Confused By This 1993 France Stamp

HI folks

This stamp from France arrived on a Postcrossing postcard today and I am a bit confused. As far as I know, the Louvre museum does not have a big shiny gold rectangle dividing it.

Does anyone familiar with French stamps know what this design-feature is all about?

JD

Damn architects. Next thing you know, they'll be putting a pyramid in front of the place.

Scroll down to see the set

https://www.timbres-francais.net/ti...-1993-2.html

Maybe they were rebuilding that wing and put up one of them privacy walls? :-)


Peter

Hmmmm....

"In 1993, on the 200th anniversary of the museum, a rebuilt wing formerly occupied by the French ministry of finance was opened to the public. It was the first time that the entire Louvre was devoted to museum purposes."

In 1983, French President François Mitterrand proposed, as one of his Grands Projets, the Grand Louvre plan to renovate the building and relocate the Finance Ministry, allowing displays throughout the building. Architect I. M. Pei was awarded the project and proposed a glass pyramid to stand over a new entrance in the main court, the Cour Napoléon.The pyramid and its underground lobby were inaugurated on 15 October 1988 and the Louvre Pyramid was completed in 1989. The second phase of the Grand Louvre plan, the Pyramide Inversée (Inverted Pyramid), was completed in 1993.

Nells, I was just kidding. Guess we need to wait for Vayolene for the real explanation


Peter

Looking at the link that GeoffHa provided:

It looks like it was to balance the set of two stamp estheticly.

A simular rectangular shape in both stamps also looking a bit like the shape with Mona Lisa's eyes on the interpanneaux.

Actually Peter I think they really were trying to show some sort of division... dunno! Perhaps it has something to do with the "monolith" from 2001????

;-)

I believe that there is a "design theme" that could explain this.

The other stamp in the set - face value 2,80 - has a similarly positioned rectangle with the word "Louvre".

The two stamp designs are printed se-tenant either side of a central gutter showing the eyes of the Mona Lisa in a similarly sized rectangle. Below the eyes, there is a helpful note stating "closed Tuesdays" ("fermé le mardi"). The Museum, not the eyes...