180 Roman masterpieces from the Louvre travel to Nîmes in a major exhibition

Over 180 Roman masterpieces from the Louvre are on display at the Musée de la Romanité in Nîmes from June 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027. The exhibition, titled "L'art romain du Louvre, un monde d'images," focuses on the aesthetic and formal qualities of Roman art rather than archaeological or historical aspects. It is organized by Nicolas de Larquier, chief curator of the Musée de la Romanité, alongside Louvre curators Isabel Bonora Andujar, Manuella Lambert, and Martin Szewczyk. The loan was made possible by ongoing renovations in the Louvre's Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities. The exhibition explores how Roman art functioned in daily life, society, and politics, featuring objects such as a gladiator helmet, a gold serpent bracelet, fresco fragments, the Caesarea cup, and a colossal head of Lucilla. The scenography uses dim lighting and red and yellow walls to evoke Roman villas, with mosaics on the floor and frescoes on walls. The display highlights the Roman synthesis of Greek models and technical virtuosity, including a bronze deer with silver eyes and a marble Aphrodite. The exhibition ends with the Carpegna Cameo, a 18th-century assemblage of Roman antiquities.