A cross-temporal artistic exchange between the East and West—these world-class museums are must-visits in a lifetime

Text / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Source / Moleskine Editorial Department

Roaming across Europe and America, nothing excites art and culture enthusiasts more than an extraordinary museum trip. Visiting the world’s four major museums—the Louvre, the British Museum, the Vatican Museums, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art—visitors flock in long queues just to get close to masterpieces. Once inside, the countless artworks are so abundant that even a whole day isn’t enough to see them all. While you hurry to look up the highlights of each exhibition hall or count how many genuine works you’ve seen, don’t forget to cherish the awe and emotion you feel while appreciating these artworks—that’s exactly what makes them masterpieces.

I. The Louvre

In 1190, King Philippe Auguste built the Louvre as a fortress for defense. By 1360, Charles V converted it into a royal residence. By the mid-15th century, architect Pierre Lescot designed the Renaissance-style façade, making it Paris’s first Renaissance building. After the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution in 1789, this “palace of art” officially transformed into a museum on August 10, 1793, and opened to the public.

The world-famous glass pyramid, a masterpiece by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, is full of avant-garde creativity and serves as the museum’s main entrance. From here, you can directly access the three major exhibition halls: the Sully, Denon, and Richelieu wings. The Louvre houses a collection of 420,000 items, primarily featuring ancient Oriental artifacts (Islamic art), ancient Egyptian relics, ancient Greek, Etruscan, and Roman artifacts, as well as sculptures, paintings, and prints.

Located on the staircase of the Denon Wing, the *Winged Victory of Samothrace* was created around 190 BC and unearthed in 1863 on the small island of Samothrace in the northwest Aegean Sea of Greece. It is widely believed to have been made to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Rhodes. Its grand, powerful wings stand atop the treacherous sea, with sea spray soaking its robe, clinging tightly to its chest and legs—vividly capturing the intensity of battle and the glory of triumph.