Water Leak Causes Damage to 19th Century Artwork at the Louvre

Sat Feb 14 2026 01:17:49 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent water leak at the Louvre Museum in Paris has led to the damage of a notable ceiling painting from the 19th century. The museum faces scrutiny following a series of incidents affecting its collection and security.

A water leak from a heating pipe damaged Charles Meynier’s ceiling painting, 'The Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun', at the Louvre Museum. Discovered late Thursday night, the leak has prompted investigations into ongoing maintenance issues at the museum. This incident follows thefts and previous leaks that have heightened concern over the museum's preservation efforts.

A water leak at the Louvre has caused damage to a 19th Century ceiling painting, in the latest major setback for the Parisian museum.

Water damage was discovered in room 707, also known as the Duchâtel room, late on Thursday night, the museum said. The room houses multiple 15th and 16th Century artworks.

The museum reported that the leak, which originated from a heating pipe, was stopped shortly after midnight and only the painting by Charles Meynier titled 'The Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun' was affected.

This incident emerges just a day after French police detained nine individuals, including two museum staff members, over a suspected ticket fraud scheme.

Museum management has faced mounting pressure as recent months saw the brazen theft of priceless French crown jewels and significant damage to hundreds of books from a prior leak.

The Louvre confirmed that the leak occurred at the entrance to the paintings department in the Denon wing, and firefighters successfully halted the flow of water 40 minutes after it began.

A painting restorer inspected Meynier's artwork the following morning, revealing two tears caused by water and lifting paint on the ceiling and surrounding arches.

This ceiling painting, created in 1822, features notable French painters Nicolas Poussin, Eustache Le Sueur, and Charles Le Brun among angelic figures.

The affected Denon wing rooms were temporarily closed but are expected to reopen shortly. Structural evaluations found that there were no significant damages to the building itself, although scaffolding was set up for further assessments.

The financial implications of the painting damage and building repairs are still unknown, marking this leak as the latest in a series of troubles faced by the world's most visited museum.

A recent audit criticized the Louvre's excessive focus on artwork acquisition at the expense of essential maintenance, echoing concerns raised after previous significant thefts and leak incidents.