Paris-based writer Andrew Hussey travels through the glorious art and surprising history of an extraordinary French institution to show that the story of the Louvre is the story of France. As well as exploring the masterpieces of painters such as Veronese, Rubens, David, Chardin, Gericault and Delacroix, he examines the changing face of the Louvre itself through its architecture and design. Medieval fortress, Renaissance palace, luxurious home to kings, emperors and more recently civil servants, today it attracts eight million visitors a year. The documentary also reflects the very latest transformation of the Louvre - the museum's recently-opened Islamic Gallery.

法国的卢浮宫、英国的大英博物馆、美国的大都会博物馆以及俄罗斯的艾尔米塔什博物馆并称为世界四大博物馆。国内读者对前三者或许已经耳熟能详，但对艾尔米塔什博物馆却所知甚少。有一部分读者知道冬宫，但冬宫只是艾尔米塔什建筑群中的一部分。
国家艾尔米塔什博物馆富丽堂皇。其收藏于1764年由俄国女皇凯瑟琳大帝起始，发展至今已经包含了300多万件艺术品和工艺品。
本书中收录的250件杰作是这座博物馆中独特而珍贵的宝藏。来看看这些杰作的作者名字：达芬奇、米开朗基罗、提香、里贝拉、穆里洛、凡戴克，鲁本斯、布鲁盖尔、伦勃朗、雷诺阿、莫奈、梵高、高更、塞尚、德加、马蒂斯、毕加索、马列维奇、康定斯基……这无疑是全世界的艺术爱好者所期盼和珍爱的杰作之旅！除了这些大师的画作，书中还收录了价值连城的古董、雕塑和装饰艺术作品等，更为本书增添了丰富性。