In a masterstroke of cultural diplomacy, the Louvre will launch a major exhibition next month at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran, comprising 50 works drawn from from its collection and the Musée Eugène Delacroix in Paris (The Louvre in Tehran, 5 March-3 June).
“The Louvre in Tehran is the first large-scale exhibition by a major Western museum in Iran and an outstanding cultural and diplomatic event for both countries,” a Louvre statement says. The exhibition—which includes Greek, Roman and Persian artefacts —charts the development of the Paris museum from its foundation in 1793 until today. The show is sponsored by the Renault group and the oil and gas conglomerate Fondation Total.
The move follows a visit to France by the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani in early 2016 when a memorandum of understanding was signed between Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation—the government institution responsible for Iran’s museums and cultural heritage—and Louvre officials.