The Louvre in secret. Brest, 1870. Masterpieces at the Arsenal.
Locus Solus| N° d'inventaire | 23315 |
| Format | 14.5 x 20.5 |
| Détails | 144 p., paperback. |
| Publication | Châteaulin, 2020 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782368333150 |
Napoleon III declared war on Prussia in the summer of 1870, but it quickly became a rout. Empress Eugenie ordered the evacuation of the major museums, including the Louvre, before the enemy reached the gates of Paris. In just a few days, 293 masterpieces left by train for Brest, a prime military port. Among them, the Mona Lisa! The arsenal was the ideal place to protect, and evacuate by boat if necessary, these treasures, along with the Crown Jewels and the gold of the Bank of France. Patrick Gourlay returns to the origins of this secret operation, witness to major changes in art and history.
Napoleon III declared war on Prussia in the summer of 1870, but it quickly became a rout. Empress Eugenie ordered the evacuation of the major museums, including the Louvre, before the enemy reached the gates of Paris. In just a few days, 293 masterpieces left by train for Brest, a prime military port. Among them, the Mona Lisa! The arsenal was the ideal place to protect, and evacuate by boat if necessary, these treasures, along with the Crown Jewels and the gold of the Bank of France. Patrick Gourlay returns to the origins of this secret operation, witness to major changes in art and history.