As the Louvre Abu Dhabi opens its doors to the public on Saturday, here are five pieces of art out of the 620 on display you should look out for that show the breadth of the new museum:
Monumental Statue with Two Heads
This plaster statue, dating to around 6,500 B.C. and discovered in Ain Ghazal, Jordan, is one of the oldest known in human history. It’s among the earliest large-scale representations of human form. The settlement in which it was found, spread across 12 hectares along the Zarqa River, was one of the largest known Neolithic settlements in the Near East.
Page of the Blue Quran
The page, from one of the oldest-ever-found Qurans, sits in a darkened room near a Gothic Bible, Buddhist sutras and a Torah from Yemen. It’s part of the museum’s theme of showing what’s universal among peoples of the world. The Blue Quran dates from around 900 and was discovered in North Africa.
Portrait of a Woman
This is one of some 15 pieces of art known to exist today from the Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. Dating to around 1495, the painting is thought to be of Lucrezia Crivelli, a mistress of the Duke of Milan Ludovico Sforza. The clothes the woman is wearing, her position and the smoothness of the painting all reflect the style of the Renaissance.
The Saint-Lazare Station
This Claude Monet painting from 1877 came during the Industrial Revolution. Monet, known as the father of Impressionism, often painted railway stations, modern life and urban landscapes during this period. His signature brushstrokes and the effects of colour can be seen in it.
Fountain of Light
The Louvre Abu Dhabi commissioned this chandelier-inspired installation from Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The 7-metre piece of art is made of stainless steel and glass. It’s inspired by the Tatlin Tower, a utopian project that was meant to be built in Russia in 1919 but never was.