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Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper originated in the exceptional legacy of Count Jean-Marie de Silguy in 1864. The latter, originally from Quimper, left to his home town a collection of 1,200 paintings, 2,000 drawings and 12,000 engravings, provided that a museum was built to display them. This legacy, one of the most important of the time for a city of this size, marks the birth of the museum, while no similar institution then exists in Brittany west of Rennes-Nantes. The municipality acquired adjoining plots at the town hall in 1866 and entrusted the construction to architect Joseph Bigot, also responsible for the arrows of the cathedral of Quimper. The works began in 1869, and the museum was inaugurated on August 15, 1872, the day of the feast of the patron saint of the city.

The neoclassical façade of the museum, designed to harmonize with that of the city hall, hides an interior completely renovated in 1993 under the direction of architect Jean-Paul Philippon. The latter, known for his work at the Musée d'Orsay and La Piscine de Roubaix, modernises the space with a focus on transparency and brightness, while preserving the historic façade of Bigot. The renovation allows 700 works to be permanently displayed, compared with 200 before, and adds spaces dedicated to temporary exhibitions, an auditorium and a bookshop. The museum is distinguished by its alliance between original granite, concrete and wood, offering a contemporary museumography adapted to its collections.

The museum's collections revolve around three major ensembles: the ancient European schools (Italian, Flemish and Dutch of the 14th-15th centuries), French painting of the 17th-18th centuries, and Breton-inspired works of the 19th and 20th centuries. Silguy's legacy, centred on northern schools (Rubens, Bruegel le Jeune, Jordaens) and French painting (Boucher, Fragonard, Vernet), is complemented by subsequent acquisitions, including works by the Pont-Aven school (Gauguin, Sérusier, Émile Bernard) and by nabi painters. A room is entirely dedicated to Max Jacob, originally from Quimper, and to his artistic circle, including works by Picasso, Cocteau and Modigliani.

Among the museum's treasures are major paintings such as The Faith and L-Espérance by Pierre Mignard (1692), The Martyr of Saint Lucia de Rubens (circa 1620), or L-Elevation of Proserpine by François Boucher (1769). The Breton school is illustrated by iconic canvases, such as the Quimper wedding of Eugène Boudin (1857) or the Incantation of Paul Sérusier (1891). The graphic arts firm, rich in 2,000 drawings from Silguy's legacy, covers French, Italian and, to a lesser extent, Flemish and Spanish schools, with leaves of Watteau, Fragonard, Tiepolo or Rembrandt. Finally, a specific space presents the murals of Jean-Julien Lemordant, formerly adorning the dining room of the Hôtel de l'Épée in Quimper.

From its opening, the museum faces space problems, linked to the progressive enrichment of its collections through donations, bequests and acquisitions. Between 1972 and 1976, works improved the presentation of works, but the narrowness of the places persisted. In 1987, the city acquired a adjoining warehouse, allowing a major extension. The competition won by Jean-Paul Philippon in 1989 resulted in a total restructuring without altering the historical façade. The museum reopens in 1993 with a double surface and an innovative museum, which highlights its originality: a collection almost exclusively dedicated to paintings and drawings, rare in the French museum landscape. Today, it attracts many visitors and actively contributes to the cultural life of Quimper, a city renowned for its architectural heritage and artistic dynamism.

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