12 must-see masterpieces at the Louvre
Quick answer
The Louvre's must-see works are Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, Géricault's Raft of the Medusa, Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, Veronese's Wedding Feast at Cana, David's Coronation of Napoleon and the Great Sphinx of Tanis.
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The 12 key works, wing by wing
Rooms reflect the usual layout. Works go on loan and into restoration, so check the museum's free floor plan before you go.
- 1
Room 711 · Denon wing
Mona Lisa — Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1503–1519)
The world's most famous portrait. Its fame rests on the sfumato, a gaze that seems to follow you and a story that includes a celebrated theft in 1911.
- 2
Room 711 · Denon wing
The Wedding Feast at Cana — Paolo Veronese (1563)
The museum's largest canvas, directly opposite the Mona Lisa. A Venetian banquet with over 100 guests, musicians, goblets and servants.
- 3
Daru staircase · Denon wing
The Winged Victory of Samothrace (c. 190 BC)
A winged goddess who seems to advance onto the prow of a ship. A Hellenistic masterpiece, headless and armless, with a sense of movement that still astonishes.
- 4
Room 345
The Venus de Milo (c. 150–125 BC)
Found on the island of Milos in 1820, it remains one of the most recognisable ideals of classical beauty, despite the lost arms.
- 5
Room 700 · Salle Mollien · Denon wing
The Raft of the Medusa — Théodore Géricault (1819)
A real shipwreck turned into grand history painting. The survivors, piled on the raft, form a pyramid of hope and despair.
- 6
Room 700 · Salle Mollien · Denon wing
Liberty Leading the People — Eugène Delacroix (1830)
An allegory of Liberty with the tricolour over the barricades, inspired by the July Revolution of 1830.
- 7
First floor · Denon wing
The Coronation of Napoleon — Jacques-Louis David (1805–1807)
A monumental scene of imperial propaganda in Notre-Dame, in which Napoleon crowns Josephine.
- 8
Crypt of the Sphinx · Sully wing
The Great Sphinx of Tanis (c. 2600 BC)
A pink granite sphinx from ancient Egypt, one of the largest and oldest outside Egypt.
- 9
Richelieu wing · ground floor
Code of Hammurabi (c. 1750 BC)
A basalt stele carrying one of the earliest written law codes, engraved in cuneiform.
- 10
Ground floor · Denon wing
The Slaves — Michelangelo (1513–1516)
Two unfinished sculptures for the tomb of Pope Julius II, showing the figure emerging from the stone.
- 11
Ground floor · Denon wing
Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss — Antonio Canova (1787–1793)
The instant before the kiss, in neoclassical marble full of grace and movement.
- 12
Richelieu wing · second floor
The Lacemaker — Johannes Vermeer (c. 1669–1670)
A small, intimate and silent canvas in which Vermeer turns an everyday task into pure light.
How to see them all in one visit
Most are in the Denon wing: start there (Winged Victory, Mona Lisa, room 700, Napoleon) and go down to the sculpture. Keep the Sphinx of Tanis, the Code of Hammurabi and the Lacemaker for another visit, or for the end if you have time. You can follow the exact order in our 2-hour route.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre?
In the Salle des États (room 711) on the first floor of the Denon wing.
Where is the Venus de Milo?
In room 345 of the Sully wing (ground floor), in the Greek antiquities section.
Where is the Winged Victory of Samothrace?
At the top of the Daru staircase, in the Denon wing.
Does the Louvre have Picasso or Impressionists?
Hardly: Impressionism is at the Musée d'Orsay and modern art at the Pompidou. The Louvre runs up to the mid-19th century.