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Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Fine Arts of Nîmes was founded in 1821 in the Maison Carrée, initially home to Roman, ancient and some contemporary paintings. Faced with the smallness of the premises, an architectural contest was launched in 1902 to build a new building, won by Max Raphel. The works, carried out between 1903 and 1907, resulted in a modern building located square de la Mandragore, renovated in 1987 by Jean-Michel Wilmotte.

The collection, initiated in 1824, was enriched by private bequests such as those of Robert Gower (1869) and Charles Tur (1948). It now has 3,800 works, including Italian paintings (Bassano, Della Robbia), Flemish paintings (Rubens, Fabricius) and French paintings (Bourdon, Rigaud). Two major pieces are exhibited there: a Roman mosaic of the 2nd century, discovered in 1883, representing the Marriage of Admet, and a terracotta tondo by Andrea della Robbia, the Madone Foulc, bequest of Edmond Foulc in 1916.

The mosaic, with an exceptional surface of 50 m2, illustrates a Greek mythological scene where Admete, assisted by Apollo, tames a lion and a boar to marry Alceste. Its integration into the museum's atrium since 1907 underscores Nîmes' attachment to its Roman heritage. The Madonna Foulc, dating back to the late 15th century, is considered the oldest and most beautiful model of a similar series preserved in international museums such as Philadelphia or Florence.

The building, designed by Max Raphel, is inspired by museums in Lille and Nantes, with a central atrium zenithically lit. Innovative for its time (metal, concrete, glass) it was redesigned in 1948 and 1960. Wilmotte's renovation in 1987 restored his modern spirit, highlighting works with optimized brightness. The museum also preserves sculptures, including a bust by Charles Jalabert by Tourgueneff (1904).

Collection

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