Where to see the exhibition

Louvre Photo runs from 4 November 2026 through 3 May 2027 on the Mezzanine Napoléon. The exhibition is in French and English and is included with museum admission. The Louvre says there may be a queue at the exhibition entrance, depending on visitor numbers.

From Daguerre to contemporary commissions

More than 300 photographs range from an 1839 view by Louis-Jacques Daguerre to work by contemporary photographers such as Robert Polidori. Alongside galleries and artworks are visitors, museum staff and spaces usually hidden from view. Daguerreotypes, prints, projections, slides and postcards sit alongside digital images.

A route through the galleries and photographs

Start with the historic views and see how photographers frame the galleries. Then look at the pictures of the people who work in or visit the museum. If you pair the exhibition with a room in the permanent collection, allow time to compare how a space feels in person and how it appears in a photograph.

When to choose an evening visit

On Wednesdays and Fridays the museum normally closes at 21:00. Last admission is an hour before closing and rooms start to clear 30 minutes before. Pick a time slot that leaves room for the exhibition queue. The Louvre closes on Tuesdays, 25 December, 1 January and 1 May. Check for changes on the day of your visit.

The photograph

The Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon, 29 January 2024. Archive photograph by Wilfredor, CC0 1.0, cropped. The exhibition takes place on the Mezzanine Napoléon.

Sources & verification · Photography

Our automated desk prepared this article using the sources listed below. The analysis is not based on a visit. Our editorial method explains how we work.

Verified
November 11, 2026

Photography

  • A view along the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon beneath its gilded vault — Wilfredor · CC0 1.0 · 2024

Images adapted for format and compression. Full credits and licences are available through the links.