Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Eugène-Boudin Museum has its origin in a local artistic initiative. On April 11, 1868, painter Louis-Alexandre Dubourg, from Honfleur, officially founded the municipal museum with the help of his friend Eugène Boudin, also a native of the city. Originally housed in the Town Hall, the museum moved in 1924 to the chapel of the Augustine convent, a neo-classical building inaugurated in 1844. This transfer marks a key step in its development, providing an appropriate framework for the conservation of collections.

In 1974, the museum expanded with the addition of a modern three-storey building, followed in 1988 by the rehabilitation of an old building. These extensions allow a better presentation of works, especially those of the 19th century and the Hamburg-Rachet donation. The museum today focuses on seven major themes, including rooms dedicated to Eugene Boudin, the precursors of Impressionism, and Norman ethnography. The chapel hosts temporary exhibitions or rotates the museum's reserves.

The museum's collections cover a wide range of fields: fine arts (paintings, drawings, prints), decorative arts (ceramic, furniture), and local history. Among the flagship pieces are more than a hundred works by Eugene Boudin, as well as creations by painters who attended the inn Saint-Simeon, such as Claude Monet. The museum also highlights religious objects, Norman traditional costumes and ethnographic tools, reflecting the cultural richness of the region. Its label "Musée de France" devotes its heritage importance.

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