The Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi has now opened to the public, with over 600 pieces of art on display. Even if you only spent 30 seconds looking at each one it would still take you over five hours to get through them all. So here are the six pieces that you really should make a point of seeing during your visit.
The Saint-Lazare Station by Claude Monet
From the father of impressionism, this Claude Monet painting from 1877 is a key piece of the Industrial Revolution. Monet would often paint railway stations and urban landscapes and this piece is a fine example of his style of artwork.
Page of the Blue Quran
From one of the oldest ever Qurans – dating from the year 900 and discovered in North Africa – this page is housed in a room with a Gothic bible, Buddhist sutras and a Torah from Yemen. The idea of the room is to illustrate what is universal among different people around the world.
Portrait of a Woman, called La Belle Ferronniere by Leonardo da Vinci
Dated to around 1495, the painting by the master da Vinci is thought to be of Lucrezia Crivelli, a mistress of the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza. It’s a good example of Renaissance artwork and her clothing and the smooth brushstokes of the painting reflect the style of the era.
Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David
Oil on canvas portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte painted by the French artist Jacques-Louis David between 1801 and 1805. Initially commissioned by the King of Spain, this shows a strongly idealized view of the real crossing that Napoleon and his army made across the Alps through the Great St. Bernard Pass in May 1800.
Self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh
One of many self-portraits that van Gogh painted during his lifetime, this one is from the autumn 1887. It’s a fine example of his style of painting and a key piece from on of the al time great artists.
The Subjugated Reader by René Magritte
René Magritte’s piece from 1928 is not the most famous work from the Belgian surrealist artist, but is nevertheless it encapsulates the dream world of surrealism that he would be known for and is a chance to see something a bit different from the artist. This is part of the permanent collection at the museum.
