1:30
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Louvre Highlights
Artworks featured in the 'APES**T' music video
Accessible on:
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
Introduction
In 2018, the Carters shook things up at the venerable Louvre palace! Follow this trail to see the highlights the superstar couple picked out for their ‘APES**T’ music video.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z chose the Louvre as their shooting location. This trail shows you the paintings, sculptures and settings that inspired them for this song from their first album as a duo: an Egyptian sphinx, Greek gods and goddesses, a famous Italian of the Renaissance, an emperor in all his glory, tragic or romantic heroes and heroines – and the iconic Winged Victory of Samothrace, who appears in the video poised on the prow of her marble ship while a sea of dancers ripple in waves down the staircase at her feet.
Start of trail
Enter through the Denon wing.
After the ticket check, continue on up the stairs.
Take the spiral staircase on the right.
Go up a few steps on your left.
Opposite the Pyramid, turn right and walk through the gallery.
Go up the large staircase towards the statue of a winged female figure.
Step 1
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Room 703 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
Opposite The Winged Victory of Samothrace, turn right and go between the columns.
Go straight on past the glass door.
Leave the Salon Carré by the door to the right of the windows and go into the Grande Galerie.
Walk on through the Grande Galerie.
The Virgin of the Green Cushion is on the left wall, after the first window.
Step 2
The Virgin of the Green Cushion
Room 710 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Virgin of the Green Cushion
Andrea Solario
Walk on through the Grande Galerie. Pass the red marble columns.
Pietà is on the left wall, just before the painting in the middle of the gallery.
Step 3
Pietà
Room 710 - Denon wing - Level 1
Pietà
Giovanni Battista di Jacopo, known as Rosso Fiorentino
Retrace your steps
Take the first door on the left.
Go into the Mona Lisa room.
Step 4
The Mona Lisa
Room 711 - Denon wing - Level 1
Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, known as the Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci
Turn around to look at the huge painting opposite the Mona Lisa.
Step 5
The Wedding Feast at Cana
Room 711 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Wedding Feast at Cana
Paolo Caliari, known as Veronese
Walk behind the Mona Lisa and go into the next room.
Turn left into a large gallery with red walls.
The Raft of the Medusa is a little further on, on the left wall.
Step 6
The Raft of the Medusa
Room 700 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Raft of the Medusa
Théodore Géricault
At the top of the wall on your right you will see The Shades of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Appear to Dante and Virgil.
Step 7
The Shades of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta
Room 700 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Shades of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Appear to Dante and Virgil
Ary Scheffer
On the wall opposite The Raft of the Medusa is The Charging Chasseur.
Step 8
The Charging Chasseur
Room 700 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Charging Chasseur
Théodore Géricault
Time for a break? Try the Café Mollien…and enjoy the fabulous view of the Pyramid from its terrace.
Retrace your steps and leave the room.
Go through the following room, past the gift shop and into the next room.
Look at The Coronation of Napoleon, on your left.
Step 9
The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of the Empress Joséphine
Room 702 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of the Empress Joséphine in Notre-Dame Cathedral on 2 December 1804
Jacques-Louis David
The Portrait of Juliette Récamier is opposite The Coronation of Napoleon.
Step 10
Madame Récamier
Room 702 - Denon wing - Level 1
Madame Récamier
Jacques-Louis David
The Oath of the Horatii is on the same wall, to the left.
Step 11
The Oath of the Horatii
Room 702 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Oath of the Horatii
Jacques-Louis David
Now turn to look at The Intervention of the Sabine Women, opposite The Oath of the Horatii.
Step 12
The Intervention of the Sabine Women
Room 702 - Denon wing - Level 1
The Intervention of the Sabine Women
Jacques-Louis David
Leave the room and head towards The Winged Victory of Samothrace.
Take the stairs up to the statue.
Go up the steps to the left of the statue.
Go into the rotunda on the right.
Turn right into the Galerie d’Apollon.
Walk towards the centre of the gallery and look up at the ceiling.
Step 13
Ceiling of the Galerie d’Apollon
Room 705 - Denon wing - Level 1
Apollo Slaying the Serpent Python
Eugène Delacroix
Turn around and go back past The Winged Victory of Samothrace.
Go down the stairs opposite the statue.
Turn right at the bottom of the stairs, and continue down the next staircase.
Go straight on through the rotunda (Room 408) and the next room (Room 347).
Turn right as soon as you enter the room with red marble wall, and go up to the Venus de Milo.
Step 14
The Venus de Milo
Room 345 - Sully wing - Level 0
Aphrodite, known as the Venus de Milo
Go straight on through the crowd of sculptures facing the Venus de Milo.
Go up to the statue of Hermes, near the middle of the gallery.
Step 15
Hermes fastening his sandal
Room 344 - Sully wing - Level 0
Hermes fastening his sandal, after Lysippos
At the far end of the room, turn left in front of the statue of Athena.
Go down the stairs on your right to the Crypt of the Sphinx.
Step 16
The Great Sphinx of Tanis
Room 338 - Sully wing - Level-1
The Great Sphinx of Tanis
Go up the stairs to the left of the Sphinx.
Go through the Department of Egyptian Antiquities (Rooms 337 to 327).
After the Allée de Sphinx (Room 327), go up the stairs to the left.
At the top of the stairs, go through the door on the left.
Turn left and go through the glass doors.
Go up the spiral staircase.
At the top of the stairs, turn left towards the series of rooms.
Go through Rooms 931 to 935.
In Room 935, find the Portrait of a Black Woman.
Step 17
Portrait of a Black Woman
Room 935 - Sully wing - Level 2
Portrait of a Black Woman
Marie-Guillemine Benoist
Way to exit
Retrace your steps to the exit under the Pyramid.