Louvre paintings damaged in downpour

July 18 (UPI) -- A downpour earlier this month in Paris damaged multiple paintings in the Louvre, prompting their removal, the museum said.

Museum workers discovered water damage on a number of paintings after a July 9 storm that flooded subway stations and inundated emergency call centers. Water infiltration led the museum to close sections of the paintings and Egyptian antiquities galleries.

Water marks drips were found on two panels of Nicolas Poussin's Four Seasons as well as The Triumph of Mordecai by Jean-Francois de Troy -- all of which were removed for repairs, the Louvre said. Museum officials removed paintings by Georges de la Tour and Eustache Le Sueur where they found water marks on the walls.

There was also water damage on a false ceiling on one floor of the museum, as well as water infiltration in various wings of the facility.