Paris’s Rodin has turned to crowd-funding for the purchase of a rare drawing by the French sculptor titled Celle qui fut la belle Heaulmière, Liberation reports.
It “is a major piece,” commented a museum representative, “both its subject and format are very unusual.” But the institution’s acquisition fund could not come up with the full €300,000 needed to secure the purchase. To raise the remaining €40,000, the museum has launched the “billet mécène” (patron ticket) offering visitors the option to add an extra euro to the price of their entrance ticket and help raise the sum.
The campaign started last week and will carry on until the end of 2014. With about 700,000 visitors every year, the Musée Rodin is in a good position to reach its target.