Select sculptures similar to Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo were despatched to the Château de Valençay. On 27 August 1939, after two days of packing, truck convoys began to leave Paris. By 28 December, the museum was cleared of most works, besides Art Galery those that were too heavy and “unimportant paintings were left in the basement”. In early 1945, after the liberation of France, art began returning to the Louvre.
