Marlene Dumas, one of the most influential painters living today, became the first contemporary female artist to join the Louvre’s permanent collection.
french publications Le Monde Nine new paintings by the Dutch-South African artist are reportedly hanging on the ground floor of the Louvre’s Denon Wing overlooking the Seine. Dumas, epitomized by David Zwirner, is known for his gestural and even ghostly figures and incongruous color schemes that hint at the mystery of the hearts of strangers, let alone the hearts of people we know. The “Contacts” series of works currently on display at the Louvre is of this style: enclosed faces seem to flow between pine green, earthy brown, bright orange and faded blue.
In May, Dumas became the world’s most valuable living female artist when she painted the 1997 painting. Miss January, The work, which depicts a confident yet eerily half-naked woman, sold for $13.6 million, including commission, at Christie’s evening sale.
While this was a triumph in the market, Dumas has been under commercial and critical attention for decades: in 2008 she was the subject of a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, and at the 1995 Venice Biennale she represented the Netherlands (her homeland). Over the years, she has participated in four main exhibitions of the Venice Biennale and two documentas.
“Painting is a battle with no guarantee of success; it’s wrestling with the elements, paint and canvas, pushing one’s body to its limits and resisting one’s own ideas and preconceptions,” she told Le Monde.
Dumas’ acquisition was announced on Thursday, November 6, under perhaps less than ideal circumstances. Dumas was commissioned by museum director Laurence des Cars in an effort to diversify the Louvre’s art collection. But the theft of the crown jewels on Oct. 19 and subsequent revelations of widespread security system failures have put the museum’s budget priorities under intense scrutiny.
Earlier this year, the Louvre and President Macron unveiled plans for a major renovation of the museum, expected to cost 700 million to 800 million euros ($815 million to $932 million).
A report released this week by France’s Court of Auditors, part of which was leaked to the media after the robbery, determined that “original plans to modernize the security system were repeatedly delayed” and that the cameras were installed “only after the rooms were refurbished.” The report also criticized the museum for failing to prioritize enhanced security despite having an annual operating budget of 323 million euros ($376 million), adding that “the amounts committed are small compared to projected needs.”
Culture Minister Rachida Dadi has since said part of the budget will be dedicated to bringing the museum’s security systems into compliance with audit recommendations.
