Sylvain Amic, the director of Paris's prestigious Musée d'Orsay, died suddenly at the age of 58 while on vacation in southern France. His unexpected death was announced on Sunday by French Culture Minister Rachida Dati. According to sources quoted by the French daily newspaper Le Figaro, Amic died of natural causes while holidaying in a village in the Gard region of southern France.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who had appointed Amic as head of the museum in 2024, expressed his shock at the curator's death in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Sylvain Amic wanted everyone to be able to access the marvels of art, from Manet to Soulages. He understood the force of universal emancipation of our culture," Macron wrote, highlighting Amic's commitment to making art accessible to all.

Culture Minister Dati paid her own tribute to the late director, describing him as an exceptional leader with a generous spirit. "With an open spirit, Sylvain Amic was a warm man, attentive to others, who believed in opening culture to everyone and every place. Art loses one of its best connoisseurs and a great servant of the state," Dati said in her statement.

Amic had previously stated that becoming the head of the Musée d'Orsay had always been his dream job. He first sought the position in 2017 but was passed over when the president selected Laurence des Cars, who is now the director of the Louvre. However, his opportunity came in April 2024 when Christophe Léribault left the museum after serving less than three years to become chair of the Château de Versailles, and Amic was chosen to replace him.

Despite his enthusiasm for the role, Amic did not have sufficient time to accomplish his primary mission of rehanging the museum's collection following the completion of major renovation works on the entrance hall and the square in front of the museum. The director was keenly aware of the need to improve visiting conditions at the museum, which has achieved record attendance figures since the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 4.9 million visitors in 2024. He also actively sought to attract more young visitors to the museum and, like many of his colleagues in the cultural sector, faced ongoing challenges with budget cuts.

Known for being politically savvy, Amic was described as a relaxed and approachable leader who maintained a warm smile and was well-liked by his colleagues throughout the museum community. His appointment marked a significant change in France, where leadership positions at national museums have traditionally been reserved for a Parisian elite of high-level curators with prestigious backgrounds. Amic, however, had built his distinguished career working as a curator in provincial city museums across France.

Born in 1967 in Dakar, Senegal, where his parents worked as teachers, Amic initially followed in their footsteps and became a teacher himself. At the age of 33, he made a career change and joined the Musée Fabre in Montpellier, southern France, where he took responsibility for managing the museum's 19th and 20th century collections. His expertise and dedication quickly gained recognition in the art world.

Between 2008 and 2012, Amic curated two major exhibitions at the prestigious Grand Palais in Paris, demonstrating his curatorial excellence on a national stage. These included a comprehensive Emil Nolde retrospective in 2008 and an acclaimed exhibition entitled "Bohèmes" in 2012, both of which received critical praise and attracted significant public attention.

For more than ten years beginning in 2011, Amic served as the head of the museum in Rouen, Normandy, which is renowned for its impressive Impressionist collection. During his tenure there, he organized and staged several notable exhibitions that enhanced the museum's reputation and drew visitors from around the world. In 2022, he transitioned to the central administration, joining the Culture Ministry as an adviser on museums to former Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak. In this role, he was instrumental in preparing sensitive legislation regarding the restitution of human remains and artworks that had been looted during various historical periods.