Christophe Lelivaux, the official in charge of managing the Palace of Versailles, has been appointed the new director of the Louvre Museum in France. After last October's royal jewelry theft, Lelivaux now faces the task of reorganizing the Louvre, which has been thrown into turmoil.
On the 25th (local time), the Guardian and other outlets reported that French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Lelivaux to replace Laurence des Cars, who resigned the previous day. The French Ministry of Culture said in a statement that "Lelivaux's top priorities are to strengthen the safety and security of the building, collection, and staff; restore trust; and, together with all members, push for the changes the museum needs."
Lelivaux, 62, is an art historian specializing in 18th-century art who began his career in 1990 at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris. He later served as director of the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie. Notably, during his tenure at the Musée d'Orsay, he planned special exhibitions on Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch, drawing the largest audience in the museum's history from September 2022 to January 2023. He also served as director of the Petit Palais, a Paris city museum, and the National Museum Eugène Delacroix.
Since 2024, Lelivaux has served as the head of the Palace of Versailles, managing an annual budget of about 170 million euros (about 300 billion won). The Palace of Versailles shares several similarities with the Louvre, including vast collections, a large staff, buildings that are splendid yet aging, and symbolic significance in French cultural life. He is expected to leave Versailles soon to take up the Louvre post.
He also has ties to the Louvre Museum. Lelivaux served as deputy director of the museum's Department of Graphic Arts from 2006 to 2012. The New York Times (NYT) said, "Appointing Lelivaux to succeed des Cars appears to be a bet on an experienced administrator well versed in the Louvre's inner workings."
Lelivaux will also take on "Louvre–New Renaissance," a Louvre restoration and refurbishment plan of at least 1 billion euros (about 1.7 trillion won) being pushed by President Emmanuel Macron. The project includes moving the Louvre's signature work, Monalisa, to a dedicated gallery and creating a new entrance in addition to the current main entrance, the glass pyramid.
French government spokesperson Maud Brejon said Lelivaux "will lead important, consequential projects for the institution's future, including strengthening the Louvre's security and modernization, and will continue to push the 'Louvre New Renaissance' project." His exact start date has not been disclosed.
The Associated Press said, "The renovation could take up to 10 years, and the goal is to modernize the museum, which is suffering from a lack of space due to excessive tourism and physical aging," adding, "Lelivaux is taking on the heavy responsibility of rebuilding the world's largest museum, which has been in crisis since last October's theft of French royal jewels."