French art historian
Laurence des Cars (born Laurence Élisabeth de Pérusse des Cars on 13 June 1966) is a French museum curator and art historian. Since September 2021, she has served as director of the Louvre Museum, having previously headed the Musée d'Orsay and Musée de l'Orangerie.[1][2]
Early life and education
Des Cars was born in Antony, France. She is the daughter of the journalist and writer Jean des Cars [fr] and granddaughter of the novelist Guy des Cars (himself the second son of François de Pérusse des Cars, 5th Duc des Cars).[1] She studied art history at Paris-Sorbonne University and École du Louvre.
Career
Upon graduating, Des Cars joined the Institut national du patrimoine and took her first position as curator at the Musée d'Orsay in 1994.[3]
She is a specialist on the art of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century.
She is the author of numerous illustrated essays, including a book on Pre-Raphaelites for the collection 'Découvertes Gallimard', Les Préraphaélites : Un modernisme à l'anglaise.
Des Cars was appointed scientific director of the Agence France-Muséums [fr] in July 2007, French operator in charge of the development of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. She was also promoted to general curator of heritage in 2011 and was appointed director of the Musée de l'Orangerie in January 2014, by the Minister of Culture, Aurélie Filippetti.[4][5][6][7] On 27 February 2017, she was officially appointed director of the Musée d'Orsay by the then French President François Hollande.[1][8]
Des Cars was appointed to assume the role of Director of the Louvre Museum from 1 September 2021, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the establishment's 228-year history.[2]
Honours
Des Cars is a chevalier of the Legion of Honour and National Order of Merit, officer of Arts and letters.[9] On 1 December 2022, she was among the guests invited to the state dinner hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden in honor of President Emmanuel Macron at the White House.[10]
Exhibitions
As a teacher at École du Louvre, she organised many exhibitions for various museums, including:
- 'L'Origine du monde, autour d'un chef-d'œuvre de Courbet' (Musée d'Orsay, 1996)
- 'Jean-Paul Laurens, peintre d'histoire' (Musée d'Orsay, Musée des Augustins, 1997–1998)
- 'Edward Burne-Jones' (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Birmingham Museum, Musée d'Orsay, 1998–1999)[11]
- 'Courbet et la Commune' (Musée d'Orsay, 2000)
- 'Thomas Eakins, un réaliste américain' (Philadelphia Museum of Art, Musée d'Orsay, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001–2002)
- 'Édouard Vuillard' (National Gallery of Art, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Royal Academy of Arts, 2003–2004)
- 'Gustave Courbet' (Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Musée Fabre, 2007–2008)
- 'Jean-Léon Gérôme' (Getty Museum, Musée d'Orsay, Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, 2010–2011)[3]
- 'Louvre Abou Dhabi, Naissance d'un musée' (Manarat Al Saadiyat Museum, Musée du Louvre, 2013–2014)
- 'Attaquer le soleil : Hommage au marquis de Sade' (Musée d'Orsay, 2014–2015)
- 'Apollinaire, le regard du poète' (Musée de l'Orangerie, 2016)
- 'La peinture américaine des années 1930' (Musée de l'Orangerie, 2016–2017)
