At Long Last Louvre

Regarding “The French Finish Their Masterpiece,” by Scott Kraft (Nov. 14):

Kraft’s piece on the renovation of the Louvre is a service to readers who plan to visit Paris. It is quite comprehensive, but since we have been visiting the Louvre for many years and have just returned from visiting it, we might add a little to the information given.

Aesthetic arguments about I. M. Pei’s pyramid aside, this is one of the world’s all-time stupid designs; it replaced three entrances with one small one. The Louvre has always had miserable access, but now you have to wait in line interminably outside the pyramid to enter. In bad weather, this is a horror. The new direct entry from the Metro will help; at least using it will keep you out of the rain.

Art will be moved around within the entire museum for a few years since the aim is to get it all departmentalized and each department arranged chronologically, as has been so well done at the Picasso museum. Maybe some of the pictures now hung near the ceiling, so high and in such bad light as to be impossible to enjoy, will be brought down to eye level.

Although art restoration is being done, the refusal of the staff to enforce the prohibition of camera flash units threatens to destroy masterpieces such as “Mona Lisa” and the “Venus de Milo.” Better enforcement could ensure future generations’ enjoyment of these treasures.

DAVID W. HARLOWE

Tarzana