A water leak at the Louvre has caused damage to a 19th Century ceiling painting, marking yet another setback for the Parisian museum.
The water damage was reported in room 707, known as the Duchâtel room, late Thursday night. The room features multiple 15th and 16th Century artworks.
According to museum officials, the leak from a heating pipe was stopped shortly after midnight, but the damage was confined to Charles Meynier's work, The Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun.
This incident comes just a day after French police detained nine individuals, including two museum staff, in connection with a suspected ticket fraud operation.
Museum administrators have faced increased scrutiny in recent months due to a series of high-profile incidents, including the daylight theft of priceless French crown jewels and previous leaks damaging hundreds of books.
The leak occurred near the entrance to the paintings department in the Denon wing, prompting a rapid response from firefighters who contained the leak 40 minutes after it began.
A restoration expert assessed the ceiling painting on Friday morning and confirmed there are two tears in the painting and that the paint layer has lifted.
The ceiling painting, signed by Meynier in 1822, depicts revered French painters Nicolas Poussin, Eustache Le Sueur, and Charles Le Brun among angelic figures.
Rooms 706, 707, and 708 in the Denon wing were closed following the incident but are expected to reopen soon.
While the chief architect of historic monuments reported no structural problems, it remains unclear how much the incident will cost in terms of repairs.
This leak is the latest in a succession of issues for the world's most visited museum, which has seen closures and restoration efforts following previous damage. Recent audits have criticized the museum's budget management, suggesting excessive spending on new art acquisitions instead of maintaining its historic buildings.
