to change the hang in some rooms, to see that there are no holes".
Henri Loyrette
Many of you probably remember the words spoken above by the president of the Louvre during an interview in Le Figaro. We had already pointed out that there was no need to wait for the Louvre-Lens to observe the holes, the Louvre was full of them. Now, with the Louvre-Lens opening still two months away, most of the works to be exhibited there have already left the museum. Speaking of holes, the Louvre is in the process of becoming a veritable Gruyère cheese as demonstrated by our photographs since, besides the inevitable gaps (for restoration, study, loans to exhibitions with a scholarly purpose or even a simple "water leak"), we now have the transfers to Lens. No other major museum in the world presents this neglected aspect now apparent at the Louvre today. The photographs speak for themselves. Their number may seem excessive and repetitive but only this (non-exhaustive) accumulation of pictures can give an accurate idea of the current aspect of the Louvre. Furthermore, we only walked through the Département des Sculptures and part of the Objets d’Art... At least, since the works will be spending a considerable length of time in Lens, the museum might have waited instead of shipping them several months before and "change the hang in the rooms to see that there are no holes".
Promises are binding only for those who believe in them, so we may take some credit for never having believed those trumpeted by Henri Loyrette.
1. Poitou, second half of the 12th c.
Two Torsos of Bearded Men
one is being restored, the other is in Lens
(but we don’t know until when)
Photo : Didier Rykner
2. Nièvre, third quarter of the 14th c.
The Virgin Sitting under a Dais and Carrying the Child
Left for Lens, Galerie du Temps
(however, we don’t know until when)
Photo : Didier Rykner
3. Epitaph for a nun
Lens, exhibition La perception du Temps
Left on 31 July 2012
Away until 20 October 2013
Photo : Didier Rykner
4. Attributed to Antoine Juste (1479-1519)
Head of Saint Peter
Installed in Lens, Galerie du Temps
Left on 24 July 2012, unknown date for its return
Photo : Didier Rykner
5. Genoa or Milan, c. 1500
Gordien III
Medallion belonging to a series on Roman Emperors
Left on 31 July 2012 for Lens, Renaissance exhibition.
Planned return on 11 March 2013
Photo : Didier Rykner
6. Ile-de-France, c. 1530
Death of Saint Innocent
left on 31 July 2012 for Lens, Renaissance exhibition
should return on 11 March 2013
Photo : Didier Rykner
7. Pierre Puget (1620-1694)
Christ Dead on the Cross
Shipped to Lens on 29 July 2012
for the Galerie du Temps
No return date shown
Photo : Didier Rykner
8. Empty plinth, transfer certificate also missing...
Photo : Didier Rykner
9. Jean-Louis Jaley (1802-1866)
The Duc d’Orléans
left on 29 July 2012 for Lens, Galerie du Temps
will probably return a long time from now
Photo : Didier Rykner
10. Antoine-Louis Barye (1795-1875)
Lion with Serpent
left a long time ago for the exhibition Beauté animale
then shipped directly to Lens
no return date given
Photo : Didier Rykner
11. Augustin Pajou (1730-1809)
Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun
left on 27 July 2012 for
Lens (Pavillon de verre)
return date to be announced
Photo : Didier Rykner
12. Philippe-Laurent Roland (1746-1816)
Augustin Pajou
left on 27 July 2012 for
Lens (Pavillon de verre)
return date to be announced
Photo : Didier Rykner
13. Nicolas-François Gillet (1709-1791)
The Shepherd Paris
left for Taipei on 21 January 2012
the exhibition closed on 10 May 2012
still not returned on 1st October 2012
Photo : Didier Rykner
14. Empty plinth, nothing there...
Photo : Didier Rykner
15. Watches
left for Renaissance exhibition
in Lens on 13 September 2012
should return after March 2013
Photo : Didier Rykner
16. Watches
left for Renaissance exhibition
in Lens on 13 September 2012
should return after March 2013
Photo : Didier Rykner
Photo : Didier Rykner
17. Attributed to Léonard Limosin (c. 1505-1575)
Saint Thomas with the likeness of
King François I at the end of his life
left for Lens, we did not see when nor until when...
However, Saint Paul stayed behind...
Photo : Didier Rykner
18. Master of the Aeneid
Aeolus Unleashes the Winds on the Trojans
Limoges, c. 1530
left for Lens, we do not know when nor until when
Photo : Didier Rykner
19. Limoges, mid-16th c.
Chest
left for Lens, we do not know when nor until when
Photo : Didier Rykner
20. Plaque by Léonard Limosin
left for Lens but no further details
Photo : Didier Rykner
21. Location of an unidentified object,
left for Lens
Photo : Didier Rykner
22. Studio of Saint Porchaire
France, mid-16th c.
Salt Box
left for Lens we do not know when nor until when
Photo : Didier Rykner
23. Attributed to Pierre Pénicaud
The People Rendering Divine Honors to Psyche
but for the moment they are being rendered to Lens
we do not know until when
Photo : Didier Rykner
24. Gubbio, 1530
Plate, man’s bust and "grottesche" and "a trophei" décor
left for Lens, return date not given
Photo : Didier Rykner
25. Gubbio, 1518
Cup bearing coat of
arms with "a candelieri" décor
glazed earthenware by Maestro Giorgio
left at undetermined date for Lens
return date not given
Photo : Didier Rykner
26. Ile-de-France, second half of the XVth century
Virgin and Child
left for Lens on 21 August 2012
its return date is not given
Photo : Didier Rykner
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