Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon was founded in 1766 by François Devosge, a free and open institution. In 1783, the states of Burgundy decided to build the eastern wing of the palace of the Dukes to install an art gallery for teaching. The museum was officially established by decree in 1787, but only opened to the public in 1799, after the Revolution. His first collections come from revolutionary seizures, antique copies, and the school's educational works.

The palace that housed, the former seat of power of the Dukes of Burgundy in the 15th century, became, after the attachment to France, the residence of the king, then the palace of the states of Burgundy in the 17th century, under the direction of Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The museum gradually developed, enriched by imperial shipments, donations from collectors (such as the Grangier spouses in 1905), and government deposits. Its medieval collections, including the tombs of Dukes Philippe le Hardi and Jean sans Peur, make it a must.

During the Second World War, the curator Pierre Quarré organized the evacuation of the works to the castles of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois (1939) and then Fontaine-Française (1943), saving 912 pieces from the German requisitions and the laws of Vichy. The museum reopened in 1944 after the Liberation. Quarré took advantage of this period to modernize the museum, despite the spatial constraints imposed by cohabitation with the town hall in the palace.

A major renovation was launched in 2006 with the aim of expanding the spaces and exhibiting more works. The "Middle Age – Renaissance" course was inaugurated in 2013, followed by the complete reopening of the museum in 2019, after 13 years of work. The project, led by the Lion Workshops and architect Éric Pallot, allows to exhibit 1,500 works in 50 rooms, with record attendance (315,000 visitors in 2019). A modern visual identity, inspired by the interlaced initials of Philip the Good, is adopted.

The museum's collections, among the richest in France, cover all periods of antiquity in the 21st century. The medieval sections (the tombs of the Dukes, portraits of the Fayoum) and Burgundy (the works of Claus Sluter, François Rude, Pierre-Paul Prud The graphic arts firm, with 14,000 drawings and 100,000 prints, includes works by Prudshon, Rembrandt and Louise Breslau.

The museum also preserves extra-European collections (Islamic, African, Asian art), derived from bequests like that of Albert Gayet – although partially dispersed by the Louvre. These objects, often linked to the funerary art or "curiosities" of Dijon collectors (Jehannin de Chamblanc, Grangier family), reflect the cultural opening of Burgundy since the 18th century. Today, the museum combines educational vocation, free access, and contemporary dynamism, perpetuating its historical role of artistic diffusion.

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