1 of 5 | President of Chateau de Versailles Christophe Leribault speaks during a press conference on the “The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles” exhibition in the forbidden city in Beijing, China, on April 1, 2024. On Wednesday, he was appointed as the new director at the Louvre Museum. File Photo by Jade Gao/EPA
Christophe Leribault is taking over as director of the Louvre, the French Ministry of Culture announced Wednesday, one day after the resignation of Laurence des Cars, who headed the prestigious institution when more than $100 million in jewels were taken in a heist last year.
French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Leribault, an art historian, upon the recommendation of Minister of Culture Rachida Dati.
“Leribault’s priority will be to strengthen the safety and security of the building, the collections and people, to restore a climate of trust, and to carry forward, together with all the teams, the necessary transformations for the museum,” a statement from the Ministry of Culture said.
On Tuesday, Macron formally accepted the resignation of Cars.
In a statement released by Macron’s office, he welcomed the “act of responsibility” by Cars to step down from the post. He said the museum needs “calm” and strength to carry out major security and modernization projects.
Cars faced grilling by the French Senate in October after the brazen daylight heist of the jewels. A group of four thieves used a basket lift mounted to a truck to enter the museum through a second-floor balcony window and make off with historic jewelry. The loot included crowns, necklaces, tiaras and brooches worth much more than the individual value of the gems and precious metal were the thieves to melt down the pieces to sell the parts.
Among the items stolen were items once owned by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais.
French lawmakers questioned the efficacy of the Louvre’s safety measures in the weeks after the crime.
Auditors determined that the museum had fallen “considerably behind” in upgrading its technical infrastructure and security. The authors of the report took issue with the Louvre’s acquirement of 2,754 items over eight years, one-fourth of which were on display. These items — and renovations of displays — represent an investment of $167 million, double what the Louvre allocated for maintenance, upgrades and building restoration.
The report recommended that the Louvre eliminate a rule that requires the museum spend 20% of its ticket revenues — $143 million in 2024 — on acquiring new works. This would allow the facility to redirect funds to update the building without additional state funding. Auditors said the museum could also lean more heavily on its endowment fund to make the upgrades.
Before his appointment at the world’s largest museum, Leribault oversaw the palace of Versaille, the extravagant residence built by King Louis XIV in the late 17th century that became the de facto center of government for France for about a century. Today, Versaille comprises the palace, a museum, gardens, a park and other estates on the grounds.
Leribault has more than 35 years of museum experience specializing in the 18th century. In his previous capacities, he has served as curator of paintings and drawings at the Carnavalet Museum in Paris; deputy head of prints and drawings at the Eugène Delacroix National Museum, part of the Louvre; and director of both the Petit Palais, which houses the City of Paris Museum, and the Musée d’Orsay and the Orangerie-Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.
