Joan Mitchell Foundation Sends A Cease And Desist To Louis Vuitton Over An Advertisement Campaign
Katriona Hannah
On 21st of February 2023, the Joan Mitchell Foundation (JMF) published a statement regarding Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2023 Capucine handbag campaign. (Joan Mitchell (1925-1992) was an American artist and a member of the “New York School” in the 1950’s. She produced abstract drawings, paintings and prints). The Foundation have sent a cease and desist to the luxury brand demanding to withdraw the advertising campaign which featured three cropped works by the late artist. In the campaign, the French actress Léa Seydoux poses with the Capucine handbag in front of Mitchell’s “La Grande Vallée XIV”, “Quatuor II for Betsy Jolas” and “Edrita Fried”. It is JMF’s policy that the artworks may only be used for educational purposes. Therefore, the fact that Louis Vuitton is using it for financial gain clearly goes against it. In a comment to ARTnews JMF’s executive director Christa Blatchford said “We want to make sure Mitchell’s images are available freely to scholars and museums as they’re using them. That has been our emphasis”. JMF has also stated that, at the end of 2022, the luxury brand has approached them requesting permission to use the artworks and had been denied several times.
Seydoux posing in front of Joan Mitchell’s “Edrita Fried”. Image: myfacehunter.com
The three paintings mentioned above were a part of the “Monet-Mitchell” exhibition at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris which finished on the 27th of February. The exhibition created a dialogue between Claude Monet's and Joan Mitchell’s artworks while also focusing on their depictions of nature and the response to landscapes. The museum, opened in 2014 by the LVMH Group and its owner Bernard Arnault, promotes contemporary and historical art. Arnault commented that it is “A new space that opens up a dialogue with a wide public and offers artists and intellectuals a platform for debate and reflection”. However, JMF claims that, by photographing the artworks for an ad campaign, the Louis Vuitton Foundation has violated the terms of their initial agreement. Apparently the campaign was shot at the museum while the exhibition was still on. JMF has threatened to take legal action if Louis Vuitton continues to use Joan Mitchell’s art without authorisation.
Joan Mitchell’s “Edrita Fried” (1981). Image: joanmitchellfoundation.org
On its website, Louis Vuitton claims to have “[…] a zero-tolerance policy to counterfeiting following its respect for creativity and protection of intellectual property.” It also states that “preserving the creativity and the rights of designers, artists and brands is vital to their long-term survival.” It is therefore curious that the brand would appear to go against their own policy and values. LVMH, the conglomerate behind the Louis Vuitton brand, has not issued any statements and has declined to comment.
Bibliography
K.Ho, Karen. “Joan Mitchell Foundation Issues Cease and Desist to Louis Vuitton Over Use of Paintings in Handbag Ads”. ARTnews. 21.02.2023. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/joan-mitchell-foundation-copyright-claims-louis-vuitton-handbag-ads-1234658446/
“Statement on Unauthorized Use of Joan Mitchell Artworks in Louis Vuitton Ad Campaign”. Joan Mitchell Foundation. 21.02.2023. https://www.joanmitchellfoundation.org/journal/statement-on-unauthorized-use-of-mitchell-artworks
“Brand Protection”. Louis Vuitton. https://us.louisvuitton.com/eng-us/magazine/articles/brand-protection#
Klasa, Adrienne and Joe Miller. “Artist Joan Mitchell’s foundation demands Louis Vuitton ditch ad campaign”. 21.02.2023. https://www.ft.com/content/c32e2932-a62f-4d3a-9739-e42678a5d925
MONET - MITCHELL. Foundation Louis Vuitton. https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en/events/claude-monet-joan-mitchell
PROMOTION OF THE ARTS. Foundation Louis Vuitton. https://www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en/fondation