France Louvre renovation

Video. Louvre closure brings opportunity to restore artworks and galleries

It's a nightmare for frustrated art-lovers, but a golden opportunity for an army of curators and restorers.

It's a nightmare for frustrated art-lovers, but a golden opportunity for an army of curators and restorers.

The coronavirus pandemic has shut down the famed Louvre Museum in Paris.

So, it's the perfect time to carry out major re-modelling of the museum.

Artworks are cleaned, galleries spruced up, repairs made, all without millions of visitors getting in the way.

The Mona Lisa has good reason to smile, enigmatically of course, over her empty gallery - when the museum eventually reopens, it will be looking better than ever.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace has restored her dominance over a now empty but glorious stone staircase.

Since the museum's second closure on October 30, about 250 employees and outside contractors have come into work each day.