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Laurence des Cars’ resignation comes months after the infamous jewel heist sparked international outrage.
Laurence des Cars resigned as president and director of the Louvre today, February 24, after months of investigation following the infamous jewelry heist last October.
“Despite both hardship and success, leading the Louvre has been the honor of my professional life,” des Cars said in her resignation letter to the museum’s staff. “I have devoted all my energy and determination to it. Not a single minute of my time has been wasted in service to the Louvre.”
Des Cars, who was appointed in 2021 and became the first woman to run the Louvre, underlined in the announcement that she had repeatedly warned about the museum’s aging infrastructure during her tenure. She stated that the robbery “gave unprecedented resonance to a truth that I have been constantly reminding people of since I took office: although the Louvre is the largest museum in the world, a national wonder that houses countless masterpieces, it is nevertheless vulnerable.”
Hyperallergic contacted the museum for comment on interim leadership, which has yet to be announced.
In addition to the heist, the Louvre has recently been embroiled in unrest over damage caused by structural disrepair, ongoing staff strikes that have led to closures, and other issues.
At the beginning of last year, des Cars sounded the alarm about the museum’s structural problems and their consequences visitor experience in a private mission to French President Emmanuel Macron that was leaked to the press. Her concerns led to the development of “Nouvelle Renaissance,” a €700 million (~$824 million) multi-year plan to improve visitor access through new entry points, create a separate space for the Mona Lisa, and update the museum’s temperature and humidity systems.
Days after the brutal October 19th robbery, des Cars testified before the French Senate’s Culture Committee about what she had expressed her concerns about outdated security systems and multiple areas of disrepair in the Louvre’s supervisory authorities, the National Representation and the media. She also said she submitted her letter of resignation shortly after the robbery, but Culture Minister Rachida Dati ultimately rejected it.
Amid the criticism, dozens of museum directors from around the world signed a letter expressing “sincere support” for des Cars, stressing that “Museums are neither strongholds nor secret vaults.” Metropolitan Museum of Art CEO and director Max Hollein, Tate Museum director Maria Balshaw and National Gallery of Art director Kaywin Feldman were among the signatories.
The museum remained in the news after the crown jewels were stolen. Several reports emerged claiming that the password to the museum’s video surveillance system was “Louvre” last November, followed shortly after by the closure of a nine-room Greek ceramics gallery due to structural problems with the floor above. On On December 1, news of a sharp increase in entrance fees for visitors from outside the European Union from 2026 sparked anger among beleaguered staff who saw the tiered prices as unfair. About a week later, a leak affecting hundreds of 19th-century Egyptology books made matters worse.
Various strikes due to staff shortages and insecurity working conditions have caused museum closures in the months after the robbery. The Louvre made the news again this month after a second leak damaged a 19th-century ceiling painting and police arrested suspects in connection with a decade-long ticket fraud scheme resulted in approximately €10 million (~$11.9 million) in losses – the latter of which the museum said was “inevitable” at an institution of its dish.
“How can we transform the Louvre without giving it the resources to realize its ambitions?” des Cars asked in her resignation letter. “This situation hinders the successful implementation of change, while the Louvre cannot accept the status quo.”
