Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hyacinthe-Rigaud museum, located in Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales, was founded in 1820 under the leadership of the Prefect Emmanuel-Ferdinand de Villeneuve-Bargemon. It opened in 1833 at the former university disused since 1792, with an initial fund of paintings from local loans and acquisitions. From its beginnings, the museum highlights Hyacinthe Rigaud, native artist of Perpignan, with major works such as Portrait of the Cardinal of Bouillon and Self-portrait with black cord, acquired from collector Joseph Tastu.

In 1953, on the occasion of the tricentenary of Rigaud's birth, the museum was renovated and a section dedicated to it. The state then deposited emblematic works such as Autoportrait au turban (1698) and Portrait de Philippe d'Orléans (1689). In 1959, the museum officially took the name Hyacinthe Rigaud. In 1979, it was transferred to the Lazerme hotel and expanded in 2017 after the Lazerme and Mailly hotels met, offering 4,100 m2 of renovated space for a cost of 9 million euros.

The permanent collections, organized in four sections (Gothic, Baroque, Modern and Contemporary art), have 14,000 works, 450 of which are exhibited. The flagship pieces include 15th-century Catalan altarpieces, paintings by Rigaud, Maillol, Picasso, and Dufy, as well as sculptures by Rodin. The museum is also distinguished by a policy of ambitious temporary exhibitions, such as Picasso Perpignan (2017) or Rodin Maillol face to face (2019), attracting up to 70,000 visitors annually.

The history of the museum is marked by bequests and donations, such as that of Maître Rey in 1994 (210 small formats) or Pierre Daura in 2001, enriching his funds. In 2020, Pascale Picard became director, succeeding Claire Muchir. The museum, labeled Musée de France, combines architectural heritage (hotels of the 17th–15th centuries) and cultural outreach, with an innovative mediation such as the Children's Museum created in 1973.

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