The Louvre Museum in Paris holds the single most impressive collection of art on the planet. Its European paintings cover every conceivable era from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. To list every famous painting in the Louvre would fill an entire volume--all of them are extraordinary in some way or another. A few, however, rise above even the most hallowed levels and remain not only the most famous paintings in the Louvre, but the most famous in the entire world.
The Mona Lisa
There is only one Mona Lisa: a portrait from the immortal Leonardo Da Vinci painted in the 16th century. Its official title is "Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo"; the subject was married to a Florentine silk merchant. Da Vinci spent almost 16 years painting it, beginning in 1503 and working on it off and on until 1519. It was presented to King Louis XIV as a gift and remained at Versailles until it moved to the Louvre in the wake of the French Revolution. The lasting legacy of the piece is attributed not only to Da Vinci's unparalleled technique, but also to the subject's enigmatic smile, which inspires endless fascination among those who view it.
Liberty Leading the People
"Liberty Leading the People" (or "La liberté guidant le peuple" in the original French) depicts an inspirational scene from the French Revolution, with a bare-breasted goddess waving a tri-color flag and gesturing forward as armed citizens follow in her wake. The city of Paris can be seen in the background, with the towers of Notre Dame visible on the right-hand side of the painting. Artist Eugene Delacroix painted it in the year 1830. It was thought to have inspired parts of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" and has served as a visual motif in various stage depictions of that book. It first appeared in the Louvre in 1874.
The Coronation of Napoleon
Painter Jacques-Louis David was deeply inspired by the rise of Napoleon--a dashing Romantic figure who catalyzed his feelings of the heroic ideal. He completed a number of famous paintings depicting the ruler, most notably this grand piece that captures the Emperor as he officially takes the throne. Napoleon personally commissioned the painting in 1804, and it was completed several years later in 1807. It's notable for the image of Napoleon acting on his own to place the crown on his wife's head, rather than allowing the Pope to do it. It first entered the Louvre in 1889.