The Louvre Abu Dhabi, one of the “Seven Urban Wonders of the World”, will be revealing nearly a dozen acquisitions and 40 new loans. Those will include ancient as well as contemporary masterpieces from around the world to be shown by the end of this month.
In addition to the 657 pieces of art already on display alongside the permanent collection, the Chinese Buddhist sculpture from the Song dynasty (960-1279) that represents divinity & compassion, is among the purchased items. Also purchased are four tapestries from the original drawing by Bernard Van Orley depicting The Hunts of Maximilian, from France. And a Jeweled Katar Dagger from India adorned with about 481 rubies and 100 emeralds.
It’s worth mentioning that one of the four of the latest acquisitions from the region includes a Mamluk carpet from Egypt’s late 15th century and a piece of an Ottoman horse Armor from the 15th-16th centuries.
The Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, said, “Louvre Abu Dhabi is Abu Dhabi’s gift to the world and a story of long-standing friendship and collaboration with France. The galleries’ update will not only invite visitors to discover new acquisitions from the museum’s growing collection, and new loans from our partners.”
Among the most exciting loans from the regional cultural institutions is Vincent van Gogh’s The Ballroom at Arles (1888), Man Ray’s Suicide (1926), and Henri Matisse’s Reader on black background (1939).