Paris's world-famous Louvre Museum was shut down on Sunday morning following a shocking jewellery theft in which the robbers reportedly stole “nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the Empress ", France's culture minister Rachida Dati confirmed. Police and museum officials are currently investigating the incident.
The iconic Louvre Museum is renowned for its vast collection of art and history and is home to more than 33,000 works spanning antiquities, sculpture, and painting, from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the classical world to European masters. Its star artworks include the Mona Lisa , as well as the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
The Louvre can draw up to 30,000 people every day. But being a mass attraction has somehow always strained its security, given the museum has a long history of thefts and robberies, incurring several losses over the years. Some of the notable incidents are mentioned below.
1911 – The Mona Lisa heist:
The most renowned art heist in history occurred in the year 1911, when the Mona Lisa was stolen from its frame at the Louvre Museum. Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee of the museum, concealed himself inside the premises and walked out with the painting hidden under his coat. The theft went undetected until the following day. The artwork was eventually recovered in 1913, after Peruggia attempted to sell it in Florence, Italy, reported news agency AP.
1939 – Safeguarding during WWII
As the threat of a Nazi invasion loomed in 1939, a discreet yet critical operation was launched to safeguard the Louvre’s art treasures. Thousands of works, including the iconic Mona Lisa, were quietly relocated to châteaux and other secure sites across France, shielding them from potential bombing and looting. This meticulously coordinated effort, involving hundreds of individuals, ensured the preservation of a significant portion of France’s cultural heritage.
1976- The coronation sword theft
In 1976, three burglars scaled scaffolding on the exterior of the museum, broke a window, and stole the diamond-studded sword used in the 1824 coronation of King Charles X. The artefact reportedly remains missing.
1983 – Renaissance armour theft
In 1983, two pieces of Renaissance-era armour were stolen from the Louvre, only to be recovered nearly four decades later. The museum’s collection also carries the legacy of Napoleonic-era acquisitions, which continue to fuel debates over restitution to their countries of origin.
1998 – Corot painting theft:
Jean-Luc Martinez, the former director of the museum, told BBC that the most recent theft from the Louvre occurred in 1998, when a small painting by French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was taken. The artwork was removed from the wall unnoticed, and it has never been recovered. The incident prompted a significant overhaul of the museum’s security measures.
The iconic Louvre Museum is renowned for its vast collection of art and history and is home to more than 33,000 works spanning antiquities, sculpture, and painting, from Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the classical world to European masters. Its star artworks include the Mona Lisa , as well as the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
The Louvre can draw up to 30,000 people every day. But being a mass attraction has somehow always strained its security, given the museum has a long history of thefts and robberies, incurring several losses over the years. Some of the notable incidents are mentioned below.
1911 – The Mona Lisa heist:
The most renowned art heist in history occurred in the year 1911, when the Mona Lisa was stolen from its frame at the Louvre Museum. Vincenzo Peruggia, a former employee of the museum, concealed himself inside the premises and walked out with the painting hidden under his coat. The theft went undetected until the following day. The artwork was eventually recovered in 1913, after Peruggia attempted to sell it in Florence, Italy, reported news agency AP.
1939 – Safeguarding during WWII
As the threat of a Nazi invasion loomed in 1939, a discreet yet critical operation was launched to safeguard the Louvre’s art treasures. Thousands of works, including the iconic Mona Lisa, were quietly relocated to châteaux and other secure sites across France, shielding them from potential bombing and looting. This meticulously coordinated effort, involving hundreds of individuals, ensured the preservation of a significant portion of France’s cultural heritage.
1976- The coronation sword theft
In 1976, three burglars scaled scaffolding on the exterior of the museum, broke a window, and stole the diamond-studded sword used in the 1824 coronation of King Charles X. The artefact reportedly remains missing.
1983 – Renaissance armour theft
In 1983, two pieces of Renaissance-era armour were stolen from the Louvre, only to be recovered nearly four decades later. The museum’s collection also carries the legacy of Napoleonic-era acquisitions, which continue to fuel debates over restitution to their countries of origin.
1998 – Corot painting theft:
Jean-Luc Martinez, the former director of the museum, told BBC that the most recent theft from the Louvre occurred in 1998, when a small painting by French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was taken. The artwork was removed from the wall unnoticed, and it has never been recovered. The incident prompted a significant overhaul of the museum’s security measures.
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