South African-born artist Marlene Dumas has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first contemporary woman artist to have her work permanently displayed at the Louvre Museum. Nine new paintings by Dumas were officially unveiled at the prestigious Paris institution last Thursday, marking a significant moment in the museum's long history.
The site-specific paintings are now permanently housed in the Porte des Lions atrium, located at the entrance of the Galerie des Cinq Continents (Gallery of the Five Continents) and the Paintings galleries. The collection, titled "Liaisons," features a series of face paintings that, according to the artist, draw inspiration from the contemporary world's horrors and tragedies.
According to an official statement from the Louvre, the faces in Dumas's work vary dramatically in their artistic approach. Some are rendered in more abstract forms, while others display gestural qualities, and several reflect traces of underlying drawings. This diversity in technique creates a powerful visual dialogue within the collection.
In a revealing interview with Donatien Grau, the Louvre's head of contemporary programs, Dumas explained her artistic vision: "My faces are a mixture of the past and the present. I cannot paint the horrors of the ongoing genocides of our times directly, but their shadows did affect the mood under which these faces were made. Portraiture deals with likeness and the recognition of people known. Faces deal with the nameless. They include those dehumanized, like fugitives, branded as aliens."
Laurence des Cars, the Louvre's director, praised the selection of Dumas for this groundbreaking commission. "She defends and illustrates the medium of painting like few others, and her work is conceived as a space for bringing together different sensibilities and origins," des Cars stated. "That is exactly what we aimed to do with this redesigned space."
When asked about her expectations for visitor reactions, Dumas displayed characteristic humility and insight. "I cannot predict the average reactions of viewers, as each carries their own personal burdens and baggage of experience with them," she said. "And for me, this is also not familiar ground, to make paintings this large and hang them this high. Intimacy fits me better."
Dumas acknowledged that her selection might generate some controversy, saying, "I do think some will say about me, 'Why her, and why here?!' And I will answer, 'Because she asked me.' You do not wish to say no when Laurence des Cars asks you [to make works]." The artist also discussed how various works in the Louvre's collection have influenced her artistic practice, particularly citing Michelangelo's famous "Dying Slave" sculpture from 1513-16 as a significant inspiration.
Reflecting on the deeper meaning of exhibiting at the Louvre, Dumas shared her perspective on the institution's global significance: "The Louvre represents for me not only the art history of the so-called West, with its beauties and its inhumanities, but also the value of preserving and sharing humanity's collective history and interrelations."
This historic addition is part of the Louvre's expanding contemporary art program, which has been gaining momentum in recent years. Last year, Belgian artist Luc Tuymans presented a temporary installation called "The Orphan" in an octagonal gallery that connects the Sully and Richelieu wings. Just last month, the museum made another contemporary art acquisition by purchasing its first video work, created by Algeria-born artist Mohamed Bourouissa, further demonstrating the institution's commitment to diversifying its collection with modern artistic voices.
