This painting by Victor Joseph Chavet (1822-1906) shows the work on the Louvre ordered by Napoleon III. For Napoleon III, the completion of the palace was the opportunity to establish his place in French history and legitimise the regime that he had imposed: he continued the work of the First Empire and completed the work of kings. The work was primarily led by Hector Lefuel (from 1853), who took over from the architect Visconti.