In front of the Louvre Museum, Paris, February 13, 2026. MICHEL EULER/AP
The wave of misfortune at the Louvre shows no sign of stopping. On Tuesday, February 10, two museum employees were taken into police custody. Both long-time staff members, Le Monde has learned, including one nearing retirement, they were suspected of involvement in a large-scale ticketing fraud, reported by their colleagues and prompting a formal complaint from management in December 2024. Then, during the night of February 12, new misfortune struck: Flooding damaged the ceiling painted by Charles Meynier in 1819, titled The Triumph of French Painting, in a room of the Denon Wing that houses masterpieces by Fra Angelico and Bernardino Luini.
Firefighters arrived immediately on the scene and stopped the leak shortly after midnight, management told Le Monde. On the morning of February 13, a restorer was able to make an initial assessment: The artwork had two tears and areas where the paint layer was lifting. The team of the chief architect for historic monuments, who promptly examined the ceiling's condition, determined there was no structural problem. The space was closed until early afternoon.
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