Louvre names antiquities expert as its new director

PARIS (AP) ― France’s Louvre museum is getting a new director ― the man who is leading the restoration of its most famous Greek sculpture and has his hands in some of the institutions latest efforts to expand its reach.

Jean-Luc Martinez, a French specialist in Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities who has worked at the Louvre since 2007, was appointed by President Francois Hollande for a three-year term.

Martinez, 49, is leading the restoration of the famed headless Winged Victory of Samothrace this year and has been involved in the new Louvre branch in the eastern city of Lens, as well as the museum’s expansion in Abu Dhabi.

He takes over in mid-April from Henri Loyrette, who held the post for 12 years.