Uffizi Gallery will sue Jean Paul Gaultier

Fashion and art, copying and inspiration, iconographic patterns and reuse for their own sake: the boundaries between the creative are increasingly blurred. The issue changes, however, the moment there are rules that are difficult to escape to set things right. In April, Jean Paul Gaultier unveiled an exclusive collection - the capsule presented 13 garments inspired by the most famous works of art of all time, giving a second life to SS95 silhouettes and materials - consisting of long dresses, pants and sweaters with a print of Botticelli's Venus, which the Uffizi Gallery deemed non-compliant with current regulations for the "unauthorized use of Botticelli's Venus." 

Specifically, the Florentine Museum invokes the law on cultural heritage, according to which «the use of images from Italian public property is subject to mandatory special authorization and payment of a fee». For this reason, the Uffizi's legal department has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the French fashion house, asking it to remove the garments with the image of Venus from the market or, alternatively, to contact the museum as soon as possible to reach a commercial agreement to remedy the abuse suffered.However, the cease-and-desist letter sent to the Jean Paul Gaultier brand in April was essentially ignored. Repubblica also reports that the Uffizi has taken legal action as a result of the image described here, which includes a claim for damages in addition to the withdrawal of the clothing deemed unlawful.