A month after the launch of the campaign to acquire Lucas Cranach’s Three Graces, the Louvre has raised 1 million euros from over 5000 donors. This enabled Lucas Cranach’s Three Graces to enter into the Louvre’s collections. The Louvre would like to thank all those who have taken part in this extraordinary successful campaign!

On November 13, the Louvre museum launched a fundraising campaign to acquire The Three Graces by Lucas Cranach. This small oil on wood painting shows three female nudes painted with stunning sensuality and finesse. This masterpiece has been confined to private collections since it was painted in 1531. Astonishing in its technical perfection and because of its remarkable condition, The Three Graces has earned the status of a Trésor national, which entitles the Louvre to the right of first refusal for acquiring the work for its collection until the end of January 2011. Thanks to two corporate patrons (including Mazars) and the museum’s acquisitions budget, three-quarters of the funds were soon available. The Louvre then launched a broad appeal to gather the missing funds.