The Louvre is set to open a new Byzantine and Eastern Christian Art department in 2027, with Greece playing a central role, according to the museum’s director, Laurence des Cars.
During her visit to Athens, des Cars introduced the new department, which will be the Louvre’s ninth. It will feature nearly 20,000 objects of Byzantine art, offering a comprehensive view of this rich civilization. She noted that with 9 million annual visitors, the Louvre remains the most visited museum in the world, and the new department will help deepen visitors’ understanding of Byzantine culture.
According to ekathimerini.com, the international tender for the new department has been finalized, and des Cars emphasized that it will open new avenues for collaboration with Greece.
Maximilien Durand, the department’s appointed curator, explained that the permanent exhibition will cover a vast historical range from the 3rd century AD to the signing of the Lausanne Treaty in 1923. The collection will encompass artifacts from regions spanning Ethiopia to Russia, the Caucasus to Mesopotamia, and the Balkans to the Middle East, with Greece serving as a focal point in this wide geographical context.
In addition to exploring the chronological and geographical dimensions, the exhibition will highlight the evolution of icons in Eastern Christianity and their influence on the cultures of the region.
Source: ekathimerini
