Share
1 of 4
Welcome to the Louvre. Paris' prestigious gallery has around 35,000 pieces of art on display. But every day, countless more works are being created within these very walls... Joel Robine/Getty Images/File
Frenchwoman Sigrid Avrillier is just one of 150 copyists who paints versions of the Louvre's masterpieces. The tradition dates back to the 1700s, and today there is a one-year waiting list to join. Courtesy Sigrid Avrillier
This engraving from 1844 shows visitors flocking to the Louvre to paint their own copies of great works of art. Previous copyists included artists Paul Cezanne and Pablo Picasso, who came to the Louvre to learn from the Renaissance masters. Archive Photos/Getty Images/File
Here, copyists in 1947 continue the great tradition. "You spend so much time in front of this painting, that little by little you understand what's in it -- how he did it, the people in it, the historical context," said Avrillier. Keystone Features/Getty Images/File
