ART TREASURES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1939, Page 6

ART TREASURES

REMOVAL DURING WAR SCARE IN FRANCE. RENOVATIONS CARRIED OUT. In one museum alone of Paris during the war scare of September, the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, 7,000 pieces were removed to places of safety. In this case the necessity for putting exhibits in security proved to be the ill wind that has blown a lot of good for lovers of this museum. It has just reopened its doors to an admiring public. Profiting by the opportunity, all the rooms of the three floors of this museum. which is in one of the wings of the Louvre, have been repainted, and the collections completely rearranged and set out in keeping with the innovations of the rest of the Louvre, where the works of art have been given more breathing space and show to better advantage. Thirty rooms are at present open to visitors. They include the collections from the period of Louis XIII to the First Empire. Entirely new rooms will be opened on the second floor. The series of magnificent tapestries shown in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs which attracted connoisseurs from other countries have been cleaned and renovated. Another section which is about to be opened is the lace collection.

In the better known section of the Louvre, where the pictures and sculpture are exhibited, all the principal works' of art were placed in safety in a few hours. There is a trap in one part of the scultpre gallery, and the statues were wheeled on to this trap to find safety far down below the foundations. Teams of guardians are assigned to special pieces of sculpture and world famous pictures, so that at the first signal of alarm they know exactly where to go and the order in which the treasures of art of the Louvre are to be removed beyond the harm of war.