For the first time in it 228 year history, The Louvre in Paris will have a female president.

54-year old Laurence des Cars, who is currently president of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, will take over the job – one of the most important in the art world – in September.

The announcement was made today by French President Emmanuel Macron.

By training, Laurence des Cars is a specialist in 19th-century painting who started her career as a curator at the Musée d’Orsay in 1994. In 2007 she took charge of the Agence France-Muséums, the French government body responsible for delivering the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

She will replace Jean-Luc Martinez.