World's largest museum and the home of The Mona Lisa is now run by Des Cars.
France has appointed Laurence des Cars, known for promoting social issues through art, as the new head of the Louvre creating history. the first time a woman will be in charge of the world's biggest museum more than two centuries after it first opened.
The 54 year old art historian currently runs the Musee d'Orsay, the Paris landmark museum dedicated to 19th-century art. Here she has taken a stance on some controversial topics, including by coming out in favour of restituting works looted by Nazis.
"A great museum must face history, including by looking back at the history of our owns institutions," she told AFP in an interview in April.
A museum's shows should reflect "the big issues in society, and thus attract new generations" of visitors "of all ages and from all social-cultural backgrounds", she told AFP. Read all trending updates here.