Arles : les fouilles du Rhône — Un fleuve pour mémoire. — Le Louvre — Exhibition — Slash Paris

Past: March 9 → June 25, 2012

In partnership with the Musée Départemental Arles Antique, the Louvre presents the most spectacular pieces recovered from the Rhône riverbed over nearly twenty-five years of underwater excavations conducted by the French state agency for subaquatic and deep sea archaeological research (DRASSM), under the direction of Luc Long. These discoveries reveal the rich past of the Roman colony of Arelate (ancient Arles), from the imposing architecture of the “duplex” city established on both sides of the Rhône to its intense trade relations, also encompassing a wide variety of everyday objects, moving vestiges of the lives of its inhabitants. Many of these objects are exceedingly rare finds, including a number of bronze pieces, which are being presented only after years of study and restoration work: capitals and columns, fragments of statues and reliefs, amphorae, lamps, weapons, Roman metalwork treasures in silver and gold, etc. This exceptional grouping is joined by works from the Musée Calvet in Avignon and the Louvre together with pieces from museums of Vienna and in Turin, thus offering a fresh perspective on the discoveries at Arles, placing the objects brought up from the Rhône riverbed in context.

Architectural fragments, everyday objects and tools, as well as magnificent examples of Roman statuary and metalwork in silver and gold take visitors on a fascinating journey back in time to experience the ancient splendor of this first city on the Rhône. Films accompanying the exhibition help visitors understand the extremely difficult conditions under which these excavations have taken place, in this turbulent and dangerous river, documenting moments of discovery as well as the meticulous examination of objects brought to light. As a complement to these screenings, techniques used in the examination and restoration of bronze objects are presented in several informative displays prepared by archaeologists from the Rhône excavation team at DRASSM in collaboration with engineers from the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF).