandalised by the nudity.
941
01:04:46,760 --> 01:04:49,840
Baudelaire was a great admirer
and friend of Delacroix,
942
01:04:49,840 --> 01:04:56,320
who in 1851, had completed this
ceiling in the Galerie d'Apollon.
943
01:04:56,320 --> 01:05:00,120
They were romantic soul brothers.
944
01:05:00,120 --> 01:05:01,920
Of the painter he wrote,
945
01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:04,640
"Delacroix was passionately
in love with passion
946
01:05:04,640 --> 01:05:09,720
"but coldly determined to express
passion as clearly as possible."
947
01:05:12,800 --> 01:05:16,800
But while Baudelaire loved the art
inside the Louvre with passion,
948
01:05:16,800 --> 01:05:18,840
he hated what had happened outside.
949
01:05:21,680 --> 01:05:26,680
In 1857, a collection of his poems
was published, The Flowers of Evil.
950
01:05:29,440 --> 01:05:33,680
In it there's one poem, The Swan,
which captures his melancholy
951
01:05:33,680 --> 01:05:37,520
over what had been lost here
and elsewhere in Paris.
952
01:05:37,520 --> 01:05:42,120
The rickety tenements, the market
stalls and the poor in pocket
953
01:05:42,120 --> 01:05:43,640
but rich in heart.
954
01:05:44,640 --> 01:05:46,840
HE RECITES IN FRENCH
955
01:05:50,920 --> 01:05:55,200
TRANSLATION: 'Paris changes! But
in my melancholy nothing has moved
956
01:05:55,200 --> 01:05:58,640
'New palaces, blocks,
scaffoldings, old neighbourhoods
957
01:05:58,640 --> 01:06:00,520
'Everything for me is allegory
958
01:06:00,520 --> 01:06:04,760
'And my dear memories
are heavier than stone
959
01:06:04,760 --> 01:06:08,720
'And so outside the Louvre
an image gives me pause
960
01:06:08,720 --> 01:06:12,840
'I think of my great swan
His gestures pained and mad
961
01:06:12,840 --> 01:06:16,080
'Like other exiles
both ridiculous and sublime
962
01:06:16,080 --> 01:06:17,960
'Gnawed by his endless longing.'
963
01:06:35,080 --> 01:06:38,800
Baudelaire had lost his beloved
Paris, but the city created
964
01:06:38,800 --> 01:06:43,360
by Haussmann for Louis-Napoleon is
one that you can still enjoy today.
965
01:06:44,800 --> 01:06:48,400
And I for one never fail
to be impressed by its scale,
966
01:06:48,400 --> 01:06:50,840
its straight lines and symmetry.
967
01:06:52,800 --> 01:06:55,520
But it wouldn't take long
for the Emperor to lose the capital,
968
01:06:55,520 --> 01:06:57,320
and with it, his Louvre.
969
01:07:01,840 --> 01:07:06,200
In 1870, he entered
into a disastrous war with Prussia.
970
01:07:06,200 --> 01:07:09,240
France was occupied
and Paris put under siege.
971
01:07:10,480 --> 01:07:12,000
After military defeat,
972
01:07:12,000 --> 01:07:16,240
Louis Bonaparte left the Louvre for
the last time and went into exile.
973
01:07:18,480 --> 01:07:22,160
In Paris, barricades went up
for one final time,
974
01:07:22,160 --> 01:07:24,040
as a Commune was declared.
975
01:07:26,200 --> 01:07:30,680
The Communards took control
of the city in the spring of 1871.
976
01:07:33,920 --> 01:07:37,160
At first, it was all done
in a traditionally festive mood.
977
01:07:37,160 --> 01:07:38,800
En fete.
978
01:07:38,800 --> 01:07:42,880
On the 16th of May, the Communards
knocked down the mock Roman column,
979
01:07:42,880 --> 01:07:45,840
here on the Place Vendome
that had been erected
980
01:07:45,840 --> 01:07:49,560
as yet another tribute
to Napoleon's military exploits.
981
01:07:49,560 --> 01:07:53,440
Then, around midnight,
the revolutionary fiesta moved on.
982
01:07:53,440 --> 01:07:56,880
Around 300 Communards broke into the
cellars of the grand Hotel du Louvre
983
01:07:56,880 --> 01:08:01,760
where they helped themselves
to the finest wines and smoked...
984
01:08:01,760 --> 01:08:05,360
the most expensive
and hugest cigars they could find.
985
01:08:09,880 --> 01:08:13,400
But these May days of hope
were also accompanied
986
01:08:13,400 --> 01:08:16,000
by intense fighting
around the Louvre,
987
01:08:16,000 --> 01:08:19,200
as civil war between left
and right turned bloody.
988
01:08:22,880 --> 01:08:27,160
On 23 May, the Palace of the
Tuileries was set on fire
989
01:08:27,160 --> 01:08:30,440
and its dome blown up
with explosives.
990
01:08:30,440 --> 01:08:34,440
The place that had been home
to kings, queens and emperors
991
01:08:34,440 --> 01:08:36,480
burned for 48 hours.
992
01:08:48,280 --> 01:08:50,680
The destruction of the Tuileries
993
01:08:50,680 --> 01:08:53,680
left a gaping hole that created
this skyline,
994
01:08:53,680 --> 01:08:57,400
with its clear views
all the way to the Arc de Triomphe.
995
01:09:00,240 --> 01:09:05,000
As for the Louvre, I think
that this was a defining moment.
996
01:09:05,000 --> 01:09:07,760
The residence of royals
and emperors, the Tuileries
997
01:09:07,760 --> 01:09:11,640
had always been the symbol
of autocratic rule to Parisians.
998
01:09:11,640 --> 01:09:14,040
Yet the Louvre was by now
a different place
999
01:09:14,040 --> 01:09:17,120
in the eyes of the people,
so it was spared the torch.
1000
01:09:18,320 --> 01:09:21,160
Perhaps the presence of publicly
available art
1001
01:09:21,160 --> 01:09:22,800
guaranteed its survival.
1002
01:09:24,480 --> 01:09:27,160
Why destroy the People's Museum?
1003
01:09:27,160 --> 01:09:29,120
That would be vandalism.
1004
01:09:30,960 --> 01:09:34,360
And by the time a Third Republic was
established in 1870s,
1005
01:09:34,360 --> 01:09:38,000
there was much more to be enjoyed
in the museum.
1006
01:09:38,000 --> 01:09:41,280
There were wonderful new paintings
donated by benefactors
1007
01:09:41,280 --> 01:09:43,520
like the generous Dr Lacaze.
1008
01:09:44,840 --> 01:09:48,520
One of these is The Club Foot
by Jusepe de Ribera,
1009
01:09:48,520 --> 01:09:52,480
a 17th-century portrait
of disability.
1010
01:09:53,880 --> 01:09:57,160
The boy smiles
and reveals his broken teeth.
1011
01:09:57,160 --> 01:10:00,320
He looks us straight in the eye,
he wants something.
1012
01:10:00,320 --> 01:10:05,640
So look at his hand holding
a piece of paper, a begging letter.
1013
01:10:05,640 --> 01:10:09,320
"For the love of God, give me alms,"
it reads.
1014
01:10:12,440 --> 01:10:16,560
And visitors could marvel at
this fabulous marble statue,
1015
01:10:16,560 --> 01:10:18,840
the Winged Victory of Samothrace,
1016
01:10:18,840 --> 01:10:22,520
which had arrived
from an excavation in the Aegean.
1017
01:10:24,360 --> 01:10:28,680
Over 2,000 years old, it's a
depiction of the Greek goddess Nike,
1018
01:10:28,680 --> 01:10:31,680
thought to be celebrating
a naval battle.
1019
01:10:31,680 --> 01:10:33,960
She's got a kind of still beauty
and grace,
1020
01:10:33,960 --> 01:10:38,240
but her flowing drapery gives
a dynamism and movement.
1021
01:10:39,800 --> 01:10:42,400
I feel as if she could
take wing at any time
1022
01:10:42,400 --> 01:10:45,080
and fly through
the miles of galleries.
1023
01:10:59,480 --> 01:11:02,680
The Louvre was now established
as a democratic space
1024
01:11:02,680 --> 01:11:04,960
open free to the public
six days a week.
1025
01:11:07,640 --> 01:11:10,840
And visitors from all over France
and beyond
1026
01:11:10,840 --> 01:11:15,320
were eager to visit this must-see
part of the Paris experience.
1027
01:11:18,920 --> 01:11:20,600
By the late 19th century,
1028
01:11:20,600 --> 01:11:24,280
there was no question that Paris was
the cultural capital of the world.
1029
01:11:24,280 --> 01:11:28,120
And that the Louvre was the most
potent symbol of this domination.
1030
01:11:28,120 --> 01:11:30,760
By now, it was well established
as a public space
1031
01:11:30,760 --> 01:11:32,560
open to all who wished to visit.
1032
01:11:32,560 --> 01:11:35,840
The artists of the day would
congregate in places like this,
1033
01:11:35,840 --> 01:11:37,280
Cafe La Palette.
1034
01:11:37,280 --> 01:11:41,440
And the Impressionists were the
most regular visitors to the museum,
1035
01:11:41,440 --> 01:11:45,600
taking their inspiration from
the past, to look, learn and copy.
1036
01:11:58,000 --> 01:12:02,640
Here in the Louvre is a pastel
drawing by Degas, La Sortie Du Bain.
1037
01:12:06,720 --> 01:12:08,560
Here's a Monet.
1038
01:12:08,560 --> 01:12:12,600
At the time, works like these
were considered avant-garde,
1039
01:12:12,600 --> 01:12:14,440
scandalous even,
1040
01:12:14,440 --> 01:12:16,960
and as such, were rejected
by the Academy
1041
01:12:16,960 --> 01:12:19,040
that still controlled the Salon.
1042
01:12:21,080 --> 01:12:25,360
So these painters were forced
to exhibit in a Salon des Refuses.
1043
01:12:26,880 --> 01:12:29,040
Here's a Pissarro.
1044
01:12:29,040 --> 01:12:33,160
He once said to Cezanne that he'd
be glad to see the Louvre burn down.
1045
01:12:33,160 --> 01:12:36,360
But Cezanne himself valued
the museum.
1046
01:12:36,360 --> 01:12:39,440
He wrote to a friend,
"Keep the best company,
1047
01:12:39,440 --> 01:12:42,880
"spend your days at the Louvre."
Which is just what he did.
1048
01:12:45,920 --> 01:12:49,160
Cezanne loved to contemplate
the work of Chardin -
1049
01:12:49,160 --> 01:12:52,040
his visual language,
his depiction of nature,
1050
01:12:52,040 --> 01:12:53,880
simplicity of his composition.
1051
01:12:56,080 --> 01:12:58,960
And all of this
he put into his own work.
1052
01:13:04,200 --> 01:13:07,760
But composers could be
similarly inspired.
1053
01:13:07,760 --> 01:13:11,200
Claude Debussy
stood in front of this painting,
1054
01:13:11,200 --> 01:13:14,840
Embarkation For Cythera,
by Jean-Antoine Watteau.
1055
01:13:17,520 --> 01:13:19,440
Who wouldn't be captivated by
1056
01:13:19,440 --> 01:13:22,040
the playful flirtatiousness
of the couples?
1057
01:13:23,520 --> 01:13:26,320
And who wouldn't be mesmerised
by its mystery?
1058
01:13:28,680 --> 01:13:32,720
Debussy saw all of this
and wrote a piece for piano,
1059
01:13:32,720 --> 01:13:34,360
L'Isle Joyeuse.
1060
01:13:40,960 --> 01:13:44,320
And writers too enjoyed the museum.
1061
01:13:44,320 --> 01:13:48,680
Not only as a place of culture, but
also as somewhere to meet friends.
1062
01:13:48,680 --> 01:13:52,160
And even sometimes to meet lovers.
1063
01:13:55,680 --> 01:13:58,480
The Louvre was a place
of amorous assignation
1064
01:13:58,480 --> 01:14:01,000
for the American writer
Edith Wharton.
1065
01:14:01,000 --> 01:14:02,920
This is where she met her lover,
1066
01:14:02,920 --> 01:14:06,520
the Paris correspondent of
The Times, Morton Fullerton.
1067
01:14:06,520 --> 01:14:10,160
They used to send each other secret
notes in the Paris postal system.
1068
01:14:10,160 --> 01:14:13,960
It was a kind of early 20th-century
form of text messaging.
1069
01:14:15,040 --> 01:14:16,960
One from Edith simply said,
1070
01:14:16,960 --> 01:14:21,600
"At the Louvre, one o'clock,
under the shadow of Diana."
1071
01:14:24,040 --> 01:14:26,560
But speaking of mysterious ladies...
1072
01:14:28,080 --> 01:14:32,760
..after all these many years,
what had happened to you-know-who?
1073
01:14:34,800 --> 01:14:38,800
The Mona Lisa remained in the royal
collection until the Revolution.
1074
01:14:38,800 --> 01:14:40,920
Then, in 1800, Napoleon demanded
1075
01:14:40,920 --> 01:14:44,960
that she join him in his bedroom
in the Palace of the Tuileries.
1076
01:14:44,960 --> 01:14:47,480
So, not tonight, Josephine.
1077
01:14:49,240 --> 01:14:53,480
But in the 19th century,
La Joconde was back in the Louvre.
1078
01:14:53,480 --> 01:14:56,520
Now scrutinised
by tortured aesthetes.
1079
01:14:56,520 --> 01:14:58,960
That smile on her face was surely
1080
01:14:58,960 --> 01:15:02,720
the oh-so cruel and mocking pout
of the femme fatale.
1081
01:15:04,760 --> 01:15:08,520
Then, on 21 August 1911,
the painting was nicked.
1082
01:15:15,720 --> 01:15:18,160
The heist was both daft and daring.
1083
01:15:18,160 --> 01:15:20,720
What actually happened was that
a young Italian workman,
1084
01:15:20,720 --> 01:15:22,920
a painter and decorator
called Vincenzo Peruggia,
1085
01:15:22,920 --> 01:15:26,800
just walked out off the building
with the Mona Lisa under his coat,
1086
01:15:26,800 --> 01:15:31,880
presumably whistling a cheery aria
as Italian workmen are wont to do.
1087
01:15:31,880 --> 01:15:34,320
He took it back to Mama Italia.
1088
01:15:35,920 --> 01:15:38,200
Pandemonium broke out.
1089
01:15:38,200 --> 01:15:41,680
The museum was closed for a week,
the director was sacked,
1090
01:15:41,680 --> 01:15:45,840
and two new guard dogs were
appointed, Jacques and Milord.
1091
01:15:49,480 --> 01:15:52,600
The whole of Paris
had a right good laugh
1092
01:15:52,600 --> 01:15:55,440
at the expense
of a red-faced Louvre.
1093
01:15:55,440 --> 01:15:57,920
New lyrics were set
to favourite melodies
1094
01:15:57,920 --> 01:16:00,320
which satirised
the cheeky abduction.
1095
01:16:00,320 --> 01:16:04,360
And these were sung in musical halls
and cabaret clubs across the city.
1096
01:16:04,360 --> 01:16:08,840
One dirty ditty found the Mona Lisa
in a place of ill repute.
1097
01:16:08,840 --> 01:16:11,680
"Mon poteau.
1098
01:16:11,680 --> 01:16:14,040
"Embrasses-moi,
je suis pas begueule.
1099
01:16:14,040 --> 01:16:16,960
"Mais je m'ennuyais beaucoup
dans ce palais.
1100
01:16:16,960 --> 01:16:19,200
"Un soir que le gardian criait,
1101
01:16:19,200 --> 01:16:22,000
"'On ferme!' J'ai repondu,
'Ta gueule!'
1102
01:16:22,000 --> 01:16:24,080
"Et je suis carbatte toute seule."
1103
01:16:25,560 --> 01:16:28,920
Which roughly translates as, "Hey,
mate, give us a kiss, I'm not fussy,
1104
01:16:28,920 --> 01:16:32,520
"but I was so bored in that palace.
So one night when the guard cried,
1105
01:16:32,520 --> 01:16:35,480
"'Closing time!' I just said,
'Fuck you, mate!' and scarpered."
1106
01:16:45,400 --> 01:16:47,920
The year the painting returned
to the Louvre,
1107
01:16:47,920 --> 01:16:50,920
after being found in Italy,
was the first of a World War
1108
01:16:50,920 --> 01:16:54,120
when a generation bled to death
for France.
1109
01:16:57,320 --> 01:16:59,760
Then, in 1940, a second war erupted,
1110
01:16:59,760 --> 01:17:02,880
bringing humiliation and occupation.
1111
01:17:02,880 --> 01:17:05,920
And after that, there was
the loss of empire.
1112
01:17:07,480 --> 01:17:08,760
So after all this,
1113
01:17:08,760 --> 01:17:13,040
how to project the prestige of
France in diminished times?
1114
01:17:13,040 --> 01:17:15,880
Why, with art, of course.
1115
01:17:15,880 --> 01:17:19,920
And the Louvre had a role to play
in a piece of cultural diplomacy.
1116
01:17:22,400 --> 01:17:25,440
In 1962, General De Gaulle decreed
1117
01:17:25,440 --> 01:17:28,680
that the Mona Lisa
should visit the USA.
1118
01:17:28,680 --> 01:17:30,520
So La Joconde left Le Havre
1119
01:17:30,520 --> 01:17:35,360
on the luxury transatlantic liner
SS France in a first-class cabin,
1120
01:17:35,360 --> 01:17:39,040
cocooned in a waterproof container
that would float if the boat sank.
1121
01:17:40,440 --> 01:17:43,920
On her arrival in New York, she was
received by President Kennedy
1122
01:17:43,920 --> 01:17:47,360
like a head of state,
before doing her duty for France
1123
01:17:47,360 --> 01:17:50,200
and becoming a massive hit
with the American public.
1124
01:17:53,040 --> 01:17:56,680
KENNEDY: Monsier Malraux, I know
that the last time the Mona Lisa
1125
01:17:56,680 --> 01:18:01,480
was exhibited outside Paris
in Florence,
1126
01:18:01,480 --> 01:18:06,920
a crowd of 30,000 people
packed the gallery on a single day,
1127
01:18:06,920 --> 01:18:10,920
while large crowds outside
smashed the windows.
1128
01:18:12,120 --> 01:18:18,240
I can assure you that if our own
reception is more orderly,
1129
01:18:18,240 --> 01:18:24,400
though perhaps as noisy, it contains
no less enthusiasm or gratitude.
1130
01:18:24,400 --> 01:18:26,760
APPLAUSE AND LAUGHTER
1131
01:18:29,000 --> 01:18:32,080
By the 1960s,
and despite the treasures within,
1132
01:18:32,080 --> 01:18:34,880
the Louvre was showing its age.
It was stuck in the past.
1133
01:18:38,960 --> 01:18:42,760
So perhaps that's why new wave film
director Jean-Luc Godard decided
1134
01:18:42,760 --> 01:18:45,960
to shoot a sequence for his 1964
film Bande A Part there
1135
01:18:45,960 --> 01:18:50,920
to show his heroine, Odile, and
would-be criminals Arthur and Franz
1136
01:18:50,920 --> 01:18:54,160
attempting to beat the world record
for running through the museum.
1137
01:18:57,240 --> 01:19:00,360
Obviously they're up for a bit
of fun in the stuffy museum.
1138
01:19:02,120 --> 01:19:05,560
But I also think this is
an artful piece of satire by Godard.
1139
01:19:05,560 --> 01:19:09,400
A quick critique of the French
cultural establishment.
1140
01:19:15,520 --> 01:19:18,360
So, how could the museum get
a new lease of life?
1141
01:19:18,360 --> 01:19:21,600
Well, return to
the idea of building again.
1142
01:19:23,400 --> 01:19:27,080
Return to the spirit
of the "Grand Dessein".
1143
01:19:29,320 --> 01:19:33,160
In the 1980s, it was the creation
of this structure behind me here
1144
01:19:33,160 --> 01:19:36,040
which symbolised the transformation
of the Louvre
1145
01:19:36,040 --> 01:19:38,560
into a museum for the modern world.
1146
01:19:38,560 --> 01:19:42,200
This is the glass Pyramid designed
by American architect IM Pei.
1147
01:19:46,560 --> 01:19:47,800
Finished in 1989,
1148
01:19:47,800 --> 01:19:51,280
it's the most visible expression
of the grand projet
1149
01:19:51,280 --> 01:19:54,600
of the then President of France,
Francois Mitterrand.
1150
01:19:54,600 --> 01:19:57,960
And it's now the Pyramid that
defines the Louvre to the world.
1151
01:20:02,760 --> 01:20:05,080
The Louvre was perfect
for Mitterrand.
1152
01:20:05,080 --> 01:20:07,920
NEWSREADER: 'The inauguration of
the new entrance to the Louvre
1153
01:20:07,920 --> 01:20:10,800
'by President Mitterrand this
afternoon means the public...'
1154
01:20:10,800 --> 01:20:14,160
Mitterrand was a politician
with an acute sense of history.
1155
01:20:14,160 --> 01:20:15,840
And a vanity to match.
1156
01:20:17,040 --> 01:20:20,720
When elected in 1981, he was
looking for projects that would be
1157
01:20:20,720 --> 01:20:22,760
lasting testaments
to his presidency.
1158
01:20:23,840 --> 01:20:25,800
His culture Minister, Jack Lang,
1159
01:20:25,800 --> 01:20:28,440
suggested radical change
for the museum.
1160
01:20:28,440 --> 01:20:31,160
Passant et repassant...
1161
01:20:31,160 --> 01:20:34,720
TRANSLATION: 'I was going
past the Louvre every day.
1162
01:20:34,720 --> 01:20:38,720
'And I remember being shocked
by the dirtiness of the place
1163
01:20:38,720 --> 01:20:41,200
'and its general state of disrepair,
1164
01:20:41,200 --> 01:20:43,920
'with all the dust
covering everything.
1165
01:20:43,920 --> 01:20:47,720
'And I was shocked by the presence
of a large car park,
1166
01:20:47,720 --> 01:20:52,080
'right in the middle of the Cours
Napoleon, for all the civil servants.
1167
01:20:53,600 --> 01:20:58,440
'So in, I think, July 1981,
I added a little note to Mitterrand
1168
01:20:58,440 --> 01:21:01,880
'titled "Le Grand Louvre".
1169
01:21:01,880 --> 01:21:06,000
'I said to him,
"What if we totally completed
1170
01:21:06,000 --> 01:21:09,280
'"the transformation
from palace the museum?"'
1171
01:21:14,800 --> 01:21:16,000
Before things Egyptian
1172
01:21:16,000 --> 01:21:18,800
were the shock of the new
in a previous century,
1173
01:21:18,800 --> 01:21:20,560
plans for a pyramid structure
1174
01:21:20,560 --> 01:21:23,080
reflecting the ambitions of
Mitterrand
1175
01:21:23,080 --> 01:21:25,600
as a modern-day pharaoh
created a storm.
1176
01:21:27,160 --> 01:21:30,000
Le Monde's critic accused
the government of turning
1177
01:21:30,000 --> 01:21:33,840
the courtyard of the Louvre
into an annexe of Disneyland.
1178
01:21:33,840 --> 01:21:36,480
"Ooh-la-la! Quelle horreur!"
1179
01:21:38,120 --> 01:21:40,600
But I actually think that the Louvre
came out of all this
1180
01:21:40,600 --> 01:21:42,360
smelling of roses.
1181
01:21:42,360 --> 01:21:44,800
This time, the modernists have won.
1182
01:21:49,480 --> 01:21:52,360
When I look at the Pyramid,
I feel like I'm looking at
1183
01:21:52,360 --> 01:21:54,960
a great work of modern art
in steel and glass.
1184
01:21:57,360 --> 01:21:58,840
Still, I'm curious to know
1185
01:21:58,840 --> 01:22:02,600
what the Louvre's great pioneering
Egyptologist, Champollion,
1186
01:22:02,600 --> 01:22:06,160
might have made of this tribute
to an ancient culture.
1187
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What strikes me, in this city
of most meaningful monuments,
1188
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is that this says we are a modern
country, we are go-ahead.
1189
01:22:18,200 --> 01:22:21,200
"Nous sommes la France tres cool."
1190
01:22:23,360 --> 01:22:26,160
But it's not only the outside
that impresses.
1191
01:22:28,920 --> 01:22:32,760
The Pyramid illuminates a huge
reception area underground.
1192
01:22:32,760 --> 01:22:34,560
And new areas of the Louvre
1193
01:22:34,560 --> 01:22:37,880
have been opened up
to the shining light of culture.
1194
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Including the new Richelieu
Galleries in the East Wing,
1195
01:22:43,040 --> 01:22:46,440
formerly occupied by the men
from the Ministry of Finance.
1196
01:22:49,400 --> 01:22:52,040
The palace would now be all museum.
1197
01:22:55,040 --> 01:22:59,040
I'm in the Cours Marly,
and I'm surrounded by statues.
1198
01:23:00,800 --> 01:23:03,520
This courtyard area used to be
open to the elements.
1199
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But now it's all glassed over,
1200
01:23:06,360 --> 01:23:09,520
letting the light
of the Parisian skies flood in.
1201
01:23:11,160 --> 01:23:13,360
And that makes it
a really comfortable
1202
01:23:13,360 --> 01:23:15,800
and airy place to view art.
1203
01:23:21,560 --> 01:23:23,640
Visit today and you understand
1204
01:23:23,640 --> 01:23:27,200
that the Grand Louvre project
has been a runaway success.
1205
01:23:29,320 --> 01:23:34,000
Before the '80s, 2 million people
visited the Louvre every year.
1206
01:23:34,000 --> 01:23:36,120
Now, the figure is closer
to 9 million.
1207
01:23:39,160 --> 01:23:43,040
And this grandest of
"grands projets" continues.
1208
01:23:52,200 --> 01:23:55,440
In September 2012,
a new gallery opened
1209
01:23:55,440 --> 01:23:59,160
to house the riches of the museum's
collection of Islamic art.
1210
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Here are 3,000 works in 3,000
square feet of exhibition space.
1211
01:24:10,880 --> 01:24:13,960
All housed in the most radical
piece of architecture
1212
01:24:13,960 --> 01:24:16,120
to grace the museum
since the Pyramid.
1213
01:24:17,640 --> 01:24:19,760
There's a wonderful elusiveness
1214
01:24:19,760 --> 01:24:22,440
to the Islamic gallery's
roof and ceiling.
1215
01:24:22,440 --> 01:24:26,440
Is it a golden veil?
Undulating sand dunes?
1216
01:24:26,440 --> 01:24:29,560
Or perhaps even a flying carpet?
1217
01:24:33,320 --> 01:24:36,680
Under this covering,
there are great treasures.
1218
01:24:36,680 --> 01:24:40,520
With Islamic strictures against
representations of the human form,
1219
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everyday objects become art.
1220
01:24:45,600 --> 01:24:48,440
A candlestick adorned with ducks.
1221
01:24:51,480 --> 01:24:54,520
A perfume burner
in the shape of a cat.
1222
01:24:54,520 --> 01:24:59,200
Both from 11th century
central Asia.
1223
01:25:02,080 --> 01:25:06,800
And these calligraphic delights
with their messages from the past.
1224
01:25:08,360 --> 01:25:11,720
A lamp that shines
the wisdom of Islam.
1225
01:25:13,400 --> 01:25:17,080
A ninth century vase with a love
letter written on its side.
1226
01:25:19,520 --> 01:25:24,200
And a plate from Samarkand
with an inscription which reads,
1227
01:25:24,200 --> 01:25:27,720
"At first,
magnanimity has a bitter taste.
1228
01:25:27,720 --> 01:25:31,080
"But in the end
it feels as sweet as honey."
1229
01:25:35,960 --> 01:25:39,760
And in the lower galleries,
I'm looking for a special work
1230
01:25:39,760 --> 01:25:44,480
because it gives us one last
reminder of the story of the Louvre.
1231
01:25:53,240 --> 01:25:57,080
And here it is -
the Baptistere de Saint Louis.
1232
01:25:57,080 --> 01:26:00,760
A masterpiece in brass,
inlaid with gold and silver.
1233
01:26:02,800 --> 01:26:06,200
It was made in Syria
in the 14th century,
1234
01:26:06,200 --> 01:26:09,080
the work of Mohammed ibn al-Zain.
1235
01:26:09,080 --> 01:26:11,920
It's beautiful in its detail.
1236
01:26:22,520 --> 01:26:27,480
And here, a coat of arms seemingly
hammered on at a later date.
1237
01:26:27,480 --> 01:26:31,320
This is the fleur de lys
of the Bourbon Kings.
1238
01:26:33,080 --> 01:26:37,040
How this extraordinary object
got into their hands is not known,
1239
01:26:37,040 --> 01:26:41,160
but it was used to baptise
Louis XIII, son of Henry IV
1240
01:26:41,160 --> 01:26:46,440
and father of the Sun King,
those great builders of the Louvre.
1241
01:26:46,440 --> 01:26:49,920
And it made its way
to the museum in 1793,
1242
01:26:49,920 --> 01:26:52,800
confiscated
from the royal collection
1243
01:26:52,800 --> 01:26:55,560
by David and the revolutionaries.
1244
01:26:59,600 --> 01:27:04,160
But, for this magnificent art,
there's also a much bigger picture.
1245
01:27:04,160 --> 01:27:08,080
This shows that the museum
is sensitive and aware,
1246
01:27:08,080 --> 01:27:11,240
building a bridge between France
and the Muslim world.
1247
01:27:11,240 --> 01:27:14,280
And this fulfils France's historical
role as an influence there,
1248
01:27:14,280 --> 01:27:16,480
"une puissance musulmane".
1249
01:27:16,480 --> 01:27:19,920
So, under the canny piece
of cultural diplomacy
1250
01:27:19,920 --> 01:27:23,960
to project just the right image
of France in today's world.
1251
01:27:29,720 --> 01:27:32,560
But let's end where we started,
with the word,
1252
01:27:32,560 --> 01:27:36,840
with a medieval word, "louver",
meaning stronghold.
1253
01:27:36,840 --> 01:27:38,520
Because when I began this journey,
1254
01:27:38,520 --> 01:27:41,480
the Louvre did feel very much
like a cultural fortress.
1255
01:27:43,000 --> 01:27:45,760
But time-travelling
through its art and history,
1256
01:27:45,760 --> 01:27:50,400
what I've tried to do is open it all
up, literally to "ouvrir le Louvre".
1257
01:27:50,400 --> 01:27:54,920
And in the process, I've come to
realise that there's another word
1258
01:27:54,920 --> 01:27:57,560
which sums the place up
much, much better.
1259
01:27:59,000 --> 01:28:01,720
And this is a very French one,
very Gallic -
1260
01:28:01,720 --> 01:28:03,440
"la gloire".
1261
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Now, this is a word
1262
01:28:04,840 --> 01:28:07,920
which is a little bit difficult
to translate into English.
1263
01:28:07,920 --> 01:28:12,480
But what it's about is
power, splendour and beauty.
1264
01:28:12,480 --> 01:28:14,800
And that for me,
cher telespectateur,
1265
01:28:14,800 --> 01:28:16,720
is the real treasure of the Louvre,
1266
01:28:16,720 --> 01:28:19,880
buried deep here
in the heart of Paris.
1267
01:28:48,600 --> 01:28:51,960
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
111367
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