The Amis du Louvre donate a painting by Luca Cambiaso

Luca Cambiaso (1527-1585)
Venus and Adonis
Oil on canvas - 188 x 105 cm
Paris, Musée du Louvre
Photo: Galerie Canesso

28/4/08 — Acquisition — Louvre, Musée du Louvre — Four years ago, the Canesso Gallery in Paris had presented an important group of Genoese canvases by Luca Cambiaso, proving that this artist who nowadays is valued more as a draughtsman, was also a great painter. A retrospective devoted to his work took place last year in Austin, Texas and also at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa. The painting, a detail of which was featured on the cover of the exhibition catalogue, has just been acquired by the association of the Amis du Louvre for donation to the museum.

As noted by Véronique Damian in the catalogue published by the Canesso Gallery in 2004, the figure of Venus recalls Correggio, especially in The Lesson in Love from the National Gallery in London. Venetian sources are also obvious in this painting, Veronese of course, but also Tintoretto.
The Louvre did not previously own any paintings by Cambiaso. We can only rejoice at this wonderful purchase by the Amis du Louvre, a typical example of how the association is useful in complementing the museum’s acquisitions policy. The latter, with some exceptions, seems to have neglected lately the Italian school. Despite an outstanding collection, certain gaps could still be filled in this field. Just like Georges de La Tour in the last century, Cambiaso’s production is equally divided between day and night scenes. After the acquisition of this masterpiece, all hopes are focused on the possible purchase in the future of a night scene by this Italian artist.