> pure stubbornness or some weird, jealous hoarding mentality happening on the museums side

Little people fighting for their big egos are far from uncommon in those institutions.

> Is there no equivalent to "contempt of court" in french law? Is this typical?

The French legal system has been under extreme duress over the last decade or so.

https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2024/04/02/justice-la-c...