Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Robert Tatin Museum is the work of artist Robert Tatin, born in Laval in 1902, who settled permanently in Mayenne in 1962, at the place called La Frenouse in Cossé-le-Vivien. He erects a monumental sculpture in cement mortar armed and coloured, incorporating rooms dedicated to his pictorial and ceramic creations. This project, carried out until his death in 1983, becomes a unique space combining architecture, sculpture and painting, inspired by his journeys and encounters between East and West.

As early as 1967, the whole was acquired by the municipality of Cossé-le-Vivian, and in 1969 André Malraux, then Minister of State for Cultural Affairs, granted him the status of controlled museum. The collections are enriched by the artist's donations and municipal acquisitions, reflecting his artistic background, concerns and influences. The site, combining personal works and objects documenting its life, obtained the label Musée de France in 2002.

Today, the museum extends over 5 hectares, including gardens where contemporary artists are exhibited. The collections continue to enrich, mainly through donations from relatives, collectors and artists, perpetuating Robert Tatin's legacy. The ensemble offers a unique testimony of the life and work of a 20th century artist, marked by a dialogue between the civilizations of the East and the West.

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