The Louvre during World War II: An artistic rescue operation

When the threat of Nazi invasion became clear in 1939 , a discreet and crucial mission was mounted to protect the Louvre's art treasures. Thousands of works, including the precious Mona Lisa , were secretly moved to châteaux and secure locations across France to protect them from bombing and looting. This carefully orchestrated transfer, involving hundreds of people, saved a large part of France's heritage from destruction.

The museum staff, under the direction of curator Jacques Jaujard , played a key role in this operation. Places such as the Château de Chambord and the Château de Valençay became temporary refuges for these masterpieces. During the German occupation, the Louvre remained open but almost empty, with only copies of the major works on display.

After the war, most of the works were able to be reinstalled in the Louvre galleries, some having narrowly escaped Nazi looting. This period of history remains a symbol of cultural resistance in the face of oppression.

Discover in our online art gallery contemporary works inspired by this era, when art was protected at the risk of the men and women who were responsible for it.

During World War II , the Louvre went through a tumultuous period. As early as 1939, with the conflict imminent, the French authorities took measures to protect its treasures:

Evacuation of works:

• As soon as war was announced, a huge rescue operation was launched to evacuate the most precious works.
• The Mona Lisa , the Winged Victory of Samothrace , the Venus de Milo and hundreds of other major pieces are being removed from the Louvre.
• The works were secretly transported in trucks to chateaux and private estates across France, often in the open countryside, to avoid bombing and looting by the Nazis.

The German occupation:

• In 1940 , after the occupation of Paris, the Louvre remained under German control, but paradoxically, it was not looted thanks to the efforts of Jacques Jaujard , the director of the national museums. Jaujard, in cooperation with curators, managed to keep a large part of the evacuated works secret, even deceiving the Nazis.
• The museum is used as a repository for art looted by the Germans, including those from Jewish families and private collections.

After the war:

• In 1945, at the end of the conflict, the hidden works were gradually brought back to the Louvre, and an immense restitution effort was undertaken to return the works stolen by the Nazis to their rightful owners.

Symbolism:

• This period shows the resilience and importance of cultural heritage in times of war. The Louvre, although silent during the occupation, continued to protect and preserve the world's artistic heritage.