The Louvre museum is getting a new boss.
Veteran art historian Christophe Leribault is shouldering the challenge of getting the institution out of crisis after the French crown jewels were stolen in a brazen heist in October.
French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon announced the appointment of Mr Leribault, who currently heads up the Palace of Versailles, on Wednesday.
Mr Leribault takes over from outgoing Louvre director Laurence des Cars, who resigned on Tuesday.
“[Mr] 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,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement about President Emmanuel Macron’s pick for the job.
Mr Leribault, 62, is an 18th‑century art historian who previously led Paris’ Musée d’Orsay and the Orangerie before taking over at Versailles in 2024. He will leave the Versailles job to take up the Louvre role.
He was deputy director of the Louvre’s department of graphic arts from 2006 to 2012, the ministry said.
The difficulties he inherits are great. The daylight robbery of the jewels, which was among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory, exposed alarming security holes at the landmark in Paris.
The Louvre has also suffered a broad array of other problems that have presented a picture of a treasured national institution spiralling out of control.
They include a burst pipe near the Mona Lisa, water leaks that damaged priceless books, ageing buildings, staff walkouts over overcrowding, understaffing and ticket price hikes for most non-European visitors.
Pressure for new leadership deepened in recent weeks when authorities revealed a suspected decade-long ticket fraud operation linked to the museum that investigators say may have cost the Louvre €10 million (£8.72 million).
At Versailles, Mr Leribault has been overseeing an annual budget of about €170 million (£148 million).