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August 10, 2017

Charles Meryon (1821-1868),

Vue de L'Ancien Louvre Du Cote De La Seine (After Zeeman), 1866, etching, 5 1/2 x 9 11/16 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchase/gift of the Mahonri M. Young Estate, 1959.

On this day in 1793, the Louvre Museum in Paris, France opened to the public. Containing one of the world's greatest collections of art, the Louvre is the largest museum in the world and home to artworks including the

Venus de Milo, Da Vinci's

The Mona Lisa, and Delacroix's

Liberty Leading the People among many other masterpieces. Since its opening, the Louvre has welcomed millions of visitors. The Louvre has seen many historical events, including the emergency evacuation of many of the artworks during the Nazi occupation of France. Today, the Louvre welcomes approximately 15,000 visitors a day and remains a place for people from all over the world to experience humankind's great artistic creations. This piece by Charles Meryon, after a piece by Zeeman, shows a Parisian scene wherein the Louvre takes front and center.