The Louvre, Paris, is the national museum and art collection of France. The initial purpose of the building, first constructed as a chateau in 1190, was to house royal treasures and armour. Successors to the French throne, including Charles V and Charles VI, developed the uses of the building, opening it as a residence for royalty during visits to Paris. A new structure was commissioned by Francis I in 1546, and the architect Pierre Lescot began work on the classical style design of a palace with four wings centred on a square court. Although there have been considerable changes and expansions to the magnificent building, Lescot's plan remains the fundamental design today. Limited public access to the royal art collection was originally granted in 1681 and during the reign of Louis XVI the Grande Galerie began its transformation into a museum. After the revolution of 1789, the new Republican-democratic regime opened the Louvre as a national museum. The vast art collection of the Louvre includes many major works by French, Italian and Dutch masters. Ruskin visited the Louvre many times and Cook and Wedderburn note that he studied in the museum 'on nearly all his continental journeys between 1825 and 1888' ( Works, 11.239). In 1833, though he was only 13 and under the regulation age, Ruskin 'obtained permission to copy' the works of art in the museum (see Works, 3.xx). 'To enter a room in the Louvre,' Ruskin said, 'is an education in itself' ( Works, 12.lxv). Cook and Wedderburn include a collection of Ruskin's 'Notes on the Louvre' ( Works, 12.448-473), edited from his diaries of 1844, 1849 and 1854, including work on Nicolas Poussin, Tintoretto and Veronese.