Louvre continues to be plagued by misfortunes with latest water leak

A water leak at the Louvre has damaged a 19th-century ceiling painting, marking the latest setback for the Parisian institution.

The museum reported the damage in room 707, known as the "Duchâtel" room, late on February 12, according to French media reports.

The room houses several 15th- and 16th-century artworks. Water from a burst heating pipe in a technical room struck a ceiling painted by Charles Meynier titled The Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun.

"The fire brigade responded immediately, and the leak was stopped at ten minutes past midnight," the museum said, detailing the findings of a restorer sent to the site the following morning.

"The work on the ceiling shows two tears in the same area, caused by the water, and lifting of the pictorial layer on the ceiling and its arches."

The incident adds to a string of operational challenges for the Louvre since last October, when France's historic Crown Jewels were stolen.

This week, police dismantled a suspected ticket fraud ring after a tip-off from the museum.

Last November, a separate water leak in the library of the Department of Egyptian Antiquities damaged several hundred works, coinciding with the museum’s decision to raise ticket prices for international visitors, who account for most of its audience.

The museum has also faced multiple days of industrial action, as employees protest worsening working conditions, staff shortages, and security gaps.

Internal reports have emerged in recent months, showing that management had for years prioritised acquisitions and exhibitions over routine maintenance and security.

Covering the period from 2018 to 2024, the report by a Court of Auditors compiled before the heist found that the Louvre had “favoured operations that were visible and attractive at the expense of maintenance and renovation of technical installations, notably in the fields of safety and security.”

By Nazrin Sadigova