Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Fine Arts of Libourne was founded in 1818 on the initiative of Duke Elie Decazes (1780-1860), then Minister of Interior under Louis XVIII. Originally from Saint-Martin-de-Laye, he had major works transferred from the Louvre to form the museum's initial fund. These pieces, partially still in storage, were supplemented by purchases, donations and bequests, such as that of Antoine Victor Bertal in 1952, via the city of Creon.

Originally housed in the Ursulines convent, the museum was installed in 1836 on the second floor of the town hall, a building from the 15th century enlarged to the 19th century. His collections, covering archaeology, fine arts and extra-European civilizations, were reorganized in 2004 and 2023. The Chapel of Carmel, annexed since the 1980s, hosts temporary exhibitions, such as those dedicated to Miró (2017) or Guerlain drawings (2014).

Highlights include paintings by Sofonisba Anguissola, Bartolomeo Manfredi, or Jacob Jordaens, as well as sculptures such as La France sore by Falconet and Pajou. The museum also showcases local artists such as René Princeteau, a friend of Toulouse-Lautrec, and glazed glasses by Nicolas Giboin. Labelled Museum of France, it illustrates both national artistic history and girondin heritage.

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