A Closer Look

Our "Closer Look" interactive multimedia modules allow you to see the details of an artwork through a magnifying glass, while commentaries and animations give you its historical and artistic background.

This section is supported by eni.

A Closer Look

A closer look at an ebony cabinet

The ebony cabinet in the Musée du Louvre is one of the most beautiful and luxurious examples of the production of the Parisian "joiners in ebony" – the so-called "ebonists" – in the first half of the 17th century. This multimedia study invites you to discover the luxuriant decoration and lavishly colored elements behind the dark, somewhat austere facade of the cabinet.

View the feature

A closer look at the Seated Scribe

Painted in bright colors and gazing expressively at the visitor, the Seated Scribe is one of the most famous statues in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities. Egyptologists think it is probably the portrait of a high-ranking Egyptian official living at the time of the great pyramids, yet its date and the exact identity of the model still remain a mystery. Find out more through this interactive multimedia study.

View the feature

A closer look at Louis-François Bertin

In his portrait by Ingres, Monsieur Bertin, the founder of the newspaper Journal des Débats, embodies the thriving bourgeoisie of the 1830s. It took Ingres a lot of time and effort to find a pose which would convey a sense of power adequate to the press magnate.

View the feature