Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Albert-André Museum was founded in 1859, when Léon Alègre founded the first cantonal museum in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. This place, both library and museum, aims to educate citizens by presenting various collections: natural history, agriculture, industry, antiques and fine arts. Located in the city hall since 1868, it becomes an encyclopaedic space reflecting the diversity of human productions.

In 1917, painter Albert André, named curator, radically transformed the museum by introducing contemporary works. Thanks to his relations with artists such as Renoir and critics such as George Besson, he created the first contemporary art museum in the province in 1921. His action was marked by a preference for figurative painting, and he mobilized his friends to reconstruct the collections after a fire in 1924, which destroyed part of the historical works.

The 1924 fire, accidentally triggered during a fire party, paradoxically becomes an opportunity. Albert André then asked for donations from painters, galleryists and critics, allowing the acquisition of major works by Bonnard, Denis, Marquet, Monet, Signac and others. These contributions transform the museum into an emblematic place of post-impressionist and modern art, with a strong identity centered on figurative painting.

After Albert André's death in 1954, his inheritance was continued by his adopted daughter, Jacqueline Bret-André, who married George Besson in 1971. The Besson donation greatly enriches the collections, adding masterpieces such as July 14 at Le Havre de Marquet or Le Bateau-Lavoir de Lotiron. In 1990, the museum was renamed in tribute to Albert André, recognizing his founding role.

In 1972, however, fifteen major works (Renoir, Dufy, Bonnard, Cézanne, Matisse, etc.) were stolen, followed in 1981 by the flight of a Renoir canvas. Despite these losses, the museum remains a dynamic place, organizing temporary exhibitions, days of copyists and school animations, while maintaining an exceptional collection of modern art.

Today, the Albert-André Museum is labeled Musée de France and managed by the Departmental Conservation of Museums of the Gard. It houses more than 200 works from the first half of the 20th century, as well as subsequent donations, including 144 works by Albert André offered in 2000. Its foundation, formed by friendship between artists and curators, makes it a unique testimony of modern and contemporary figurative art.

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