Gallery of the Louvre

By Samuel F. B. Morse

Created in 1831–33

Veronese’s Concert of Colors

Discover how Veronese’s masterful use of color may have informed the complex organization of Morse’s painting.

Richard West Habersham

The male artist at the lower left corner of the painting is thought to be Richard West Habersham.

Morse's Descriptive Catalogue

Poussin's "Deluge" is "A much celebrated picture" of the biblical Flood.

James Fenimore Cooper and His Family

Cooper often accompanied Morse during his daily excursions to the Louvre.

Conservation: The Salon Carré Floor

Gay Meyers explains how her treatment of the floor creates a more realistic space for the figures.

Visitors to the Louvre

Morse included these figures as a reminder the Louvre was open to everyone, regardless of class.

Horatio Greenough

Greenough was a sculptor who revered the classical artistic traditions of ancient Greece and Rome.

Conservation: Light in the Salon Carré

Conservators discovered a ray of light Morse included in his painting that had become obscured from years of damage.

Nicolas Poussin

Morse likely included a copy of Poussin’s painting in part for the moral lesson it provides.

Religious Subjects

It appears that Morse selected many of the paintings as much for their artistic merit as for the spiritual and moral lessons they communicate.

Conservation: The Grand Galerie

Conservators show how they restored clarity to the background figures and architectural space of the Grand Galerie.

Morse as Instructor

Morse depicts himself in the guise of an art instructor.

Making Copies

Morse made small-scale copies of many of the pictures shown in his monumental painting.

Bartolomé Estaban Murillo

Learn why Morse chose to place Murillo’s The Young Beggar directly to the right of the entrance into the Salon Carré.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Morse employed a meticulous process for copying paintings, including Leonardo’s "Mona Lisa."

Conservation: Morse’s Experimental Technique

Independent conservators assess the impact of previous conservation treatments.

Titian and the Art of Color

Morse had a particular interest in the “chromatic classicism” of 15th- and 16th-century Venetian paintings.

Morse’s Signature

Morse’s signature and the date of the painting’s completion appear on the back of a small canvas.

Raphael

Morse truly appreciated Raphael’s work for his sense of composition.

Design and Color

Guido Reni’s "The Union of Design and Color" is featured prominently in Morse's painting.

Miss Joreter

Scholars have suggested that this unidentified young woman may be a Miss Joreter.

Studying Classical Sculpture

The practice of studying and drawing classical sculpture was fundamental to 18th- and 19th-century artistic education in Europe.

Guido Reni

Morse wanted to familiarize an American audience with works by Europe's most celebrated masters.

Explore the Artwork
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