The process of leaving the territory is still blocked for 30 months, explains Laurence des Cars, who speaks of a “small race against time”. All donations, even of a few euros, are welcome.
“It’s a wonderful painting, an absolute masterpiece of French painting”praised Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre Museum, on Wednesday November 8 on franceinfo. The Wild Strawberry Basketby the French painter Chardin was sold at auction in Drouot for more than 24 million euros. “We have blocked the process of leaving the territory for another 30 months. There is a small race against time”, she explained. So that the masterpiece of 18th century painting remains on French territory, the museum is appealing to the generosity of the French. “We give what we want, what we can if we are sensitive to heritage. Even a few euros. There are no small donations”, encouraged Laurence des Cars. Two thirds of the sum have been raised, but a final effort is required from the French so that Chardin’s painting is included in the Louvre collections. “Otherwise, it will go to an important American museum which had acquired it at the time of the sale”she explained.
franceinfo: Can you describe this painting to us?
Laurence des Cars: It’s a small painting, but it’s a wonderful painting, an absolute masterpiece of French painting. It was exhibited for the first time at the Louvre. It was at the exhibition of contemporary artists of the time, what was called “the Salon” in 1761. It is a small basket of strawberries, probably wild strawberries. There is debate about the nature of strawberries. Then, a glass of water, a few carnations. That’s really the beauty of little things.
“It is the infinite grace of Chardin’s talent to make you dream in front of this basket of strawberries.”
Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre Museumat franceinfo
It is a sensual, delicate, extremely elegant painting, geometric in its composition, and ultimately almost pre-modern. It is a painting that was widely looked at in the 19th century by Manet’s generation, the impressionists. It’s like a continuous thread between the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s really something that is at the heart of a French sensibility in painting. Manet paid homage to him, like Renoir, like Fantin-Latour. We found, as if by chance, in the 1860s, many small baskets of strawberries because these artists looked at Chardin’s painting. It was a reference.
Who owns this painting?
The painting remained in a family of collectors who owned it in the 19th century. This is the Eudoxe Marcille family. They are among those people who rediscovered and loved painting from the 18th to the 19th century, when it wasn’t quite fashionable. It is the descendants of the Marcille family who have the painting today. The painting went on sale a year and a half ago at Drouot. We wanted to classify it as a “national treasure”. We have blocked the process of leaving the territory for another 30 months. There is a little race against time. We decided to make this table the “All patrons” operation. It’s an annual operation at the Louvre, a call for patronage, for the generosity of the French. We received exceptional support from the LVMH group for this acquisition.
“It is now practically more than two thirds of the sum which has already arrived. We need 24,300,000 euros and dust [au total].”
Laurence des Carsat franceinfo
It’s a big number, but it’s the hammer number. This is what will allow this painting to be kept in France in the Louvre collections. Otherwise, it will go to an important American museum which had acquired it at the time of the sale.
Can everyone donate?
We give what we want, what we can if we are sensitive to heritage. Even a few euros. There are no small donations. What’s important is to come together. Art brings us together, heritage brings us together. It is a wonderful painting by a very great French artist. These are the national collections. These are not Parisian collections, they are collections which are also intended to shine throughout the territory. It will go for example to the Louvre-Lens, but undoubtedly beyond to other museums in the region. The Louvre is not a Parisian museum, it is a national museum which must share its collections.
If we want to give, even a few euros, how do we do it?
We go to the site tousmécènes.fr. Everything is explained. This also gives the right to a tax deduction, more than 60%. It is an operation of sharing, also of raising awareness, of what an acquisition policy is for the enrichment of national collections.
The Louvre has acquired a painting by Cimabue, a 13th century Florentine painter. This painting could have ended up in a trash can. Tell us his story?
It’s an extraordinary story. A little over four years ago, during a move to a house near Senlis (Oise). The family, owners of this work, considered this painting to be an icon of little interest and which could actually have ended up in the trash. It was fortunately appraised and identified as one of the very rare paintings by Cimabue. We know of around ten in the world today, including this one. The Louvre is fortunate to have a very large painting by him, a Maestà, A Virgin in majesty. It was an immediate event with an auction again, somewhat in the same pattern as the Chardin. The Minister of Culture at the time decided to classify the work as a national treasure. It took us four years to actually put together the sum which is roughly equivalent to that of Chardin. We are in exactly the same type of price: 24 million.
Do you have a budget each year to buy paintings?
20% of ticket sales are statutorily allocated to acquisitions. That’s about 12 million per year. These are significant amounts. I mobilized part of the money from the Louvre Abu Dhabi brand license: 15 million were mobilized for this acquisition, but also our own acquisition budget. The Friends of the Louvre were also there, and a couple of American patrons, Harry and Linda Fath. I want to greet them. They were very generous in donating a million dollars for this acquisition.
Can we see this painting today?
It will go into restoration immediately. It’s a small panel, but it will be presented with the great Maestà in an exhibition event at the beginning of 2025. You will understand everything about the revolution, the beginnings of the pre-Renaissance, Italian painting.