Acquisition of the workshop house 1852 (≈ 1852)
Moreau family buys the private hotel.
1896
Expansion of the workshop
Expansion of the workshop 1896 (≈ 1896)
Upholstery of one floor for works.
10 septembre 1897
Legacy to the French State
Legacy to the French State 10 septembre 1897 (≈ 1897)
Moreau legue building and works.
18 avril 1898
Death of Gustave Moreau
Death of Gustave Moreau 18 avril 1898 (≈ 1898)
End of life in his workshop.
1902
Acceptance of the legacy by the State
Acceptance of the legacy by the State 1902 (≈ 1902)
Condition: financing by Henri Rupp.
14 janvier 1903
Open to the public
Open to the public 14 janvier 1903 (≈ 1903)
Georges Rouault first curator.
1991
Restoration of the apartment
Restoration of the apartment 1991 (≈ 1991)
Open to the public.
2003
Restoration of the reception office
Restoration of the reception office 2003 (≈ 2003)
Accessible to visitors.
2015
Renovation and reopening
Renovation and reopening 2015 (≈ 2015)
Ground floor restored, new reserves.
2017
Change in management
Change in management 2017 (≈ 2017)
Attached to the National Museum Meeting.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Gustave Moreau - Symbolist and legate painter
Created and left the museum.
Henri Rupp - Universal legatee and patron
Funded maintenance of the museum.
Georges Rouault - First Conservative (1903-1922)
Manages collections after opening.
George Desvallières - Conservative from 1930
Successor of Rouault.
Marie-Cécile Forest - Honorary Director (before 2015)
Supervised the 2015 renovation.
Charles Villeneuve de Janti - Director since 2023
Currently runs the museum.
Origin and history
The Gustave-Moreau Museum is a national museum located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, at 14, rue Catherine-de-La Rochefoucauld. He occupied the former workshop of the symbolist painter Gustave Moreau (1826-1898), which the artist left to the French state in 1897. This legacy included the building as well as all his works: about 14,000 pieces, including 850 paintings, 350 watercolours, 13,000 drawings and 15 wax sculptures. The aim was to preserve the integrity of his work and his creative environment, as his will shows.
The mansion, acquired in 1852 by Moreau's parents, was enlarged in 1896 to accommodate his monumental works. After his death in 1898, his universal legatee, the poet Henri Rupp, finished the museum's layout. The state accepted the donation in 1902, provided Rupp financed its maintenance. The museum opened on January 14, 1903, with Georges Rouault as its first curator, followed by George Desvallières in 1930.
The museum preserves Moreau's family apartment, restored in 1991 and 2003, as well as its second and third storeys, where its major works such as Jupiter and Semélé (1895) and Les Chimères (1884) are exhibited. After a renovation in 2015, the ground floor was restored to its original state, and a graphic art firm was created. Since 2017, the museum has been managed by the Meeting of National Museums and the Grand Palais, under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture.
The building, organized on three floors, presents on the ground floor drawings and sketches, including a room dedicated to Italian masters. The first floor preserves the family apartment (dining room, bedroom, boudoir), while the upper floors house large formats. The collection also includes works by other artists, such as a portrait of Moreau by Edgar Degas or a still life by Jan Fyt.
The museum, served by metro line 12 (Trinité - d'Estienne-d'Orves and Saint-Georges stations), attracts approximately 40,000 visitors annually. The association Les Amis du musée Gustave-Moreau, founded in 1990, works to preserve and enhance collections. Since 2023, Charles Villeneuve de Janti has been its director.
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Collection
Le musée conserve un total d'environ 14 000 oeuvres. L'essentiel de son fonds d'atelier y est exposé, soit près de 850 de ses peintures ou cartons, 350 de ses aquarelles, plus de 13 000 dessins et calques, 15 sculptures en cire ainsi que quelques oeuvres d'autres artistes : un Portrait de Gustave Moreau par Edgar Degas, un autre par Gustave Ricard, un Portrait de Pauline Moreau - la mère du peintre - par Jules-Elie Delaunay, une Nature morte du peintre flamand Jan Fyt.
