Louvre Opens Photo Exhibition of 300 Images
The Paris museum's "Louvre Photo" show gathers rarely displayed photographs spanning nearly two centuries of the institution.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Fine Art
The Louvre in Paris has opened "Louvre Photo," an exhibition of 300 rarely displayed photographs running from November 4, 2026 to May 3, 2027. The works range from the first photograph of the Louvre, taken in 1839, to contemporary pieces by Ai Weiwei.
Why it matters
The museum welcomes around 9 million visitors each year, and the exhibition turns attention to how the institution has been photographed and seen over time. Its mix of historic and contemporary images offers a view of the Louvre that extends beyond its artworks.
The exhibition features 300 photographs, and the Louvre welcomes around 9 million visitors annually. Details on attendance projections and ticket sales for the run were not provided.
The players
Louvre
The Paris museum is one of the world's largest and most visited art museums, housing a vast collection of works from antiquity to the nineteenth century.
Louis Jacques Daguerre
The French painter and photography pioneer co-invented the daguerreotype process, which produced some of the earliest practical photographs.
Ai Weiwei
The Chinese contemporary artist and activist is known for conceptual works and public installations addressing politics and human rights.
The details
The show includes a 1839 photograph by Louis Jacques Daguerre, a 1944 image of German prisoners in the courtyard during the Liberation of Paris, and a 1992 photo of Queen Elizabeth II and President François Mitterrand in the Salle des Caryatides. It also features photographs of artworks, galleries, visitors, staff and restricted corridors, including images taken by visitors.
Timeline
1839: Daguerre takes the first photograph of the Louvre.
August 25, 1944: German prisoners are photographed in the Louvre courtyard during the Liberation of Paris.
1992: Queen Elizabeth II and Mitterrand are photographed in the Salle des Caryatides.
November 4, 2026: "Louvre Photo" opens.
May 3, 2027: The exhibition closes.
Historical Thread
The exhibition opens with the first photograph of the Louvre, taken by Louis Jacques Daguerre in 1839, the same era in which photography was first being developed as a practical medium. Its span from that early image to Ai Weiwei's contemporary work traces how the medium's use around the museum has changed across nearly two centuries.
The exhibition runs from November 4, 2026 to May 3, 2027, giving visitors to the Louvre a window to view the 300 photographs in person. The source does not specify ticketing, pricing or whether the show is included in standard museum admission.
The takeaway
The exhibition shows how a single institution can be documented across nearly two centuries of photography, from early daguerreotype images to contemporary art. Visitors can use it to compare how the Louvre has been seen by photographers, staff and the public over time.
What happens next
The exhibition runs through May 3, 2027, when it closes.
Further reading
Explore more on Fine Art to see how museums and photographers document collections and institutions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Asharq Al-Awsat English.
