PARIS, April 11./TASS/. The paintings that were on display in Paris at an exhibition of the Morozov brothers’ collection have attracted 1.25 million visitors in half-a-year, Foundation Louis Vuitton said on Monday.
"We recorded 1.250 million visitors, of which 84% were French. This is an exceptional event in conditions of a sanitary crisis," the foundation said. Earlier, it told TASS that 1.2 million people had visited the exhibition that ended on April 3.
"The Morozov Collection: Icons of Modern Art" at the Louis Vuitton Foundation was among the most visited exhibitions in France over the past 50 years. The exhibition of paintings from the collection of another renowned Russian art collector Sergey Shchukin was a great success in France in 2016, seeing a record number of visitors - 1.3 million people.
The press service of the Russian Embassy in Paris did not confirm reports by French media on Saturday, that two paintings from the Morozov brothers’ collection had been seized. "Nobody has seized anything," a spokesperson said. "Logistical issues are being settled. This is difficult in the present conditions," he said.
Foundation Louis Vuitton and Russian experts are readying paintings that were on display in Paris at an exhibition of the Morozov brothers’ collection for their safe return to Russia, the foundation told TASS last week.
"All the necessary procedures are underway. The paintings are being removed and prepared for the return to the museums from where they arrived. This work is being done with the participation of Russian preservation specialists," it said.
The interlocutor did not specify whether some of the paintings had already been sent on their way, noting that the exhibition ended at 21:00 local time on April 3, while the terms of transporting the paintings are strictly confidential. The source also said that all the paintings for the exhibition were insured.
"The Morozov Collection: Icons of Modern Art" opened at the Louis Vuitton Foundation on September 21 with the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Initially, it was scheduled to run until February 22, 2022, but later a decision was made to extend it until April 3. The Paris exhibition features paintings by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Sezanne, Renoir, Manet, Matisse and other outstanding European painters. Along with them, works by some of Russia’s best-loved painters from the Morozov brothers’ collection were on display, including paintings by Konstantin Korovin, Valentin Serov, Kazimir Malevich, Natalia Goncharova and Pyotr Konchalovsky.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed Russia had no intention of occupying the country, the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine. In response, the US, the EU, Britain and a number of other countries announced sanctions against Russian individuals and entities. Some restrictions also affected the cultural sector and its representatives.