Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Belfort Museum of Modern Art is one of the city's municipal museums, managed jointly with other sites such as the Museum of History and Archaeology. It was born from the exceptional donation of Maurice Jardot, a collaborator of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who in 1997 and 2002 offered a set of 150 major works of the twentieth century. These collections include paintings and sculptures by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Georges Braque, Juan Gris, Henri Laurens, André Masson and Le Corbusier. The museum opened in 1999 in the old family property of poet Léon Deubel, a 19th-century building.

Originally named the "Office of an Amateur", the museum pays tribute to Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, an influential art dealer and promoter of cubism. Maurice Jardot's first donation in 1997 included 110 works, followed by a second in 2002 with 40 additional pieces, including iconic works by Picasso and Le Corbusier. Several books have been dedicated to this collection, highlighting its importance for modern art in France. The museum is part of the network of museums in Belfort, labeled "Musées de France", and participates in the cultural and educational dissemination of the region.

The museums of Belfort, including this museum of modern art, were ranked second in the middle cities in 2016 by Le Journal des Arts for their cultural dynamism. This municipal service also manages the valorization of the Belfort citadel and the Bartholdi Lion, two major historical symbols of the city. The modern art museum completes a varied cultural offer, including temporary exhibitions and permanent collections ranging from archaeology to contemporary art.

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