Abu Dhabi Deal – Critics Assail Louvre

“The oil-rich emirate will pay 400 million euros ($524m; £272m) just for the Louvre name. The first payment, 150m euros, will be made within a month, according to the French news agency AFP. This, according to critics, amounts to using France’s artistic heritage for basely commercial ends. ‘Our museums are not for sale’, proclaims an online petition signed by 4,700 people – including many curators, art historians, and archaeologists.”