PARIS (AP) — The home of the ‘Mona Lisa’ is getting a new boss. Two French officials told The Associated Press that art historian Christophe Leribault, a veteran museum director, is taking over at the Louvre.
He will shoulder the challenge of getting the world’s largest museum out of crisis after the brazen heist in October of the French crown jewels. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the appointment expected to be approved at
a Cabinet meeting and announced later Wednesday.
The challenges that Leribault will inherit are formidable.
The daylight robbery — among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory — exposed alarming security holes at the Paris landmark.
The former royal palace has also suffered a broad array of other problems that have presented a picture of a treasured national institution spiraling out of control.
They include a burst pipe near the “Mona Lisa” and water leaks that damaged priceless books, aging buildings, and 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 euros ($11.8 million).
