Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée départemental d'Art ancien et contemporain (MUDAAC) was founded in 1822 by the General Council of the Vosges to preserve the collection of the princes of Salm, confiscated during the French Revolution. Housed in an ancient 17th century hospice on an island of the Moselle, it opened in 1828. The first major donation, in 1829, included Job mocked by his wife Georges de La Tour, offered by the Duke of Choiseul-Stainville. The museum then enriched with paintings, sculptures and archaeological objects, reflecting the history of Lorraine and Europe.

In 1992, a bold renovation led by architects Pierre-François Codou, Franck Hindley, Serge Caillaud and Jean-Jacques Guyot transformed the site. A transversal window and inner bridges create a dialogue between ancient and contemporary art. The museum showcases major works such as the Mater Dolorosa de Rembrandt or the L-barquement of Saint Paule de Le Lorrain, while developing a modern collection (Pop Art, New Realism).

The collections also cover Lorrain archaeology, with celtic, Gallo-Roman and Merovingian objects from sites such as Grand or Le Donon. MUDAAC also maintains popular art testimonies, including 18th-century waxes and a rich numismatic collection. In 2017, a new museum, Treasures found, integrates interactive technologies to modernize the visit.

The museum owes its existence to key figures such as the Duke of Choiseul, founder and donor, or the curators Jean-Antoine Laurent (1822-1832) and his son Jules, who developed the numismatic section. The archaeologist Felix Voulot, curator until 1882, also contributed to enriching the collections through his research published in the bulletins of the Vosges Philomatic Society.

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