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The National Art Center, Tokyo is lined with masterpieces of "love" from the Louvre. Check out the must-see points before you go!

Translated from Japanese by
Left: The National Art Center, The National Art Center ©, Tokyo, Tokyo Right: © François Gérard's Amor and Psyche, 1798, Louvre Museum, Paris Photo RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre©) / Tony Querrec /distributed by AMF-DNPartcom* All rights reserved.
Until June 12, the Louvre Museum Exhibition is being held at the National Art Center, Tokyo, Roppongi. This year's theme is "Drawing Love." Guided by love stories from the Louvre's collection, gems of art come together. From mesmerizing to poignanting, it's a must-see. This time, we have summarized the highlights of the Louvre exhibition.

Various forms of love by beauty masters are exhibited

The National Art Center © ©, Tokyo

The Louvre Museum is a museum that is praised as a hall of beauty in Paris, France. There is no doubt that it is a valuable opportunity to see such an exhibition in Japan. The Louvre Museum Exhibition: Portrait Art, held in Tokyo and Osaka from 2018 to 2019, attracted approximately 700,000 people.

The theme of this Louvre exhibition is "Painting Love." 73 pieces have been selected from the rich collection, and you can appreciate various expressions of love in Western painting. On the theme of love, the museum has a prologue and four chapters.
- Chapter 1 Under the God of Love: Depicting Desire in Ancient Mythology
In Greek and Roman mythology, sometimes a strong desire to possess everything in a loved one is expressed. In this chapter you can see how they fall in love, how they use their charms to seduce them to get their partner, and how tragic love ends. In addition, examples of interior decorations found in the palaces and mansions of royalty and aristocrats with the motif of Amor, the god of love, are also introduced here.

- Chapter 2: In the Christian God
Parent-child love occupies an important position in the Christian way of perceiving love. Here you can see the theme of love, in which you sacrifice yourself for the sake of your loved one. The "Holy Family," which became a model for parent-child love, and the "Crucifixion of Christ," in which God the Father crucified his Son Jesus, are introduced.

Chapter 3: To Man: The Age of Temptation
In the Netherlands in the 17th century, the love of human beings living in the real world began to be depicted in a popular way. Here, you can see common men and women huddled together in a tavern as depicted in Dutch genre paintings, as well as scenes of trading love trades. It also features fête gallants (elegant feasts) painted in 18th-century France by upper-class men and women, and bourgeois marriage, marital and family paintings from the late 18th century.

Chapter 4: The Tragedy of Pastoral Love and Romanticism in 19th Century France
After the French Revolution, there was a growing tendency to marry based on affection regardless of status or family status. You can see paintings that express the love of naïve young people and romantic and idyllic love, which was favored during that turning point. It also presents the story of love between young men, considered the neoclassical ideal, and the catastrophic love theme of romanticism.

Introducing three must-see masterpieces

Be sure to check the three paintings in advance when you visit.
- Sassoferrato, The Sleeping Child Jesus

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