In Paris, France, the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum, is being renovated: a big deal since this is a very rare occurrence! Beginning October 30th of 2020, the Louvre has been closed off to the public due to the pandemic, a large change from the average 30,000 to 40,000 visitors who visit the museum each day. While the Louvre being shut down is unfortunate, some good has come out of it as the museum employees and directors have chosen to take advantage of this opportunity to implement large-scale renovations. This is seen through the major artworks being carried out, the maintenance operations that are being conducted at a faster pace, and the repair works that are beginning. Also, it is reported that around 250 museum employees are working hard at “adding new security systems, cleaning sculptures, checking inventories, checking over artifacts, reorganizing entrances, and conducting other necessary restorations to areas like the Egyptian Wing and the Grande Galerie” in order to create an improved, more unique experience for visitors when the museum reopens (https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/louvre-museum-renovations-while-closed-for-coronavirus). These renovations were long overdue and previously difficult to accomplish due to the approximately 10 million visitors a year; with no more crowds, this closure has been a prime opportunity to finally make some changes!
Moreover, a five-year project has been continuing, consisting of moving a quarter of a million works of art from the Louvre to a storage site in northern France. Around 100,000 artworks have been transferred already, such as “paintings, carpets, tapestries, grand sculptures, small figurines, furniture, and decorative pieces — dating from antiquity to the 19th century” (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/arts/design/louvre-lievin-conservation-center.html). The director of the Louvre, Jean-Luc Martinez, has also been working on transforming one of the operational sites into a spacious art research center for global museum experts, conservators, and scholars to visit. Because the Louvre sits in a flood zone, nearby the Seine, people have been working fast to protect the museum and its works of art. There are only 35,000 works out of 620,000 on display in the Louvre, with over 250,000 being kept in storage on a high floor in case there is a flood.
Personally, I think it is really interesting to hear about the renovations and changes being made in the world-famous Louvre! Before writing this post, I was not actually aware of the flood problems, regarding the Louvre, and I am happy precautions are being taken. I was actually lucky enough to visit this museum two summers ago and thought it was a beautiful experience overall. However, I also remember some parts of the museum being stuffy and cramped, so I thought there was definitely room for improvement. I am excited about these renovations and hope that one day I can visit Paris and the Louvre again when the pandemic is over to hopefully have a new, improved experience! Let me know what you think of these renovations, what you learned from this post, and/or if you’ve ever had an experience at the Louvre.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/arts/design/louvre-lievin-conservation-center.html
https://www.afar.com/magazine/louvre-uses-covid-closure-for-long-overdue-refurbishments
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