For whom is the Denon wing of the Louvre named?

For whom is the Denon wing of the Louvre named? It is named for Vivant Denon.

Dominique-Vivant Denon was a French diplomat, writer, artist, collector, and museum administrator who became the Louvre’s first director under Napoleon. He directed the museum from 1802 to 1815, when it was known during Napoleon’s reign as the Musée Napoléon. The wing’s name honours this influential figure, not a king or a member of the Denon family with one of the invented first names in the choices.

Denon had travelled during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign of 1798–1801 and published influential illustrated observations about Egypt. As museum director, he helped organise vast collections brought to Paris during French military campaigns, while also overseeing major displays and expansions. His work helped shape the Louvre as a modern encyclopedic museum.

The Louvre’s three principal wings are named after prominent historical figures: Denon, Richelieu, and Sully. The Denon Wing lies along the Seine and contains celebrated works including the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Denon’s legacy is complex because many Napoleonic acquisitions were later returned to their countries of origin.