The recent vast expansion, transformation and reorganization of the Louvre, and the building of I.M. Pei's controversial glass pyramid in its midst, has drawn attention to the architecture of this extraordinary building - a building which for eight hundred years has been at the center of French history and culture, and to which France's greatest architects, sculptors and painters have given their most inspired work.

Beneath the ground, but now easily accessible to visitors, are substantial remains of the medieval castle. It is time, for a new assessment of the Louvre's architectural history. Genevieve Bresc, provides an authoritative guide to every period, including the army of artists and craftsmen who enriched its interiors. Two hundred seductive color plates by the leading architectural photographer Keiichi Tahara reveal the Louvre in all its glory as it has never been seen before.