1994 Photo Contest, Arts and Entertainment, 2nd prize
Photographer

Raphaël Gaillarde

Gamma

01 January, 1993

Charles I of England, painted by Sir Anthony van Dyck, gazes down on identical twins Mado and Monette in a room dedicated to the Flemish School. In 1993 the Louvre Palace celebrated its 200th anniversary as a public museum. It was the Count d'Angivillier who began cataloguing, expanding and restoring the collection in the 18th century. Today, the palace boasts a glass pyramid and an underground parking garage. In November President Mitterrand marked the bicentennial by opening an additional 22,000 square meters of exhibition space as part of the Grand Louvre project. One of the largest and most famous museums in the world, the Louvre receives some five million visitors a year. About 25,000 art works are exhibited at any one time.

About the photographer

Raphaël Gaillarde

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