How many and what are the Italian paintings requisitioned by the French today exhibited in the Louvre?


How many and what are the paintings by Italian artists that were looted by the French at the time of Napoleonic requisitions and are on display in the Louvre today? Here is the complete list, with pictures and provenance.

How many and what are the Italian paintings that were looted by the French in Italy at the time of the Napoleonic plundering that are now on display in the Louvre? There are a total of about fifty canvases and panels by Italian artists requisitioned by the French that can currently be seen in the long Grande Galerie, the Louvre’s gallery reserved for Italian painting from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century. While these works represent only a minority fraction of the Italian painting on display at the Louvre (many Italian paintings in fact arrived at the Louvre through other routes: purchases, donations, and exchanges of works, while others were in the collections of French nobles and were requisitioned at the time of the French Revolution), they are also a tiny fraction of what the French took away from Italy between 1796, the year the Italian campaign began, and 1815. Many works were in fact returned after 1815, and still others are today scattered among various French museums, or even in institutional locations.

Napoleonic requisitions in Italy experienced two main waves: the first was in 1796-1797, the time of the Italian campaign, when mainly the Veneto region was looted. The second wave, from 1811-1812, was planned by Commissaire Dominique Vivant Denon, the first director of what was then known as the “Napoleonic museum” and today is nothing more than the Louvre, and focused mainly on central Italy. Indeed, when Napoleon began his military campaigns in Italy in 1796, the intent was not only political or territorial, but also cultural. The goal was to plunder Italian cities of their artistic treasures and transfer them to France, where they would help consolidate Paris as the new cultural center of Europe, shifting the focus of knowledge and art from Rome and Florence to the French capital. Napoleon’s armies regarded art as spoils of war, to be taken from enemies and displayed as a trophy.

The Grande Galerie at the Louvre. Photo: Finestre Sull'Arte
The Grande Galerie of the Louvre. Photo: Finestre Sull’Arte

Among the hardest hit Italian cities were Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan and Bologna, places that housed some of the greatest art collections of the time. Paintings by great masters of antiquity were torn from their original contexts and transported to Paris, where they were displayed to the French public as emblems of the greatness of the Republic and, later, the Empire. In some cases, some of the loot was returned after the fall of Napoleon and the Restoration. Indeed, the Congress of Vienna in 1815 stipulated that many requisitioned masterpieces should be returned to their rightful owners. Particularly valuable in this regard was the work of Antonio Canova , who, as commissioner of restitutions for the Papal States, managed to return to Rome almost all the works that had been taken to France. Not all other cities had the same good fortune, however, and today many Italian works are still in France.

The Napoleonic requisitions had profound consequences not only for Italy but for all of Europe. While the looting deprived Italian art centers of some of their most important works, it also helped to spread Italian art in an international context. However, this process brought with it an ethical and political debate that in part continues to this day. The Napoleonic despoliation of Italian works of art is a fundamental chapter in the history of the relationship between art and power. Today, visiting the halls of the Louvre, it is possible to admire many of these masterpieces, but with the knowledge that behind those works lies a history of conquest and subtraction, diplomacy and propaganda.

For the list we have compiled in this article, we have taken into account some basic criteria. Meanwhile, only paintings by Italian artists currently on display in the Louvre were selected. Thus, the list does not include antiquities, paintings by non-Italian artists that were nonetheless requisitioned in Italy (for example, Rogier van der Weyden’sAnnunciation , which was taken from the Galleria Sabauda in Turin in 1799), and requisitioned works by Italian artists that are currently in the Louvre’s storerooms, or in storage at other museums (for example, Giovanni Antonio Burrini’s Martyrdom of Saint Victoria , requisitioned from the ducal collections of Modena in 1796, and now owned of the Louvre but on deposit at the Château de Compiègne museum), or on deposit at institutional venues (e.g., theApparition of the Madonna and Child to Saint Francis by Giulio Campi, since 1960 deposited at the French embassy in Rome, and requisitioned from the church of San Domenico in Cremona in 1796). As for the captions, we have not reported the original provenance of the work, but its location at the time of its requisition (for example, for Giotto’s Stigmata di san Francesco , we have not indicated its original provenance from the church of San Francesco in Pisa, but its location in the deposits of the Camposanto in Pisa when the work was requisitioned by the French).

For those visiting the Louvre, the provenance of all works is always indicated in the captions. If you want to learn more about this topic, read Federico Giannini and Ilaria Baratta’s article on the legal and cultural reasons for Napoleon’s spoliations, or Federico Giannini’s review of the exhibition Il museo universale (Rome, Scuderie del Quirinale, 2017), which was also dedicated to this topic.

Italian paintings looted by the French at the time of Napoleonic requisitions and now on display at the Louvre, Paris

Cimabue, Majesty (1380s; tempera on panel, 427 x 280 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pisa, Old Seminary
Cimabue, Majesty (1380s; tempera on panel, 427 x 280 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pisa, Old Seminary
Giotto, Stigmata of St. Francis (1295-1300; tempera and gold on panel, 313 x 163 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pisa, deposits of the Camposanto
Giotto, Stigmata di san Francesco (1295-1300; tempera and gold on panel, 313 x 163 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pisa, deposits of the Camposanto
Beato Angelico, Coronation of the Virgin (1425-1450; tempera on panel, 213 x 211 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Academy of Fine Arts
Beato Angelico, Coronation of the Virgin (1425-1450; tempera on panel, 213 x 211 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Academy of Fine Arts
Fra' Diamante, Nativity (second half 15th century; tempera on panel, 166.5 x 166.5 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Prato, church of Santa Margherita, left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Fra’ Diamante, Nativity (second half of the 15th century; tempera on panel, 166.5 x 166.5 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Prato, church of Santa Margherita, left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Tommaso del Mazza, Coronation of the Virgin (1480s; tempera and gold on panel, 121.5 x 67 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Convent of the Santissima Annunziata, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Tommaso del Mazza, Coronation of the Virgin (1480s; tempera and gold on panel, 121.5 x 67 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Convent of the Santissima Annunziata, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Filippo Lippi, Barbadori Altarpiece (1438; tempera on panel, 208 x 244 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Academy of Fine Arts, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Filippo Lippi, Barbadori Altarpiece (1438; tempera on panel, 208 x 244 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Academy of Fine Arts, left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Benozzo Gozzoli, Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1470-1475; tempera on panel, 230 x 102 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pisa, Cathedral, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions.
Benozzo Gozzoli, Triumph of Saint Thomas Aquinas (c. 1470-1475; tempera on panel, 230 x 102 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pisa, Cathedral, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Francesco Botticini, Madonna and Child with Saints (1580s; tempera on panel, 188 x 177 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of the Cestello convent (now the church of Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi), left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Francesco Botticini, Madonna and Child with Saints (1580s; tempera on panel, 188 x 177 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of the Cestello convent (now church of Santa Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi), left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Niccolò di Liberatore called the Pupil, Predella of the polyptych in the church of San Nicolò in Foligno (1492; tempera on panel, 39 x 80 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Foligno, church of San Nicolò
Niccolò di Liberatore known as the Pupil, Predella of the polyptych of the church of San Nicolò in Foligno (1492; tempera on panel, 39 x 80 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Foligno, church of San Nicolò
Gentile da Fabriano, Presentation in the Temple (1423; tempera on panel, 34 x 25 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Academy of Fine Arts
Gentile da Fabriano, Presentation in the Temple (1423; tempera on panel, 34 x 25 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Academy of Fine Arts
Lorenzo Monaco, Three scenes from a predella (late 14th-early 15th century; tempera on panel, 33.8 x 67.7 cm each; Paris, Louvre). Where they were located: Florence, convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli
Lorenzo Monaco, Three Scenes from a Predella (late 14th - early 15th century; tempera on panel, 33.8 x 67.7 cm each; Paris, Louvre). Where they were located: Florence, convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli
Andrea Mantegna, Madonna of Victory (1495-1496; tempera and oil on canvas, 285 x 168 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Mantua, chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria
Andrea Mantegna, Madonna of Victory (1495-1496; tempera and oil on canvas, 285 x 168 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Mantua, chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria
Domenico Ghirlandaio, Visitation (1491; tempera on panel, 172 x 167 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of the Cestello convent (now church of Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi), left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Domenico Ghirlandaio, Visitation (1491; tempera on panel, 172 x 167 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of the Cestello convent (now church of Santa Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi), left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Biagio d'Antonio, Christ Carrying the Cross (1475-1525; tempera and oil on panel, 190.5 x 191 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Santo Spirito, Antinori Chapel, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Biagio d’Antonio, Christ Carrying the Cross (1475-1525; tempera and oil on panel, 190.5 x 191 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, Santo Spirito, Antinori Chapel, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Piero di Cosimo, Madonna and Child with a Dove (c. 1490; oil on panel, 87 x 58 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, Farnese Collection, left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Piero di Cosimo, Madonna and Child with a Dove (c. 1490; oil on panel, 87 x 58 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, Farnese Collection, left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Lorenzo di Credi, Madonna with Saints Julian and Nicholas (1490-1492; panel, 163 x 164 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of the Cestello convent (now church of Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi), left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Lorenzo di Credi, Madonna with Saints Julian and Nicholas (1490-1492; panel, 163 x 164 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of the Cestello convent (now church of Santa Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi), left to the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Francesco Marmitta, Madonna and Child with Saints Benedict and Quintino (c. 1500-1505; oil on panel, 220 x 138 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, church of San Quitino, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Francesco Marmitta, Madonna and Child with Saints Benedict and Quintinus (c. 1500-1505; oil on panel, 220 x 138 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, church of San Quitino, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Perugino, St. Martin? (c. 1500; oil on panel, diameter 102 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Perugia, church of Sant'Agostino
Perugino, St. Martin? (c. 1500; oil on panel, 102 cm diameter; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Perugia, church of Sant’Agostino
Paolo Veronese, Wedding at Cana (1563; oil on canvas, 677 x 994 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Venice, San Giorgio Maggiore, at the time of the 1815 restitutions exchanged for Charles Le Brun's The Pharisee's Banquet preserved today at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice
Paolo Veronese, Wedding at Cana (1563; oil on canvas, 677 x 994 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Venice, San Giorgio Maggiore, at the time of the 1815 restitutions exchanged for Charles Le Brun’s The Pharisee’s Banquet preserved today in the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice
Paolo Veronese, Jupiter Lightning the Vices (1554-1556; oil on canvas, 560 x 637 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Venice, Doge's Palace
Paolo Veronese, Jupiter Lightning the Vices (1554-1556; oil on canvas, 560 x 637 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Venice, Doge’s Palace
Tintoretto, Coronation of the Virgin (1680s; oil on canvas, 143 x 362 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Verona, Bevilacqua Palace
Tintoretto, Coronation of the Virgin (1680s; oil on canvas, 143 x 362 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Verona, Bevilacqua Palace
Paolo Veronese, Saint Mark Rewards the Virtues (1556; oil on canvas, 330 x 317 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Venice, Doge's Palace
Paolo Veronese, Saint Mark Rewards the Virtues (1556; oil on canvas, 330 x 317 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Venice, Doge’s Palace
Titian, Coronation of Thorns (1540-1542; oil on panel, 303 x 180 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Milan, church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
Titian, Coronation of Thorns (1540-1542; oil on panel, 303 x 180 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Milan, church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
Cima da Conegliano, Madonna and Child Enthroned between Saints John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene (1511-1513; oil on panel, 167 x 110 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, church of San Domenico, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Cima da Conegliano, Madonna and Child Enthroned between Saints John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene (1511-1513; oil on panel, 167 x 110 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, church of San Domenico, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Mariotto Albertinelli and Franciabigio, Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome and Zanobi (1506; oil on canvas, 186 x 176 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of Santa Trinita
Mariotto Albertinelli and Franciabigio, Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome and Zanobi (1506; oil on canvas, 186 x 176 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of Santa Trinita
Alonso Berruguete, Bernardo di Leonardo and other artists, Coronation of the Virgin (1505-1525; panel, 278.5 x 189 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, guest quarters of the convent of Santi Girolamo e Francesco alla Costa
Alonso Berruguete, Bernardo di Leonardo and other artists, Coronation of the Virgin (1505-1525; panel, 278.5 x 189 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, guest quarters of the convent of Santi Girolamo e Francesco alla Costa
Giulio Romano, Madonna and Child with St. John (1515-1516; oil on panel, 29 x 42.5 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, Palazzo Braschi
Giulio Romano, Madonna and Child with St. John (1515-1516; oil on panel, 29 x 42.5 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, Palazzo Braschi
Pontormo, Madonna and Child with Saint Anne and Four Saints (1528; oil on canvas, 228 x 176 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of Sant'Anna sul Prato
Pontormo, Madonna and Child with Saint Anne and Four Saints (1528; oil on canvas, 228 x 176 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of Sant’Anna sul Prato
Michelangelo Anselmi, Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Stephen (1530-1540; oil on panel, 169 x 123 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, church of Santo Stefano
Michelangelo Anselmi, Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Stephen (1530-1540; oil on panel, 169 x 123 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, church of Santo Stefano
Bernardino Gatti, Lamentation of the Virgin (c. 1528; oil on canvas, 163 x 187.2 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Cremona, church of San Domenico
Bernardino Gatti, Lamentation of the Virgin (c. 1528; oil on canvas, 163 x 187.2 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Cremona, church of San Domenico
Bronzino, Noli me tangere (1561; oil on panel, 289 x 194 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of Santo Spirito
Bronzino, Noli me tangere (1561; oil on panel, 289 x 194 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Florence, church of Santo Spirito
Giorgio Vasari, Annunciation (1563-1572; oil on panel, 216 x 166 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Arezzo, church of Santa Maria Novella
Giorgio Vasari, Annunciation (1563-1572; oil on panel, 216 x 166 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Arezzo, church of Santa Maria Novella
Federico Barocci, Circumcision (1590; oil on canvas, 356 x 403 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pesaro, church of the Confraternity of the Name of Jesus.
Federico Barocci, Circumcision (1590; oil on canvas, 356 x 403 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Pesaro, church of the Confraternity of the Name of Jesus.
Annibale Carracci, Resurrection of Christ (1593; oil on canvas, 216 x 249 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Bologna, Palazzo Luchini, private chapel.
Annibale Carracci, Resurrection of Christ (1593; oil on canvas, 216 x 249 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Bologna, Palazzo Luchini, private chapel
Ludovico Carraci, Apparition of the Virgin and Child to Saint Hyacinth (1594; oil on canvas, 375 x 402 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Bologna, church of San Domenico
Ludovico Carraci, Apparition of the Virgin and Child to Saint Hyacinth (1594; oil on canvas, 375 x 402 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Bologna, church of San Domenico
Annibale Carracci, Madonna of Saint Luke (1592; oil on canvas, 401 x 226 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Reggio Emilia, Cathedral
Annibale Carracci, Madonna of Saint Luke (1592; oil on canvas, 401 x 226 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Reggio Emilia, Cathedral
Bartolomeo Schedoni, Deposition (1600-1625; oil on canvas, 247 x 276 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, Accademia
Bartolomeo Schedoni, Deposition (1600-1625; oil on canvas, 247 x 276 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Parma, Academy
Annibale Carracci, Birth of the Virgin (1575-1600; oil on canvas, 274 x 155 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Loreto, Basilica of the Holy House.
Annibale Carracci, Birth of the Virgin (1575-1600; oil on canvas, 274 x 155 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Loreto, Basilica of the Holy House
Carlo Bononi, Christ Adored by Angels (first quarter 17th century; oil on canvas, 248 x 178 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, Ducal Collections
Carlo Bononi, Christ Adored by Angels (first quarter of the 17th century; oil on canvas, 248 x 178 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, Ducal Collections
Guercino, Saints Francis and Benedict (1620; oil on canvas, 280 x 183 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Cento, church of San Pietro
Guercino, Saints Francis and Benedict (1620; oil on canvas, 280 x 183 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Cento, church of San Pietro
Annibale Carracci, Pietà Mattei (1602-1607; oil on canvas, 277 x 186 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, church of San Francesco a Ripa
Annibale Carracci, Pietà Mattei (1602-1607; oil on canvas, 277 x 186 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, church of San Francesco a Ripa
Alessandro Tiarini, Denial of Peter (c. 1613-1619; oil on canvas, 320 x 212 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Bologna, Church of the Mendicants, Monticelli Chapel.
Alessandro Tiarini, Denial of Peter (c. 1613-1619; oil on canvas, 320 x 212 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Bologna, church of the Mendicanti, Monticelli chapel.
Guido Reni, The Delivery of the Keys (1625; oil on canvas, 343 x 218 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Fano, church of San Pietro in Valle
Guido Reni, The Delivery of the Keys (1625; oil on canvas, 343 x 218 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Fano, church of San Pietro in Valle
Guercino, Madonna and Child with Saints Geminianus, John the Baptist, George and Peter the Martyr (1651; oil on canvas, 332 x 230 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, ducal collections
Guercino, Madonna and Child with Saints Geminianus, John the Baptist, George and Peter the Martyr (1651; oil on canvas, 332 x 230 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, ducal collections
Francesco Albani, Saint Francis prays before the crucifix (c. 1630-1650; oil on copper, 18.3 x 14.4 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, collection of Duke Braschi
Francesco Albani, Saint Francis prays before the crucifix (c. 1630-1650; oil on copper, 18.3 x 14.4 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Rome, collection of Duke Braschi
Guido Reni, Purification of the Virgin (second quarter 17th century; oil on canvas, 286 x 202 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, Ducal Collections
Guido Reni, Purification of the Virgin (second quarter of the 17th century; oil on canvas, 286 x 202 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, Ducal Collections.
Bernardo Strozzi, The Madonna of Justice (c. 1620-1625; oil on canvas, 224 x 156 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Genoa, Palazzo Ducale, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Bernardo Strozzi, The Madonna of Justice (c. 1620-1625; oil on canvas, 224 x 156 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Genoa, Ducal Palace, left in the Louvre after the 1815 restitutions
Giuseppe Maria Crespi, Immaculate Conception with Saints Anselm and Martin (1722; oil on canvas, 234 x 130 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Piacenza, church of San Sisto, chapel of San Martino
Giuseppe Maria Crespi, Immaculate Conception with Saints Anselm and Martin (1722; oil on canvas, 234 x 130 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Piacenza, church of San Sisto, chapel of San Martino
Lionello Spada, The Return of the Prodigal Son (c. 1615; oil on canvas, 160 x 130 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, Ducal Collections
Lionello Spada, The Return of the Prodigal Son (c. 1615; oil on canvas, 160 x 130 cm; Paris, Louvre). Where it was located: Modena, Ducal Collections

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