If the Louvre has its way, this $22M painting purchased by the Kimbell will stay in France
The painting at the center of the international art conflict in which Fort Worth is embroiled features a mountain of strawberries in a wicker basket flanked by a glass of water, a peach, two white carnations and two cherries.
Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum purchased “Basket of Wild Strawberries” by 18-century French painter Jean Siméon Chardin at an auction in Paris in March for more than $22 million, the New York Times reported earlier this week.
At the Kimbell, the painting “would be in perfect harmony with the intimacy, serenity, and timelessness of the architecture,” the museum said in a statement.
If the Louvre has its way, however, the painting won’t make it to Texas.
After the purchase, the Louvre requested the painting be classified as a “national treasure.” As a result, the export has been frozen for 30 months while the museum looks for sponsorship to purchase the painting.
The conflict plays out as the Louvre continues to struggle to recoup financial losses incurred during the coronavirus pandemic. Museum attendance throughout France fell by 72% in 2020 and 62% in 2021, the London- and New York-based Art Newspaper reported.
The Kimbell said it respects the French government’s move to freeze the export, “Nevertheless, we hope eventually to be able to display this marvelous painting at the Kimbell, where it would be a wonderful ambassador of French culture.”
