Picasso in Paris

Picasso exhibition creates 'a cancer' in the Louvre, claim Paris elite

A Picasso exhibition at the Louvre has sparked a row among Paris' cultural elite after critics complained the masses drawn to the populist show were like 'a cancer.'

By Sarah Knapton
Last Updated: 11:44AM BST 09 Oct 2008

Visitors to the Louvre look at Picasso's painting 'Nu couche' Photo: GETTY

The 'Picasso and the masters' exhibition, which has cost nearly £3.4 million and contains 200 paintings, opened in Paris this week and sets the Spanish painter alongside classical artists like Goya, Velazquez and Delacroix.

It was commissioned by Louvre president Henri Loyrette, who wanted to boost the museum's popularity with the general public. But the move has upset some members of the Paris arts scene who have accused organisers of dumbing-down to attract the plebs.

Marc Dumaroli, chairman of the Society of Friends of the Louvre said the masses drawn to the museum were "a cancer".

"They visit the Louvre like they'd visit Chernobyl," he added. Critics claim Mr Loyrette is turning his back on 200 years of history in an attempt to pull in visitors. The museum, a former royal French palace attracted 8.3 million people last year, 60 per cent more than in 2001. Detractors have also raised eyebrows at recent fundraising events such as Duran Duran concert this summer.

Mr Loyrette, 56, rejected the backlash claiming the museum was never meant to be elitist when it was set up in the French Revolution. "It was meant to be a museum open to all," he said.

The exhibition will be spread across three Paris museums, the Grand Palais, the Musee d'Orsay and the Louvre.