Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Angoulême, formerly the Museum of Fine Arts, has been housed since 1920 in the ancient bishopric of the 12th century, remodeled until the 18th century. Labelled Museum of France, it gathers archaeological collections (500,000 years of Charente history), ethnographics (African and ocean art) and artistic (paintings from the 16th to the 20th century). Its origins date back to 1838, with a first bequest of 10 paintings, followed by an opening to the public in 1869.

The archaeological collections, from local excavations, exhibit prehistoric vestiges (squelet d'aurochs, Neandertalian tools), Celtic (case of Agris of the fourth century BC) and medieval (Romanesque sculptures of the cathedral). The ground floor thus traces the evolution of the Charente, from Paleolithic hunters to Romanesque construction sites. The first floor houses 3,000 pieces of African and ocean art, bequeathed in 1934 by Dr Jules Lhomme, supplemented by later donations.

The second floor is dedicated to fine arts: European paintings (including loans from the Louvre), sculptures and ancient weapons. Featured works include La Consternation de Priam by Stephen-Barthélémy Garnier or paintings by Charentais painters such as Léonard Jarraud. The museum also retains unexposed holdings (numismatics, costumes, graphic arts). Since 2023, he has participated in the Anada project to inventory sub-Saharan collections, in collaboration with six museums in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

The former bishopric, a renovated medieval building, was modernized in 1983 and between 2002 and 2008 by architects Barbotin-Larrieux and Gresham. The entrance was moved to Square Girard II, offering views of St. Peter's Cathedral. The bishop's chapel, decorated with 19th-century stained glass windows (including a Lobin signature), was preserved. The museum, which has been paying since 2016, plays a key role in valorizing Charentais heritage and reflecting on the restitution of colonial works.

The colonial fund (5,000 African plays) raises ethical issues, with some related to slave trade or military missions. An ongoing inventory, combined with African researchers (Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast), aims to clarify provenances. Angoulême has a solid historical inventory, compiled by Jules Lhomme, a collector's doctor who gathered objects from the late 19th century.

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