At the end of the 15th century, Portuguese navigators explored the coastline of Africa and opened new trade routes to the Indian Ocean while the crossing of the Atlantic fostered contact between Europe and the great civilisations of the Americas.
The territorial and commercial expansion between the 15th and 18th centuries brought radical changes. The emergence of new empires transformed societies as rulers made art a tool of government and a display of power.
Early Modern Times 1500–1850 AD
The Early Modern period, spanning roughly 1500 to 1850 AD, marks a significant transition in history, bridging the medieval era and the modern world. It’s characterised by profound changes in Europe and beyond, including the Renaissance, the Reformation, the rise of nation-states, and the expansion of global trade and colonialism. This era also witnessed the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, laying the groundwork for modern science and political thought.1
Cosmography
In the early 1500s, and for the first time since the beginning of humanity, people went beyond the limits of the known world and circumnavigated the globe. Great navigators and explorers, like Marco Polo, Zheng He, Ibn Battuta, Ibn Majid, Magellan, and Vasco da Gama, established direct contact between lands that up until then had remained remote or unknown to one another.
Civilisations that had once traded on the grounds of geographical proximity gradually engaged in a system of exchanges on a global scale. The world witnessed an early form of globalisation. Instruments used in navigation and cosmography developed rapidly, fostering an awareness of the magnitude of the world that prompted questions about the meaning of the universe.
The first travelogues were published, recounting journeys to distant lands, while maps and globes charted the contours of this new world. The exotic materials and strangely-shaped works of art that filled “cabinets of curiosities” in Europe illustrated this fascination for distant and mysterious lands. Awareness of the magnitude of the world prompted questions on the meaning of the universe, which would forever transform politics, sciences, and the arts.
Representing the World: Mapping the Globe
The invention of new navigational instruments allowed for long-distance maritime expeditions. Encouraged by monarchs and merchants, new commercial routes were developed across the oceans, relieving traffic from the older land routes. Gradually, previously unknown areas of the world were precisely drawn on portolan charts and planispheres, which became the preferred means for recounting voyages.
Thinking the State
Following the great voyages of exploration, territorial and commercial expansion between the 16th and 18th centuries brought radical change to the exercise of power and to modes of representation and communication. From Qing China to the conflicts in the Americas, from Mughal India to the Ottoman empire, the dividing up of territories required the creation of strong networks to ensure stable governance in the new empires.
As the embodiment of a State, rulers were required to embark on ambitious programmes that amalgamated their religious, military and economic power in order to stabilise or enlarge their spheres of influence. Prompting a newfound concern with the symbolism and expression of prowess and power, the resulting objects and images were used by rulers to communicate with peers and subjects alike.
World Empires
The struggle for the possession of land, with valuable roads, along with the control of coastlines and maritime trading routes, radically changed the exercise of power, allowing empires to expand and dominate the global economy through a combination of military force, capital, and religious zeal. The dividing up of territories required the creation of strong diplomatic and economic networks to ensure stable governance in the new centralised empires.
As the embodiment of power and of the State, rulers carried forward ambitious programmes combining their religious, military, and economic strengths to stabilise or enlarge their areas of influence.
The modern era saw the strengthening and progressive consolidation of the codes of international representation amongst rulers. Fashioned by symbols and a carefully controlled appearance, the image of the sovereign, idealised or realistic, displaced the emblematic figures of the ancient world and expressed their power and success in the eyes of both subjects and peers.
The Art of War
War, military pomp, and codified courtly practices were at the heart of kingly public stature and image. Such occasions afforded the display of traits fundamental to sovereigns, such as leadership and the ability to protect one’s dominion.
Far from the brutality of battlefields, weapons and armour were preserved in princely collections, paraded in processions, and exchanged as gifts in ceremonies. As such, they assumed a ceremonial and figurative role, imbued with power.
A combination of artistic finesse and the use of materials charged with a protective function (such as jade, associated with energy since ancient times; silver or rock crystal with purity; ivory linked to force) testify to the symbolic invulnerability of these weapons and their owners. Technical advancements, like the use of gunpowder and the advent of firearms, put an end to the medieval spirit of combat and chivalry.
Must-See Exhibits
The museum’s growing collection of treasures includes important artworks and artefacts spanning the entirety of human history around the world. Via twenty galleries, journey through twelve chronological chapters as you travel through centuries of world civilisation.
Armour of King Francis I of France
Innsbruck, modern Austria, ca. 1539-1540 | Jörg Seusenhofer and Degen Pirger | Steel | Musée de l’Armée
The armour of King Francis I of France, crafted around 1539-40 by Jörg Seusenhofer and Degen Pirger, is a renowned equestrian set consisting of a rider’s armour, a horse’s bard, and a saddle and stirrups.
The armour is a reflection of the influence of the Italian Renaissance on French arms and armour. It is characterised by its “Grande maniera” style, featuring raised relief decorations and damascening with gold and silver inlays. The lion, a symbol of royal power, is a prominent motif, appearing on various parts of the armour, including the helmet, shoulders, and gauntlets.
An anthropological study revealed the armour indicates the king’s large build and stature, estimated to be between 1.98m and 2m in height.
Pair of Carrara Marble Figures of the Pugilists Creugas and Damoxenos
Possagno, Italy, 1797 to 1801 | Antonio Canova (1757-1822) | Plaster | (Creugas) 212 x 121.5 x 63.5 cm, (Damoxenos) 202.5 x 131.5 x 74.4 cm | Louvre Abu Dhabi
The art piece, Creugas, conceived with no commission, was bought by Pope Pius VII in 1801 for the Vatican Museums to compensate for the hole left by the antique works that were brought to France by the Napoleonic troops. This piece dates back to just before the statue of Damoxenos, and the two sculptures are meant to be experienced as a one entity and are commonly referred to as The Pugliatori.3
These are replicas carved after the neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova, whose original figures are still in the Vatican Museum’s collection in Vatican City, Italy. Although other reproductions of the pugilists exist, including several notable large-scale copies, these examples are truly exceptional: over seven feet tall, they loom above the viewer, commanding attention with their energetic poses and impressive musculature. 4
George Washington, First President of the United States
United States, 1822 | Gilbert Stuart (Saunderstown, 1755-Boston, 1822) | Oil on canvas | Louvre Abu Dhabi
The 1822 painting shows the first American president sitting at a desk, one hand resting on a document, the other cradling a sword hilt. 5
George Washington (February 22, 1732 [O.S. February 11, 1731] – December 14, 1799) was a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War against the British Empire. He is commonly known as the Father of the Nation for his role in bringing about American independence.6
Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) was an American painter born in the Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America’s foremost portraitists. His best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Washington, begun in 1796, which is usually referred to as the Athenaeum Portrait. 7
About The Louvre Abu Dhabi
On the sunbaked shores of the Arabian Gulf, a good spot to catch a breeze is under the 600-foot-wide metal dome that shades the Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The surface of this giant, parasol-shaped roof is an intricate, 7,850-piece jigsaw of perforated aluminium and stainless-steel panels. Rays of light pierce through the gaps, falling like golden rain on the museum’s exterior walls.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art museum located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It runs under an agreement between the UAE and France, signed in March 2007, that allows it to use the Louvre’s name until 2047, and has been described by the Louvre as “France’s largest cultural project abroad.”
Visitors embark on a journey via twenty galleries through twelve chronological chapters as you travel through centuries of world civilisation. The Louvre Abu Dhabi also has a dedicated section for children, where they can use interactive aids to understand the many layers of history.
Opening Hours
Louvre Abu Dhabi is open daily from 10am to midnight. The galleries and exhibitions close early on but the dome is open to visit till midnight.
- Galleries and exhibitions are open Tuesday to Thursday from 10am to 6:30pm. From Friday to Sunday they close at 8:30pm.
- The Museum Café closes at 8pm Monday through Thursday, and at 10pm Friday through Sunday.
- The museum is closed on Monday
Visited Nov 2022
Footnotes:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_modern_period ↩︎
- How were the Benin Bronzes plundered?
In 1897, James Phillips, an unarmed British explorer, visited the Kingdom of Benin. The kingdom’s ruler, the Oba Ovonramwen, welcomed Phillips, who decided to continue the expedition, even though he had been warned not to come to the Oba’s kingdom during a sacred period for its members. Chiefs reporting to Ovonramwen believed that Phillips and his expedition would interrupt a series of rituals, and a dispute occurred. Phillips, several in his mission, and 200 African porters were killed. To avenge their deaths, the British empire sent troops to steal artifacts from the kingdom, and they walked away with thousands of priceless objects. Some were placed on loan to the British Museum by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in England, and many more were sold to British and German institutions, as well as private dealers. According to the British Museum’s website, certain people who took part in the Benin expedition also kept Benin Bronzes for themselves. https://www.artnews.com/feature/benin-bronzes-explained-repatriation-british-museum-humboldt-forum-1234588588/ ↩︎ - https://www.museocanova.it/en/collection/sculptures/creugante/#:~:text=The%20art%20piece%2C%20conceived%20with,●%20Sculptures ↩︎
- https://www.skinnerinc.com/news/blog/the-pugilists-marble-statues-after-antonio-canova-square-off/ ↩︎
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-louvre-abu-dhabi-buys-a-washington-portrait-by-stuart-1423256538 ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington ↩︎
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Stuart ↩︎
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