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Key figures

Origin and history

The Girodet Museum is an art museum located in Montargis, in the Loiret department in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is housed in the former Durzy mansion and bears the name of the neoclassical painter Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson, from the city. Between 2008 and 2018, the museum underwent a major renovation to expand its exhibition spaces, initially considered too small.

The museum had two major events: a flight in 1977, where Judith Leyster's Lute Player was stolen and never found, and a flood in 2016. The latter, caused by an exceptional flood of the Loing, damaged a large part of the 3000 preserved works, including the reserves located in an old vault room deemed waterproof. Restaurateurs from Orleans, Tours and Paris intervened to save the collections.

The museum's collection is divided into two axes: ancient works (paintings until the 18th century and archaeology) and funds dedicated to two local artists, Girodet and the sculptor Triqueti. The heart of the museum consists of 27 paintings and several hundred drawings by Girodet, tracing his career. Other notable pieces include paintings by Zurbarán, Van Ostade, Géricault, and sculptures by Triqueti, including plasters for the Royal Chapel of Windsor.

The museum also exhibits 19th-century works, with painters such as David, Gros or Carpeaux, as well as a rich bronze collection. The municipality regularly enriches the Girodet fonds with acquisitions, like two recent paintings. This place, labeled Musée de France, plays a key cultural role in the preservation of local and national artistic heritage.

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