Louvre. A “confidential letter” from the director about the “very poor condition” of part of the museum was leaked

The director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, addressed the head of the Ministry of Culture, Rachida Dati, in a “confidential letter” in early January. On Thursday, its content was quoted by the “Le Parisien” daily, followed by a number of French media. Des Cars warned of “increasing damage to museum spaces, some of which are in very poor condition.” She added that there were “disturbing temperature fluctuations” that threatened the preservation of works of art in an appropriate condition.

The problem concerns some rooms in the Sully wing, the oldest part of the Louvre, the AFP agency reported, citing a source close to the matter. This part of the museum, consisting of four floors, includes, among others: paintings by Jean-Antoine Watteau, the master of French Rococo.

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The director of the Louvre said in a letter quoted by the media that the museum requires renovation, which will probably be expensive and technically complex. In 2024, the Louvre was visited by a total of 8.7 million people, which is almost twice as many as expected by the institution's authorities. Des Cars noted in her letter that the Louvre's popularity was causing “physical strain” on the historic building and visitors lacked space “to rest.”

According to the director, the museum does not have a sufficient gastronomic offer, there are too few toilets on its premises, and the signage “requires a complete redesign.” In turn, the famous inverted pyramid, built in the late 1980s, does not have sufficient thermal and sound insulation. The museum's director found the structure to be “structurally obsolete.” The letter also included a mention of the most popular painting in the Louvre, the “Mona Lisa”. Des Cars stressed the need to “reassess” the way Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece is presented. A year earlier, she said that the painting should have its own separate room, France24 reminds us.

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Speaking to journalists on the occasion of the opening of a new exhibition at the Louvre on Thursday, des Cars said that she had repeatedly informed about emerging problems and considered it her duty as the head of the museum. As France Inter radio emphasized, although the document addressed to Rachida Dati does not mention any amounts, the subtext is about underinvestment in the facility. An AFP source assured that the president France Emmanuel Macron was informed about the problems, remains in contact with the museum and the Ministry of Culture and will “soon comment” on this matter.

8.7 million visitors make the Louvre the first most visited museum in the world in 2024. 66 percent of them visited the famous museum for the first time. French citizens made up 23 percent. all visitors – according to a statement on the Louvre website.