| The Museum, or Gallery of Antiquities at the Louvre (Galerie
Des Antiques au Louvre), was in great part composed of statues and other
monuments, the fruits of the conquests of the army of Italy in 1797; and
collected, agreeably to the treaty of Tolentino, by Berthollet, Moitte,
Monge, Thouin and Tinet, commissioners named by the Government for the collection
of objects of science and art. This museum was first opened to the public
on the 18th Brumaire, year IX. (9th Nov. 1800). Above of the door, on the
outside, was placed a colossal bust of Napoleon, whose name was given to
the museum itself at a later period. The antiques exhibited, to the number
of 184, were distributed in the following galleries or saloons: saloon of
the Emperors; saloon of the Seasons; saloon of Illustrious Men; saloon of
the Romans, (where were the Vestal of the Capitol, the Dying Gladiator,
and the Torso Belvedere); saloon of the Laocoon (where, near this celebrated
group, was the Venus de' Medici); the saloon of Apollo (where was also the
Antinous Belvedere); and the saloon of Diana. At the beginning of 1814 this
museum contained 254 antiques: in 1815 the most precious of them were taken
away by the powers then allied against France. |
