Statement Regarding the Resignation of Laurence des Cars
American Friends of the Louvre acknowledges the announcement that Laurence des Cars has submitted her resignation as President and Director of the musée du Louvre to French President Emmanuel Macron, and that he has accepted it. President Macron described her decision as “an act of responsibility” at a time when the world’s largest museum is poised to continue important projects and strategic initiatives.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Laurence des Cars for her exceptional leadership, partnership, and service to the Louvre over the past nearly five years. Since her appointment in 2021, she has brought a profound commitment to scholarship, accessibility, and global cultural engagement, strengthening transatlantic bonds and advancing the Louvre’s mission on the world stage. Her leadership was particularly vital as the museum reopened and regained momentum in the years following the COVID‑19 pandemic, navigating an incredibly difficult period for the cultural sector and welcoming visitors back to one of the world’s most beloved institutions.
Under her leadership, the Louvre launched bold initiatives aimed at shaping its future, including the Louvre Nouvelle Renaissance—a transformative vision for the museum’s next era of modernization, renovation, and renewed visitor experience that Madame des Cars unveiled in partnership with President Macron last year. The project is the most ambitious undertaking at the museum since the Grand Louvre in the 1980s.
One of Madame des Cars’ crowning achievements while serving as Présidente-Directrice of the museum, was the creation of a new curatorial department focused on Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art. The new curatorial department is an ambitious initiative that will bring together over 20,000 works currently dispersed across the museum and reveal the richness, complexity, and enduring influence of Byzantine and Eastern Christian artistic traditions. This once-in-a-generation project has already inspired remarkable philanthropic support, with more than €40 million raised to date, including over $11 million contributed by patrons of AFL. The new department is scheduled to open in 2028 and will serve as a lasting legacy to her time at the museum. All this was done with a deep respect for the museum’s 800+ year history.
American Friends of the Louvre remains unwavering in its support of the musée du Louvre and its enduring mission to preserve, interpret, and share its extraordinary collections with people everywhere. We reaffirm our faith in the museum’s leadership and future, and we look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the Louvre’s staff, stakeholders, and partners in France and around the world.
We thank Laurence des Cars for her dedication, her vision, and her steadfast partnership, and we wish her every success in her future endeavors.
Below is Madame des Cars’ personal statement (in the original French and translated into English) that she released following her resignation:
« Dans les épreuves comme dans les succès, diriger le Louvre a été l’honneur de ma vie professionnelle. J’y ai consacré toute mon énergie et toute ma détermination. Pas une minute de mon temps n’a manqué à l’appel du Louvre.
Au cours de ces cinq années, de nombreuses actions ont été engagées pour transformer le musée du Louvre. Je veux ici rendre hommage à votre travail, vous qui servez le Louvre quotidiennement avec professionnalisme et passion. Ces initiatives n’auraient pu être conduites sans la force du « collectif Louvre ».
Par une ironie cruelle, le vol du 19 octobre 2025 a donné un écho sans précédent à une vérité que je n’ai cessé de rappeler depuis ma prise de fonctions : le Louvre a beau être le plus grand musée du monde, une merveille nationale qui abrite d’innombrables chefs-d’œuvre, il n’en est pas moins fragile.
Diriger le musée du Louvre et construire son avenir requièrent de fédérer toutes les volontés et toutes les énergies autour d’objectifs communs. Cette clarté dans la trajectoire fait aujourd’hui défaut : comment transformer le Louvre sans lui assurer les moyens de son ambition ? Cette situation préjudicie à la bonne conduite du changement alors que le Louvre ne peut se résoudre au statu quo. Dans ces conditions, je considère ne plus être en mesure d’exercer pleinement les responsabilités qui m’ont été confiées. C’est la raison pour laquelle j’ai présenté ma démission au Président de la République.Mon départ permettra, je l’espère, de prolonger l’élan que je me suis efforcée d’insuffler au Louvre depuis bientôt cinq ans.
Au moment où je m’apprête à quitter ce musée que j’aime et que j’ai servi, comme vous, avec passion, permettez-moi de vous remercier pour votre soutien, votre confiance et votre engagement de tous les instants. »
“Through both hardship and success, leading the Louvre has been the honor of my professional life. I have dedicated all my energy and determination to it. Not a single minute of my time has been wasted on the Louvre.
Over these five years, numerous initiatives have been undertaken to transform the Louvre Museum. I want to pay tribute to your work, you who serve the Louvre daily with professionalism and passion. These initiatives could not have been carried out without the strength of the ‘Louvre collective.’
In a cruel twist of irony, the theft of October 19, 2025, gave unprecedented resonance to a truth I have constantly emphasized since taking office: the Louvre may be the world’s greatest museum, a national treasure housing countless masterpieces, but it is nonetheless fragile.
Leading the Louvre Museum and building its future requires uniting all wills and energies around common goals.” This clarity in the Louvre’s direction is currently lacking: how can we transform it without providing it with the resources to achieve its ambitions? This situation hinders the smooth implementation of change, as the Louvre cannot accept the status quo. Under these circumstances, I feel I am no longer able to fully exercise the responsibilities entrusted to me. This is why I have submitted my resignation to the President of the Republic.
My departure will, I hope, allow us to maintain the momentum I have strived to instill in the Louvre for almost five years.
As I prepare to leave this museum that I love and that I have served, like you, with passion, allow me to thank you for your unwavering support, trust, and commitment.”