Louvre heist leaves a cultural wound — and may turn French crown jewels into legend

Louvre heist leaves a cultural wound — and may turn French crown jewels into legend Updated 27 mins ago A week after thieves stormed the Louvre and ripped eight priceless pieces from France’s crown jewels, the country is nursing a deep cultural wound. That's even as Paris authorities on Sunday announced arrests tied to the haul. Yet a paradox cuts through the grief. With the Apollo Gallery’s vitrines standing empty, some experts believe the scandal could bring greater celebrity to the stolen jewels and the pieces left behind. In 1911, a museum handyman lifted Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” off its hook. When the portrait returned two years later, its fame eclipsed every other work in the museum. That uneasy precedent now shadows the Apollo Gallery.