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Key figures

Origin and history

The modern art museum of Fontevraud was formed thanks to an exceptional donation of 561 works made by Martine and Léon Cligman to the State, on behalf of the Region Pays de la Loire, on 23 July 2018. For more than sixty years, this couple of collectors gathered paintings, drawings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as antiques and extra-European objects (Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Africans, oceanians, etc.). Their approach, based on the confrontation of forms and civilizations, gives this collection a remarkable originality and quality.

In 2019, a second donation of about 300 objects completed this fund, laying the foundations of the future museum installed in the royal abbey of Fontevraud. The collection is distinguished by its diversity: more than a hundred paintings, nearly 300 drawings (including the 36 original illustrations of the Petronian Satyricon), sculptures, glassware, and archaeological or ethnographic pieces. These works dialogue with each other, offering a unique artistic journey, at the crossroads of times and cultures.

The royal abbey of Fontevraud, a major historical site, now hosts this museum labeled "Musée de France". The project is part of a dynamic of valuing the heritage of the Niger, combining medieval heritage and modern creation. The museum offers an immersive experience, where Western art meets pieces from Asia, Oceania or America, reflecting the eclectic curiosity of its donors.

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