Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée de la Faïence et des Beaux-Arts de Nevers, originally named Musée de la Faïence Frédéric-Blandin, came into being in 1844, when the municipality founded it in the heights of the city hall. In 1913 he moved to the former Episcopal Palace, thanks to the acquisition and donation of Frédéric Blandin, a local patron. This first site hosts collections until 1971, when the museum settled permanently in the former Benedictine Abbey of Notre-Dame, within the historical district of the faianciers, active from the 17th to the 19th century. The surrounding streets, like Rue du 14-Jullet, still keep traces of this artisanal activity in the form of commemorative booklets on houses.

Between 2003 and 2013, the museum closed for important renovation and extension works, combining medieval remains, rehabilitation of the Roussignhol house (a 19th century mansion) and a contemporary wing. Reopened in September 2013, it extends over 2,100 m2 with 13 permanent rooms and a temporary room. Its architecture combines stone, wood and modern structures, highlighting collections of earthenware (1,950 pieces by Nevers), spun glazed glass (300 pieces, including 290 on loan from the Louvre), and paintings from the 19th to 20th centuries.

The collections reflect the climax of the Niverese faience, with monumental pieces such as those of the manufacture Le Bout du Monde, as well as works from major donations. The Fieffé collection (35 classified pieces) owes its name to Charles-Pierre Fieffé, curator of the museum in 1881, who increased the acquisitions from 21 to 230 pieces in five years. Another key contribution comes from the Bossuat couple, a donor of glassware and ceramics ranging from japonism (Rousseau service by Félix Bracquemond, 1867) to Art Nouveau (Gallé, Daum). The paintings exhibited include works by Jongkind, Seurat, Derain, Modigliani, or Suzanne Valadon.

The museum also houses a unique collection of Nevers enamelled glasses, a technique that appeared at the end of the 16th century. These pieces, with religious or popular themes, consist of twisted glass threads (canons or meshes) covered with coloured glass paste. Most came from a declaration at the Louvre in 1997, before being deposited at Nevers in 1998. Only exception: a altarpiece of the Baptism of Christ remains in the Louvre. These objects illustrate local beliefs and devotions, as well as the patriotic faiences studied by Fieffé and Adolphe Bouveault in their reference work.

Labeled Museum of France, the establishment is located at 16 rue Saint-Genest, in an architectural complex combining medieval abbey and contemporary extensions. Its heritage interest lies as much in its collections as in its surroundings: the former Notre Dame Abbey and its remains, classified as Historic Monument under the name of Saint-Genest Abbey. After a period without visitors (2004-2012), the museum reopens with a modern museography, highlighting the artistic and artisanal heritage of Nevers, from limo enamels (XI-XIXth centuries) to modern paintings.

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