PARIS (AP) — The Louvre Museum, famous for being the world’s most-visited art gallery and an enduring symbol of culture and beauty, was closed for most of Monday due to a staff strike. Workers expressed their frustration over the overwhelming crowds and deteriorating conditions within the historic institution.
It was a surreal scene: the home of iconic masterpieces, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, rendered inactive by those meant to welcome visitors. Thousands of confused tourists were left waiting in long lines beneath I.M. Pei’s renowned glass pyramid, holding onto their tickets.
“It’s the Mona Lisa moan out here,” remarked Kevin Ward, 62, from Milwaukee. “Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off.”
With the rise of global overtourism, the Louvre is facing severe challenges linked to its overwhelming popularity. As similar tourist hotspots, from Venice to the Acropolis, scramble to manage visitor numbers, the Louvre is confronting its own set of critical issues.
The spontaneous strike, which emerged during a routine meeting, saw gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel refuse to work, citing unmanageable crowd sizes, chronic understaffing, and what union representatives have termed “untenable” working conditions.
Closures at the Louvre are infrequent; they have typically occurred during times of war, pandemic lockdowns, or sporadic strikes. However, such abrupt closures, especially in front of throngs of visitors, are rare.
This disruption follows shortly after President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of a comprehensive ten-year plan to address pressing issues at the Louvre, including water leaks, hazardous temperature variations, and overwhelmed infrastructure. Despite these plans, many workers feel that substantial change remains far-off.
High Demand for the Mona Lisa
At the center of the chaos is the famed Mona Lisa. This 16th-century artwork draws crowds more typical of a major celebrity than a museum attraction. Approximately 20,000 individuals cram into the Salle des États, the museum’s largest gallery, daily, eager to capture a selfie with the enigmatic portrait. Surrounding masterpieces by Titian and Veronese are often overlooked amid the noise and throngs.
“You don’t see a painting,” noted Ji-Hyun Park, 28, who traveled from Seoul to see the artwork. “You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, you’re pushed out.”
In response, Macron’s renovation project, named the Louvre New Renaissance, envisions a dedicated room for the Mona Lisa with timed entry tickets, aimed at alleviating some of the pressure. Additionally, a new entrance is planned near the Seine River by 2031 to improve visitor flow.
However, workers label Macron’s plans as hypocritical, arguing that while investments in new facilities are being made, the **annual operating subsidies** from the French government have diminished by over 20% over the last ten years, even as visitor counts soared.
“We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum,” said Sarah Sefian from the CGT-Culture union. She emphasized the irony of the situation as state funding declines while visitor numbers swell, contributing to overstretched resources.
Although many staff members intend to strike all day, some are expected to return temporarily to provide a limited “masterpiece route,” enabling access to famed artworks like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The museum may return to regular hours by Wednesday, with tourists holding tickets for Monday permitted to use them on that day as well. The museum will be closed on Tuesday.
The Louvre’s Ongoing Struggles
Last year, the Louvre welcomed an astounding 8.7 million visitors—more than double its intended capacity. Even with a cap of 30,000 visitors per day, the experience has transformed into a challenging test of patience, complete with insufficient rest areas and limited bathroom facilities exacerbated by the greenhouse effect of the pyramid.
In a leaked memorandum, Louvre President Laurence des Cars declared parts of the building “no longer watertight,” with fluctuating temperatures posing risks to invaluable art. The memo labeled the museum experience as “a physical ordeal.”
“What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation,” remarked Sefian. Discussions among workers and management stretched from 10:30 a.m. into the afternoon.
The complete renovation plan is expected to rely on ticket sales, private donations, state funds, and licensing fees from the Louvre’s Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists will likely increase later this year.
Workers, however, believe that their demands for improvement cannot wait for a decade-long plan. Unlike other major Parisian sites, such as Notre Dame and the Centre Pompidou, undergoing government-backed renovations, the Louvre seems trapped in a state of uncertainty, lacking sufficient funding and operational capacity.
President Macron, who highlighted the Louvre during his 2017 election victory speech and aims to feature it prominently during the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, has committed to delivering a safer and more modern museum by the end of the decade.
Until these promises materialize, France’s greatest cultural treasure, along with millions of its visitors, remains caught between the cracks.
