Tradition is preserved. A curator is replacing a curator as president of the Musée d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie, in Paris. The Elysée Palace has cut short Christophe Leribault's first term as the head of the museum dedicated to the 19th century to entrust him with the presidency of the Château de Versailles. Chosen as his successor, Sylvain Amic, 56, made a name for himself at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen in northwest France with several exhibitions in line with Parisian expectations. The curator paid tribute to the Impressionists and Flaubert, brought Picasso and Braque closer together and showcased the Treasures of Sienna, demonstrating remarkable dynamism and considerable political savvy.
In 2022, he left Normandy and joined Rima Abdul Malak's cabinet as an adviser on museums and arts and crafts. There, he expanded his network in the Ministry of Culture and enhanced his public sector resumé. Announced on Thursday, April 18, this appointment, which marks the culmination of a career spent in several major cities – before Rouen, he worked at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier (southern France) – echoes the rhetoric hammered home by Culture Minister Rachida Dati since her appointment.
The minister, who insists on access to culture for audiences far from the capital, recommended Amic's profile to Emmanuel Macron, according to information from Le Monde. The Elysé praised him as "a great museum professional, chosen because of his strong convictions for a territorial cultural policy." They recalled Amic's participation in launching the "catalog of desires" under former Culture Minister Françoise Nyssen, whose objective was to circulate masterpieces from national collections across the regions.
For the staff of the Musée d'Orsay, the imminent arrival of an even-tempered and consensual personality, a specialist in the 19th century without being confined to it, is a hope for continuity. In the two and a half years he was in charge, Leribault made a name for himself with his quiet management style.
Macron, according to Le Figaro, met Amic last week and preferred him to half a dozen other names in circulation. These included Xavier Rey, current director of the Musée National d'Art Moderne; Olivia Voisin, director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans; Sylvie Patry, artistic director at Kamel Mennour Gallery; and Olivier Gabet, director of the decorative arts department at the Louvre, both of whom applied for the position in 2021.
As president, Amic will have to manage major works to improve reception at the Musée d'Orsay and the opening of the Daniel Marchesseau Research Center, on which work begins in September on the Quai Voltaire.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.