Louvre Likes These Strawberries So Much, It Just Intercepted An Auction For Them

Video screenshot via Artcurial

A still-life painting of a heap of strawberries by 18th-century artist Jean Siméon Chardin went under the hammer for €24.4 million (US$27 million) on March 23. Now, the Louvre wants a taste of those sweet, juicy berries for itself.

The sale for The Basket of Wild Strawberries, held by Parisian auction house Artcurial, concluded with New York dealer Adam Williams placing the top bid. The amount more than triples the previous record price for a Chardin at auction (€7.11 million).

Unfortunately, the time isn’t ripe for Williams as the Louvre has blocked the sale to purchase the painting, justifying that the work is a national treasure. The Art Newspaper reports that, under French law, art can be put on hold for two-and-a-half years if it is pronounced to be a national treasure.

Having gone through a tumultuous couple of years, the museum realistically cannot afford this art, so it plans to spend the holding period looking for sponsorship to pay for the masterpiece.

The Louvre already owns 41 Chardins in its collection, so the attempt to claim another might make it look as though it’s not cherry-picking. However, there’s a reason this still-life is now far more expensive than any other Chardin work, and it’s that it’s the only painting by the artist to feature strawberries.

An advisory committee will meet in mid-April to discuss if the Louvre should be the one to take over the painting, or if it’s forbidden fruit, though the Art Newspaper notes that the institution rarely gets denied such requests.

[via The Art Newspaper and ARTnews, video and cover image via Artcurial]