Prix Denon 2027 Musée du Louvre Deadline: Aug 31, 2026

The Louvre Museum awards the Denon Prize to enable the publication of a thesis in art history, archaeology or museum studies, on a theme broadly concerning the museum, its history and/or its collections, without restriction of period or geographical area.

This prize pays tribute to Dominique-Vivant Denon (1747-1825), the first director of the Louvre Museum and the national museums. The prize money is drawn from the financial resources generated by the Majid Boustany Fund, within the Louvre Museum Endowment Fund. The prize, worth €12,000, includes:- €10,000 for the publication of the book by the Louvre Museum Press, in co-edition with another publisher to be determined by the Press,- €2,000 for the winner to compensate them for adapting their thesis for the final book.

Eligibility requirements:

The candidate must be under 40 years of age. There are no nationality requirements. The unpublished thesis, written in French or English, must have been defended within the 5 years preceding the award ceremony.

Application Procedures:

Application files must include the following documents:

- the application form ( https://www.louvre.fr/recherche-et-conservation/centre-dominique-vivant-denon/recherche )

- a cover letter explaining the relevance of the thesis to the Louvre

- a curriculum vitae including references to publications

- the defense committee report

- a table of contents for publication

- an abstract for publication (5 pages)

- an explanatory note outlining how the manuscript may be, or has been, revised after the defense with a view to publication

- the thesis manuscript in digital format

The call for applications is open until August 31, 2026, at midnight.

Please submit your application in two PDF files (documents and manuscript) to recherche @louvre.fr with the subject: “Denon Prize 2027”.

Theselection will be made by a jury composed of:- the President-Director of the Louvre, who will chair the jury- the Director of Museum Studies and Research Support, in charge of the Dominique-Vivant Denon Center- a director from one of the Louvre Museum's departments- the Director in charge of Exhibitions and Publications at the Louvre- the patron

The prize will be awarded in early 2027.

For any questions or requests for guidance, please feel free to write to the Directorate of Museum Studies and Research Support at recherche@louvre.fr