Candida Höfer has been the subject of many exhibitions and books. Her photographs, devoid of all human presence, bear witness to the strength of architecture and capture cultural institutions, such as museums, opera houses and libraries, which have been her favourite theme for some ten years.

Here Höfer turns her attention to the vast universe of the Louvre. This series of photographs allows her to examine one of the key elements in the history of the Louvre and a specific feature of museum architecture: the gallery. The changing curves of the vaulted ceilings become the recurrent hallmark of these images. They bore deep into our vision, as if our gaze could be swallowed up inside an infinitely long tunnel.

Through Höfer’s work, the Louvre regains its magical power as a place inhabited by history and art, revealing a new imaginative space.

Candida Höfer's books, include Candida Höfer: A Monograph and Candida Höfer: Libraries, both published by Thames & Hudson.
Henri Loyrette is President and Director of the Musée du Louvre, where Marie-Laure Bernadac is Chief Curator of Contemporary Art.

Also of interest
Candida Höfer – A Monograph
Art Photography Now
Apropos Rodin