Napoleon III's 'Grand Dessein' for the Louvre: A Historical Precedent for 'Nouvelle Renaissance'
In January 2025, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the 'Nouvelle Renaissance' renovation initiative for the Louvre, with expenses surpassing one billion euros. This undertaking is reminiscent of Napoleon III's 'Grand Dessein,' which led to the Louvre's grand reopening on August 15, 1857. The 'Nouveau Louvre' integrated the Louvre and Tuileries palaces, a concept originally proposed by Henri IV. Following Claude Perrault's success in an international competition, Louis XIV commissioned the colonnade. Napoleon I later revived the halted project, and after Napoleon III ascended to power in 1851, he appointed architect Louis Visconti for its completion. Following Visconti's death in 1853, Hector Martin Lefuel enhanced the design with staircases and sculptures from artists like Antoine Louis Barye. The endeavor took five years and employed 3,000 workers, costing over 25 million francs.
Key facts
- The 'Nouvelle Renaissance' renovation of the Louvre was announced in January 2025 by President Emmanuel Macron.
- The project's cost exceeds one billion euros.
- Napoleon III's 'Grand Dessein' inaugurated on August 15, 1857, completed the Louvre-Tuileries union.
- Henri IV built the Grande Galerie along the Seine.
- Louis XIV commissioned the Louvre colonnade after an international competition won by Claude Perrault, rejecting Bernini's design.
- Napoleon I revived the project but it stopped after his fall.
- Napoleon III appointed Louis Visconti as architect; after his death, Hector Martin Lefuel continued.
- The project cost over 25 million francs and employed up to 3,000 workers.
- Sculptors included Antoine Louis Barye, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, François Rude, and Auguste Préault.
- 86 statues over three meters high on the Cour Napoléon entablature depict French history.
- Claude Vignon criticized the ornamentation in Le Figaro.
Entities
Artists
- Antoine Louis Barye
- Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux
- François Rude
- Auguste Préault
- Claude Perrault
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Louis Visconti
- Hector Martin Lefuel
- Claude Vignon
Institutions
- Le Louvre
- Le Journal des Arts
- Le Figaro
- Élysée
- Cour Napoléon
- Grande Galerie
- Tuileries
Locations
- France
- Paris
- Seine
- Rome
- Italy