Analyse de deux fondations d'art : Cartier et Vuitton, et leur mécénat

Details

Supervisors

Roucloux, Joël

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en histoire de l'art et archéologie, orientation générale, à finalité didactique

Abstract

enFrom the Roman Empire, through the dukes of Burgundy, popes and wealthy Florentines, to corporate foundations, people of wealth have always been interested in promoting the arts as a way of exalting their wealth and power. Today, this is reflected in private art foundations. The Richemont group and the LVMH group are two of the most important luxury industries in France and have sought to perpetuate this practice of patronage. Thus Cartier, under the impetus of Alain Dominique Perrin, and Vuitton, under the impetus of Bernard Arnault, have set up their own foundations. In 1984, Alain Dominique Perrin was a forerunner in the field and created an entity that was not foreseen in the laws. He helped to draw up the laws, which facilitated sponsorship and led to the creation of new foundations such as the Fondation Vuitton. Now, thanks to the evolution of French laws, companies have several options to create their foundation depending on what they can offer and the objectives they pursue. The Cartier and Vuitton Foundations are not under the same legal status. Nevertheless, they both have their own collection, exhibition programme and of course their own exhibition space. The latter are the work of internationally renowned architects and propose what can be described as "great architectural gestures" to impose themselves on the landscape and draw attention to them. The acquisition and collection-building policy, as well as the exhibition programme, contribute to the identity of the foundations. For example, Cartier commissions a great deal of work from artists, while Vuitton works more with loans from external collections, although this does not mean that it is restricted to this activity. These foundations are legal structures that allow companies to carry out an action that is both a pure benefactor donation, internal and external communication of the company, but also tax benefits. The latter, although more or less hidden by those in charge so as not to tarnish their image as patrons, are still very much present and have been the cause of some scandals. Finally, Cartier and Vuitton are not the only ones to have promoted sponsorship in France, and even less so internationally, where regulations vary from country to country and open up new possibilities.