Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pincé Museum finds its origins in the legacy of Lancelot-Théodore Turpin de Crissé (1782-1859), an angeline artist who offered the city of Angers his collection of ancient objects, medieval objects, paintings and drawings at his death in 1859. This legacy was completed in 1861 by Guillaume Bodinier, friend of Turpin de Crissé, who gave the hotel of Pincé to house these works. The building, a masterpiece of the French Renaissance built between 1528 and 1535 by Jean Delespine, was restored by Lucien Magne and classified as a Historic Monument in 1875 before opening its doors in 1889.

The museum's collections have been enriched over the decades by donations, bequests and acquisitions, before specializing in antiquities and extra-European arts from the 1970s onwards. The Fine Arts then left the museum to join the Fine Arts Museum of Angers. After 15 years of closure, the Pincé Museum reopened in February 2020 with a redesigned museum and renovated spaces, highlighting collections reflecting the 19th century's taste for Other and Other.

The Pincé Hotel is a remarkable example of the architecture of the first French Renaissance. Its structure, designed by Jean Delespine between 1528 and 1535, illustrates the dialogue between cultures, a central theme of the collections exhibited. These include Egyptian and Greco-Roman antiques, Japanese prints, as well as pre-Columbian objects, offering a panorama of cultural representations throughout the eras.

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