The 518-year-old Mona Lisa has seen many things in her life on a wall, but this is rare: Almost four months without Louvre visitors
PARIS – 518-year-old Mona Lisa has seen many things in her life on a wall, but this is rare: Almost four months without Louvre visitors.
As she looks out through bulletproof glass into the silent Salle des Etats, in the museum visited by many people around the world, her famous smile was almost a ‘signaling relief. A little further on, the Venus de Milo white marble is for one hour free from the gap of photo-sculpting visitors.
It is uncertain when the Paris museum will open, after it was closed on October 30 according to French government virus protection measures. But those lucky enough to benefit from a rare private view of collections covering 9,000 years of human history – with plenty of room to breathe.
That’s usually the lack of a museum lost with such success itself: Before the pandemic came on, staff walked out complaining that they couldn’t handle the congestion, with up to 30,000-40,000 visitors per day.
The emergency closure has also given museum officials a golden opportunity to redecorate long ago that was impossible with nearly 10 million visitors each year.
Unlike the first lock, which halted all Louvre activity, the second has about 250 museum staff still working.
An army of conservators, restorers and workers is cleaning up images, rearranging artifacts, examining deposits, reorganizing entrances and carrying out renovations, including the entrance of the Egyptian Shield and the Grande Galerie, the museum’s largest renovated hall.
“We are taking advantage of the museum’s closure to carry out a number of major works, speed up repairs and start repairs that are difficult to register when the museum is in normal operation,” he said. Laurent le Guedart, Louvre Architectural Heritage and Gardens The director told AP from inside the Grande Galerie.
As Guedart spoke, reformers were standing at the top of scaffolding scientifically examining the walls in preparation for a proposed renovation, traveling back to the 18th century through folding after covering of pheant.
Around the corner it was easy to hear the sound of carpenters building floorboards. They were installing the cables for a new security system.
Previously, these works could only be done on Tuesdays, the only closed day at the Louvre in the week. Now hammers are tapping, tools are drilling and brushing scraping to a full week’s schedule, made slower just by social pace steps.
In total, ten major projects run since March last year have started – and are progressing rapidly.
This includes works in the Etruscan and Italian Halls, and the gilded Carre Salon. The ancient Egyptian tomb chapel of Akhethotep is also undergoing a major restoration from 2400BC.
“When the museum reopens, everything will be perfect for visitors – this Sleeping Beauty will have time to powder its nose,” said Elisabeth Antoine-Konig, Person Department of Artifacts. “Visitors will be delighted to see again these well-lit rooms with sleek floors and refurbished display cases. ”
First, only visitors with pre-booked areas will be admitted subject to virus safety measures.
Those who can’t wait still see the Louvre’s art resource in meaningful online tours.
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Adamson reported from Leeds, England
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