Please listen carefully to my story; it comes to you from the shadows of history.

I was born Dominique Vivant Denon in 1747.

While still young, I found myself a leading figure in fashionable circles, and in time I was privileged to hold some of the most interesting positions of my day. I became an agent of the monarch, a courtier, an Egyptologist, an author, and perhaps most importantly Napoleon Bonaparte’s spy.

Still young I also came to write my magnum opus, and became famous for a short story titled “Point de Lendemain” or “No Tomorrow”. After this literary triumph I started sporting masks in public, as I wished only to be recognized for my wit and silver tongue.

My favorite disguise became that of a stylish owl.

My legacy and pride however became my close involvement with the re-baptizing of the Louvre; the Napoleonic Louvre. It maintained this illustrious title for Decades.

Even today when you visit the Louvre, you can sense me around my favorite galleries.

After my beloved Emperor Bonaparte abdicated, I elected to remain as administrator and caretaker responsible for his treasures. I still personally attend to the Great sarcophagus in the Egyptian gallery

(…the gentle whooshing sound you may hear is that of my soft chamois dusting cloth.)

My favorite remains the glorious painting, the “Wedding at Cana” by Veronese, that I personally maintain on a regular schedule… hence don’t be disconcerted by the light fragrance of varnish and beeswax.
 

… as retold by Valerie von Sobel