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Key figures

Origin and history

The Charles de Bruyères Museum is housed in an 18th-century mansion, bequeathed to the city of Remiremont by lawyer Charles de Bruyères (1823-1905), from a family of Lorrain nobility. The latter brought together a rich collection of paintings, portraits of canonesses, abbesses, Dukes of Lorraine and aristocrats, as well as objects related to local history, including that of the Remiremont Abbey. The museum was inaugurated in 1913, after the city inherited both the building and the collections.

The permanent collections include a section dedicated to the golden age of Dutch painting from the 17th century, with works by Willem de Poorter, Rombout van Troyen or Nicolaes Maes. Another section highlights 18th and 19th century French paintings by artists such as Gustave Courbet, Félix Ziem and Jules Adler. The arts of Lorrain fire are also represented, with faiences of Émile Gallé, Auguste Majorelle or flammed sandstones of Alphonse Cytère, as well as productions of renowned centres such as Lunaville-Saint-Clément or Rouen.

Two rooms of the museum reconstruct a 19th-century Vosgesian kitchen and bedroom, illustrating local daily life through typical objects, such as a Remiremont spruce or a "blaud", the traditional blouse of Vosges peasants. The establishment also preserves rare archaeological pieces, such as a Carolingian incision or the largest French collection of lead burial crosses (52 pieces, dating from the 11th to the 18th century). These elements highlight its anchor in regional history, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

The museum regularly organizes temporary exhibitions, such as that of 2011 dedicated to the local painter Pierre Waidmann, or that of 2012 presenting the collection of Léon Werth, art critic and friend of Bonnard, Marquet and Saint-Exupéry. These events highlight graphic works, paintings and objects linked to major cultural figures, while strengthening the link between local heritage and national art.

The mansion that houses the museum, built around 1750, features a typical 18th-century architecture, with a wrought iron staircase and a revised façade at the beginning of the 20th century to incorporate an exhibition wing. Ranked "Museum of France", it embodies both the aristocratic heritage of Remiremont, marked by its noble chapter, and the cultural vitality of the Grand Est region, through eclectic collections and preserved material heritage.

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