Row over Paris opera house ceiling reignites with lawsuit threat
Summary
A dispute has started over the ceiling of the Paris opera house, Palais Garnier. In the 1960s, artist Marc Chagall painted a new ceiling that covered the original 19th-century ceiling by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu. Now, a descendant of Lenepveu wants the original ceiling to be uncovered and restored and is threatening to take legal action.Key Facts
- The original opera house ceiling was painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu in the 19th century and is considered a historic monument.
- In 1962, French culture minister André Malraux had Marc Chagall create a new, colorful ceiling that was installed over Lenepveu’s work.
- Chagall's ceiling is made of 24 large canvas pieces covering 220 square meters of the dome.
- Lenepveu’s descendant, Arnaud Carayon, has asked for three years to uncover and restore the original ceiling but received no positive response.
- Carayon has written letters to French President Emmanuel Macron and is now planning to take the issue to court.
- The original Lenepveu ceiling has not been visible or accessible for about 60 years.
- The Palais Garnier will close for renovation from 2027 to 2032, and Carayon suggests alternating between the two ceilings after reopening.
- The original ceiling was painted directly on copper plates and reflects the classical style of the opera house designed by Charles Garnier.
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