New Colors in the Louvre
/There is a fresh coat of paint this month at the Musée du Louvre!
The Musée du Louvre recently renovated its galleries dedicated to 19th century French painting, complete with new colors on the walls and a reshuffling of the artworks. The paintings underwent acts of preventative conservation during this transition, including the frames, which practically sparkle. The galleries were reopened to the public on August 5.
I found the renovations to be entirely successful. The new hanging creates confrontations between paintings that bring out different aspects of the works. The colors of the walls, ranging from divine shades of grey to rich blue and red and purple, are sublime. While they make a statement, they do not distract from the artworks. Quite the opposite: the walls enhance the artworks’ colors and forms.
I walked around the most colorful galleries, looking for interesting ways that the paint on the walls played with the paintings themselves. I went on a photo safari, of sorts. A photo safari is a visit to a museum focusing on details found in artworks around various themes, with the aim of looking at everything differently.
New Colors, as found in the Louvre's renovated 19th century French painting galleries:
Musée du Louvre (Sully wing, second floor)
Address: Palais du Louvre 75001 Paris ∣ Métro: Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre (line 1 or 7) ∣ Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday from 9am to 6pm, open until 9:45pm on Wednesday and Friday
