Page "Musée du Louvre" Paragraph 2

The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property.

Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801.

The size of the collection increased under Napoleon and the museum was renamed the Musée Napoléon.

After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, many works seized by his armies were returned to their original owners.

The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second French Empire the museum gained 20, 000 pieces.

Holdings have grown steadily through donations and gifts since the Third Republic.

As of 2008, the collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities ; Near Eastern Antiquities ; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities ; Islamic Art ; Sculpture ; Decorative Arts ; Paintings ; Prints and Drawings.