UAE: Da Vinci masterpiece 'Saint John the Baptist' arrives at Louvre Abu Dhabi

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UAE - Legendary Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, Saint John the Baptist, has arrived at Louvre Abu Dhabi as part of the museum’s fifth anniversary celebrations.

On loan from Musée du Louvre for a period of two years, the renowned painting was hung at Louvre Abu Dhabi in the presence of Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Louvre Abu Dhabi; Manuel Rabaté, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi; Vincent Delieuvin, curator of Italian paintings of the XVI Century at Musée du Louvre – department of paintings; and other dignitaries. The painting is available for public viewing in Chapter 7 at Louvre Abu Dhabi’s galleries from today.

Known for being one of the most famous paintings in the collection of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, Saint John the Baptist by Leonardo da Vinci represents the utmost peak of the Tuscan master’s genius, along with the entire Renaissance movement.

Left unfinished at the death of the artist, the painting once belonged to very prestigious owners, including King Charles I of England, followed by France’s King Louis XIV, before joining the Musée du Louvre after the museum opened in 1793 in the French capital.

The presentation of Saint John the Baptist at Louvre Abu Dhabi is part of a series of four major loans made by the Musée du Louvre, following the intergovernmental agreement extension, signed on December 3, 2021, between Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, then French Minister of Culture, and Louvre Abu Dhabi chairman Al Mubarak.

A statement from Louvre Abu Dhabi added that it will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a spectacular line-up of cultural and educational events, activities and programming.

Set to be held under the theme ‘The Grand Story Continues’, tickets and more information on the programming can be found on the museum's website.