There is a treasure trove of art from Russian museums on display in Paris. Now there are those who would like to seize it

A discussion has arisen in France around the possible seizure of the fabled Morozov Collection, a spectacular art collection that brings together work by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and other great artists of the time, as well as Russian avant-gardists such as Kazimir Malevič and Michail Larionov. Works from the collection, started in the early 20th century by the brothers Michail and Ivan Morozov, entrepreneurs and heirs to a large textile industry, is in Paris at the Fondation Louis Vuitton for the exhibition, curated by Anne Baldassari, La Collection Morozov. Icônes de l’Art Moderne, which began last Sept. 22, with a closure initially scheduled for Feb. 22 and then extended to April 3.

The extension had been decided weeks ago, before events in Ukraine precipitated; now, however, withEuropean Union countries hitting Russia with heavy sanctions, there are questions about the collection’s fate. In order to be realized, the exhibition required, on the part of the Fondation Louis Vuitton that is hosting it, considerable efforts, both economically (the foundation also had to guarantee the restoration of some works) and diplomatically, since France had to provide assurances to Russia (the works are in fact public property: the Morozovs’ collection was nationalized in 1918 and today the works are distributed among several museums, including the Hermitage, the Pushkin Museum, and the Tretyakov Gallery) that the host country would protect the works from any claims by the Morozovs’ descendants. Some loans, the most important ones, even required the permission of Russian President Vladimir Putin himself. At the moment, the exhibition’s organizers point out, the show has been visited by more than a million people.

So now the question arises as to what will become of the collection: there are about two hundred works in France, coming from Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also from Belarus and Ukraine, as well as from a number of foundations belonging to Russian oligarchs. In fact, many seizure requests have spread on social networks, Le Figaro newspaper reports, with Internet users asking to sell the works to help the humanitarian effort aimed at helping Ukrainian refugees, or even to buy weapons to give to the resistance. The law, however, speaks clearly, lawyer Olivier de Baecque also explains to Le Figaro: the French state cannot seize works that belong to foreign public institutions. Moreover, the Minister of Culture, prior to the exhibition, signed an order exempting the works from seizure, which, however, will expire when the exhibition ends. But although in light of recent events the international picture may change, the works at the moment seem to be safe from any action. This is also confirmed by Jean-Paul Claverie, a member of the board of Fondation Louis Vuitton: “At the moment, I have not received any call from the Russian embassy or museums. I remember that our responsibility is the protection of the works. So we will ensure, as agreed, their return to their museums. If the conditions for safe travel prove insufficient, we will wait.”

For the time being, therefore, there is nothing to suggest that the works of the Morozov collection will remain in France. Likewise, the foundation has let it be known that the exhibition will not be suspended (moreover, more than 200,000 bookings are counted between now and the end of the exhibition, and managing them in the event of closure could become a problem), although it has let it be known that it is not turning a blind eye to what is happening in Ukraine and is following the moves of the Elysée to figure out what to do.

There is a treasure trove of art from Russian museums on display in Paris. Now there are those who would like to seize it

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