This is the Louvre as viewed from the left bank of the Seine. I like this view because it forces me to see the Louvre not as a museum, but as a royal palace, which it was intermittently for three centuries before Louis XIV finally abandoned it for good when he moved to Versailles.
Ironically, although Versailles has a reputation for hugeness, the Louvre is more than three times bigger. The grounds of Versailles, at 2,000 acres, are the largest of any royal residence in the world, but it has only about 700,000 square feet of floor space, which doesn't even rank it in the top ten in Europe. (It's #11.)
Excellent photo although I think I would prefer Chateau de Chambord.
Very nice! Also nice is not having to see that crystal pyramid. It draws my eye away from the rest of the building altogether.