The director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, sent a memo to France’s culture minister Dati detailing the dilapidated state of the museum last week resulting in a visit by President Emmanuel Macron today (Tuesday).
Laurence Des Cars described damage, deterioration and overcrowding in her memo sent to France’s culture minister.
President Emmanuel Macron reacted swiftly to the Louvre’s current controversy, announcing a visit to the museum on Tuesday during where he made announcements about its future.
“The Louvre is a symbol of France. It is a source of French pride. It would be a mistake to remain deaf and blind to the risks that face the museum today,” a statement from his office said on Friday.
During his visit, President Macron held a press conference lining out his vision about the Louvre's future.
"To speak to you under the inexpressible gaze of the Mona Lisa is both a privilege and a call for humility," Emmanuel Macron first declared, promising a "realistic and funded" project. The President of the Republic also emphasized the "special place" the Louvre holds in France's history.
President Macron announced that the "Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance" project will first involve the creation of "a new entrance at the Perrault Colonnade." This initiative aims to "rebalance the way the Louvre is visited and reopen it to Parisians," he added.
Emmanuel Macron proposed introducing higher ticket prices for foreign visitors from non-EU countries, similar to a previous initiative by Culture Minister Rachida Dati. "This project is intended to apply to other museums or monuments as well" and is set to take effect in "January 2026," he announced.
The creation of new rooms under the Cour Carrée will allow the Mona Lisa to be placed in a dedicated space, "independently accessible from the rest of the museum." This area will require a separate admission ticket, Emmanuel Macron revealed.
"This Nouvelle Renaissance project for the Louvre must represent a new chapter in the nation's life for art, art history, and its transmission," concluded the President of France.
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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