Heatwave advisory: The Musée du Louvre will be closing at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday 15 July and Thursday 16 July (last admissions: 2:00 p.m.).
We encourage you to adjust the pace of your visit and protect yourself from the heat. More information
To ensure the best visiting conditions for everyone, advance bookings are mandatory.
Italian frescoes on the walls of the Louvre
The Louvre’s Masterpieces
Venus and the Three Graces Presenting Gifts to a Young Woman
Sandro Botticelli
These magnificent Renaissance frescoes by the painter Sandro Botticelli reached the Louvre in 1882 after being (re)discovered in Italy in 1873 during the renovation of a villa near Florence. They were found under the whitewash on the walls of the villa, home in the Renaissance to a wealthy family who had probably commissioned them from Botticelli, a renowned artist of the day. He reportedly used the daughter of the house as his model, placing her in the company of classical heroines and a Cupid, perhaps on the occasion of her engagement. The scene is allegorical in nature; Botticelli’s emphasis is on the act of giving rather than the gift itself. A second, similarly allegorical fresco shows Prudence presenting a young man to Grammar, surrounded by the Liberal Arts. It would be nice to think that the young woman’s fiancé was the model for the young man…