David Yurman's support for restoring key sculptures at the Louvre comes soon after the U.S. jeweler opens its first international flagship store in Paris. Image credit: David Yurman
U.S. jeweler David Yurman will sponsor a renovation of key sculptures at Paris’ Louvre museum soon after opening its first international flagship store in the city as part of a global expansion.
The New York-based brand will pay for the restoration of four sculptures in the Jardin des Tuileries’ Grand Basin by Ramey, Foyatier, Debay and Leboeuf. Luxury brands often sponsor preservation of cultural icons, benefiting from the halo effect of giving back to communities in which they retail.
“Our family is thrilled to support the Musée du Louvre’s important restoration project and to give back to a city that serves as an endless source of inspiration for us,” said David Yurman president Evan Yurman in a statement.
“We feel connected to the city’s history, its people and its art, and we look forward to deepening our artistic roots in the French capital through our patronage of Paris’ most renowned museum,” he said.
Brands from LVMH and Kering step in oftentimes to sponsor restoration works. Earlier in the past decade, Italian footwear brand Tod’s funding the restoration of Rome’s Colosseum.
Sculpting new chapter
The restored Ramey sculpture will ultimately be put on public display in the Louvre’s Cour Puget.
The other three will be moved into storage at the Louvre, and four replicas will be re-installed at the Grand Basin, per the company.
In return, the Yurman family’s funding will be honored by plaques installed close to the outdoor replicas and near the original Ramey inside the museum.
For David Yurman, the Louvre sculpture restoration is in line with its focus on jewelry as art.
As explained by the brand, there is a story behind each sculpture chosen for restoration, such as Cincinnatus’ humanity and strength as an example of uncorrupted power, or Pericles’ battle with ignorance though education.
Born out of the French July Revolution of 1830, the sculptures show man's heroic attempts to break free from tyranny and establish a world defined by liberty and equality through acts of courage and generosity.
For David, Sybil and their son Evan Yurman, these works are a reminder that ordinary men can do extraordinary things, the company said.
“Thanks to this generous donation, four statues – commissioned by King Louis-Philippe from the most renowned sculptors of the 1830s to decorate the Tuileries Garden – will be spared from damage by bad weather and pollution and preserved for future generations,” said Laurence des Cars, director of the Musée du Louvre, in a statement.