Art Museums

The French National Assembly has approved a restitution law for the return of art treasures. France now plans to return 26 statues and other works of art from the so-called treasure of Béhanzin to Benin. The treasures were previously on display at the Paris Museum of Non-European Art. Furthermore, a sabre will be returned to Senegal, which was previously on display in the Paris Army Museum.

The Louvre has reopened its doors after four months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Anyone wanting to visit the museum is required to pre-book a time slot, and during the visit face masks are compulsory and social distancing of at least one meter will be enforced.

Jean-Luc Martinez, the museum director, said the museum was expecting just 7,000 visitors on the reopening day. Before the closure, as many as 50,000 people per day toured the Louvre in the busiest summer months.

Three Humboldt penguins from the Kansas City Zoo have visited the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. In a talk about re-opening plans between the museum and the zoo, the directors joked about the idea of bringing penguins to show them the exhibited art. Julián Zugazagoitia, the director of the museum has stated that they were "were concerned first and foremost for the security of the birds and the art" and decided what rooms would be available to the birds. According to him the penguins "felt more comfortable" at the Baroque section than with the Monet painting "Water Lilies".