Louvre Acquires Strawberry Painting Paid For By Nearly 10,000 Donors
Video screenshot via Artcurial
The Musée du Louvre in Paris has borne fruit in securing Jean Siméon Chardin’s 1761 masterpiece, Basket of Wild Strawberries, thanks to a groundswell of public support.
This still life, which had fetched a record-breaking €24.3 million (US$26.8 million) at an auction by Artcurial in March 2022, was initially slated to leave France. However, the Louvre stepped in, blocking its export and launching a public fundraising campaign called Tous Mécènes! (All Patrons!).
The initiative proved to be a resounding success, exceeding its target and raising over €1.6 million (US$1.74 million) from nearly 10,000 individual donors. This community effort, along with significant contributions from the luxury goods group LVMH (€15 million) and the Société des Amis du Louvre (€7.8 million), secured the strawberries’ future in France.
Laurence des Cars, the Louvre’s director, expressed her deep appreciation to the donors, acknowledging the painting’s national significance. Chardin’s “incomparable” Basket of Strawberries will now embark on a celebratory tour across France, starting at the Louvre-Lens on March 21 before returning to Paris in June. The piece will then travel to the Museum of Fine Arts in Brest and the Roger-Quilliot Art Museum in Clermont-Ferrand to greet audiences nationwide.
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With Basket of Wild Strawberries now a permanent resident, the Louvre further strengthens its position as a treasure trove of artistic marvels accessible for all to admire.
[via The Art Newspaper and Artnet News, images via various sources]
