Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Faure Museum has its origin in the passion of Dr.Jean Faure, a pharmacist of Gascony origin, who moved to Aix-les-Bains at the beginning of the 20th century. After making a fortune with the Élixir Bonjean, a paramedical product made in association with Dr Paul Dussuel, Faure devotes himself to art. Recommended by the Parisian merchant André Schoeller, it is an eclectic collection: Impressionist and post-impressionist paintings, sculptures, netuke, medical boxes, and rare faiences. His approach, although more intuitive than methodical, suggests a museum project matured as soon as the works were acquired.

At his death, Jean Faure left his collection to the city of Aix-les-Bains. The museum opened in 1949 in a genoese-style villa built in 1906 at 10 boulevard des Côtes. The works exhibited, including works by Sèvres, Berlin, or Vienna, as well as local faiences (such as those of the forest factory), illustrate his taste for decorative art and the major artistic movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A room even reconstructs Lamartine's bedroom during his stay in Aix (1816-1830), with furniture from the Savoyard Empire period.

The museum, renovated in the 1980s to improve the safety and presentation of works, highlights exceptional pieces: a Lalique vase, German porcelain, or a Savoyard baroque bentier. The collection, supplemented by donations and purchases, also includes objects related to Lamartine, such as a bust of David d'Angers or engravings. The labeled Musée de France, it bears witness to both the commitment of a patron and the cultural vitality of Aix-les-Bains, a renowned spa.

The homogeneity of the whole, though spontaneous, reveals a desire for heritage transmission, perhaps encouraged by local figures such as Senator Borrel. Today, the Faure Museum remains a must to discover impressionism and decorative art, in a remarkable architectural setting.

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