Henri Loyrette (born 31 May 1952 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

) was the chairman of Admical, a French organisation dedicated to corporate philanthropy., and the former director of the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

(2001–2013). He became first curator and then director of the Musée d'Orsay in 1978 and 1994 respectively.

Career

Loyrette's appointment to the directorship of the

was announced on 28 March 2001. According to Resnicow Shroeder Associates, previously Loyrette had "served as Director of the Musée d'Orsay from 1994 to 2001, and curator at the Musée d'Orsay from 1978 to 1999". Loyrette's contract was extended for another three years (through 2013), during which he was to oversee construction of an expansion in Paris, as well as a new branch in Abu Dhabi.

Exhibitions

Loyrette has organized several exhibitions on diverse subjects, including exhibitions on Edgar Degas,

Honoré Daumier Honoré-Victorin Daumier (; February 26, 1808February 10, 1879) was a French painter, sculptor, and printmaker, whose many works offer commentary on the social and political life in France, from the Revolution of 1830 to the fall of the second N ...

, and the origins of

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

. In 2012, Loyrette endorsed an exhibition with photographs by

Ahae Yoo Byung-eun (Korean: 유병언; Hanja: 兪炳彥) was a South Korean businessman and inventor, who as a photographer was known under the art name Ahae. Yoo became the focus of Park Geun-hye’s administration shortly after the Sinking of MV Sew ...

, the South Korean businessman Yoo Byung-eun, praising his artistic qualities. Following the sinking of the ferry ''Sewol'', Hervé Barbaret, Loyrette's deputy, disclosed to '' L'Express'' in 2014 that "The Louvre did not pay a penny to organize this event. The artist paid the production entirely and paid a little more than (~) to exhibit himself in the Tuileries". Yoo further donated million (~ million) to The Louvre. Loyrette's decision to rent out the

Tuileries Garden The Tuileries Garden (french: Jardin des Tuileries, ) is a public garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Created by Catherine de' Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in ...

, administratively attached to The Louvre, prompted French media as well as Korean

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

s in France to raise their concerns over French cultural institutions accepting self-financed exhibitions in return for donations.

Literary works

Loyrette is also an author, with a total of nineteen books on various subjects, including Degas,

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...

, and Marcel Proust. One of his most popular works is his book ''Nineteenth Century French Art'' (pictured).

Books

*''Nineteenth Century French Art'' *''Gustave Eiffel'', Fribourg, Office du Livre, 1985 *''Degas : « Je voudrais être illustre et inconnu »'', coll. « Découvertes Gallimard » (nº 36), série Arts. Paris, Gallimard, 1988 **Trad. into English – ''Degas: The Man and His Art'', "

Abrams Discoveries Abrams may refer to: * Abrams (surname), a list of notable people with the surname * '' Abrams v. United States'', 250 U.S. 616 (1919), U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding free speech during times of war * M1 Abrams, main battle tank * Abrams, ...

" series, New York, Harry N. Abrams, 1993 **''Degas: Passion and Intellect'', ' New Horizons' series, London, Thames & Hudson, 1993 *''Degas inédit, (direction de l'ouvrage), La Documentation française'', 1989 *''Degas'', Paris, Fayard, 1991 *''La Famille Halévy. Entre le théâtre et l'histoire, (direction de l'ouvrage)'', R.M.N.-Fayard, 1996

Exhibitions catalogues

*''Degas e l'Italia'', 1984 *''Degas'', 1988 *''Impressionnisme. Les Origines'', 1994 *''Cézanne'', 1995 *''Daumier'', 1999 *

Louvre Abu Dhabi

Loyrette endorsed the building of a new Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...

.Art in the Desert
SPIEGEL ONLINE, published 03/07/2007, accessed 2008-09-08 This has sparked much controversy both in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and with the international community.

References

Sources

Henri Loyrette
at ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Loyrette, Henri 1952 births Living people Directors of the Louvre Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite