[lifeStyle] Rodin Museum may sell limited edition replicas of masterpieces to meet expenses

[abdo.]

Paris-based Rodin Museum plans to sell limited edition versions of the French sculptor’s masterpieces to cope with financial losses in the wake of the pandemic. In a report, Museum director Catherine Chevillot was quoted as saying that they have sold bronze replicas of Rodin statues worth 1.4 million euros this year. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said the museum’s goal is to secure an annual minimum of 3 million euros in statue sales, a quarter of the museum’s budget.

The self-financed museum, which celebrates the works of Auguste Rodin, reopened on Tuesday after four months of lockdown, imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The reports noted that the walls carried signs seeking donations.

The century-old system set up by Rodin himself allows the museum to sell up to 12 replicas of select sculptures every year. In the previous years, the sales have helped his artwork reach worldwide, said the reports. However, due to the unexpected turn of events, the museum seems to have faced a budget shortfall worth $3.4 million, prompting plans to turn the bronze sale into more regular affairs for a secure mode of income in coming years.

“Our challenge is not to sell more but more regularly because some years we sell six to nine million euros in statues and others nothing. The museum has now quadrupled the number of works it is allowed to produce, from 30 to 120. It is also pursuing new partnerships, including one with the Gagosian Gallery in the US,” Chevillot said.