Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lille was officially founded on 1 September 1801, when Bonaparte, then Premier Consul, attributed 46 works to the city. This initiative is a continuation of local efforts: as early as 1775, an Academy of Fine Arts had been founded, supplementing a drawing school opened twenty years earlier. The Salons d'artistes, organised between 1773 and 1788 and from 1799 to 1808, were already a testament to the lillois enthusiasm for the arts. The painter Louis Watteau, nephew of Antoine Watteau, played a key role in identifying, as early as 1795, the hundreds of works confiscated from emigrants, churches and convents, stored in the former convent of the Recollets. The museum finally opened in 1809 with 109 works exhibited in the chapel of the same convent.

In 1834, the museum inherited an exceptional legacy: the Wicar collection, which greatly enriched its holdings. In 1850, the 250 works were transferred to the Town Hall, a Renaissance-style building designed by Charles César Benvignat on the site of the old Palais Rihour, residence of the Dukes of Burgundy. The museum occupies the entire second floor, with at least 11 dedicated rooms. The period 1848-1862 marked a golden age, with the acquisition of 122 new paintings. Donations are increasing, such as that of Alexander Leleux in 1873 (Dutch and Flemish masters) or Brasseur (140 works between 1876 and 1881). A group of patrons, including Reynart, even acquired Goya's works for the museum.

Faced with the increase in collections, the city launched in 1885 the construction of a dedicated Palais des Beaux-Arts, designed by Parisian architects Édouard Bérard and Fernand Delmas. Inaugurated in 1892, the neoclassical building stands out as a cultural symbol in front of the prefecture on the Place de la République. The museum suffered the vagaries of the two world wars: requisitioned by the German army in 1914, it remained open until 1918. In 1977, the Masson donation brought a major set of Impressionist works, in accordance with the wishes of collector Maurice Masson (1873-1947). An ambitious renovation, led by Marc Ibos and Myrto Vitart between 1991 and 1997, modernises the museum, adding 5,000 m2 of space and revealing medieval and reborn ensembles.

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