The Louvre and Antiquity

The Louvre is important for images, sculpture and museum parallels. Its Department of Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities covers Mediterranean art from the Neolithic to the sixth century AD, making the collection useful for broad comparison.

Libya. Marble. Paris,Louvre Museum. Inv. № Mr 260/ Ma 1245. Mid-1st century AD

Corinthian helmet. Bronze,first quarter of the VI century BC,Department of Greek,Etruscan and Roman Antiquities,Sully-sur-Loire.

The slaves are preparing for the festival. Mosaic. Carthage. It is kept in the Louvre Museum. 2nd century AD

Collection and Significance

For reconstruction, the Louvre is valuable not only for famous statues. The collection includes weapons, helmets, reliefs, portraits, sarcophagi, vessels and images of dress. These help check silhouette, drapery, belts and iconography.

Main Materials

Greek, Etruscan and Roman sculpture;
imperial portraiture;
helmets, weapons and reliefs;
images of male and female dress;
sarcophagi and mythological scenes.

Context and Limits

Louvre parallels are useful when a source is incomplete: a statue may show drapery but not material, while a relief may show a weapon but still need comparison with an archaeological object.