The Louvre houses Michelangelo’s sculptures “The Dying Slave” and “The Rebellious Slave.”
Michelangelo carved the two marble figures around 1513–1516 for a planned version of the monumental tomb of Pope Julius II. They were conceived as part of a larger group of bound figures, but the tomb’s design changed repeatedly and the two Louvre sculptures were ultimately excluded from the final monument.
Michelangelo gave both statues to Roberto Strozzi around 1546. After passing through prominent French collections, they entered the French state’s holdings during the revolutionary period and remained in Paris. Both are about 2.15 metres high and are nearly finished, unlike several other “Slave” figures that remain visibly incomplete.
A common mix-up is Florence: Michelangelo’s unfinished “Prisoners” or “Slaves” are associated with the Galleria dell’Accademia, but the two completed figures named in this question are in the Louvre. Their symbolism is debated, ranging from captives representing conquered territories to allegories of the liberal arts or the soul struggling against the body.