THE UNFINISHED LOUVRE: COMMON PLACE AS A MODE OF APPROPRIATION

Abstract

In contemporary public culture, there is a stereotypical interpretation of the history of the Louvre Palace as multiple successive attempts to achieve a ‘Grand design’ that dates back to the 16th century. However, this vision of the history of the Louvre does not emerge until the 19th century, although the narrative of its unfinishedness has existed for much longer. This article analyses the origins and transformation of this narrative throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Despite the linguistic continuity associated with the stability of the very expression achever le Louvre (to finish the Louvre), the meaning that was invested in the idea of completion underwent significant changes. Originating in the context of the establishment and glorification of Louis XIV’s strong royal rule, the narrative was subsequently borrowed by critics of his great-grandson Louis XV’s reign and played a significant role in establishing the royal palace as a national treasure. By the 1760-s, in public discussions about the Louvre its completion becomes an allegory of a process of civilisation carried out in the name of the national interest. The changes that took place contributed greatly to the subsequent interpretation of the history of the Louvre and facilitated an ambitious project to merge it with the Tuileries Palace.