Loan and long-term loan requestsLoan and long-term loan requests | How to apply for a long-term loan

Works in the custody of French national museums may be loaned on a long-term basis to make them available to a wide audience in France or abroad.

Prospective borrowers should write to the relevant person at the Louvre in charge of collections to submit their long-term loan proposal. Official requests must be made by post to the President-Director of the Musée du Louvre:

Musée du Louvre
Madame Laurence des Cars
Présidente-Directrice
75058 Paris Cedex 01

Written requests must include the following information: full name of the borrowing institution; name(s) of person(s) who will be responsible for the Louvre object(s); list of works requested with corresponding inventory numbers; precise location where the loaned work will be on display; facility report (exhibition and security conditions); and contact details for all persons involved in the management of the project.

Prospective borrowers can consult the museum’s databases at the following links: https://collections.louvre.fr/.

A new long-term loan must be part of a specific project at the museum wishing to borrow a Louvre object. The Louvre examines each request to make sure there is a meaningful and complementary link between Louvre objects and the scientific and cultural project of the prospective borrowing institution.

Institutions that wish to borrow Louvre objects on a long-term basis must have conservation experts on their staff and meet security standards to guarantee the safekeeping of loaned works.

As outlined in the official contract, future beneficiaries of long-term loans are expected to meet several obligations including:

• Insuring the loaned work;
• Conserving loaned works according to exhibition and security standards in force;
• Informing the relevant curatorial department of the Louvre without delay if loaned works disappear or are damaged in any way;
• Requesting approval from the relevant Louvre curatorial department before changing the display conditions of works loaned on a long-term basis;
• Obtaining approval from the relevant Louvre curatorial department before pursuing conservation treatment of loaned works;
• Allowing qualified personnel from the Louvre to monitor and inspect works loaned on a long-term basis at any time;
• Returning works to the Louvre for temporary exhibitions.