A strike by staff at the Louvre passed almost unnoticed, partly because many of the attendants ignored their union’s call, and partly because the number of visitors has reached such record proportions that the level of supervision in individual galleries was already at an all-time low.

A record 8.3 million paid for admission last year, and this does not take into account visitors on Sundays, a free day when up to 65,000 may attend. Another free day was created by the strike, because those taking industrial action blocked access to the ticket desks and the management responded by allowing everyone in without paying.

The staff union wanted a bonus to take account of the stress involved in handling such large numbers, and talked of the ‘unbearable hubbub’ around the most popular exhibits, such as the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo.

A particular bone of contention is the ban on flash photography in the gallery where the Mona Lisa is hung. So many visitors ignore these strictures that the staff find themselves shouting out endless reminders and warnings.