Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Raymond Lafage Museum was founded in 1890 by two local researchers, Jules Rigaud and Achille Gaillac, from archaeological collections from surface collections in the canton of Lisle-sur-Tarn and its surroundings. These collections cover a period from Paleolithic to 16th century. In 1892, an artistic section was added, including works by regional painters and sculptors. In 1895, the painter Victor Maziès bequeathed his studio fonds to the museum, enriching the family portrait collections.

At the end of the 19th century, the museum benefited from state deposits, including works by Raymond Lafage, a famous 17th-century draftsman and engraver born in Lisle-sur-Tarn in 1656. Lafage, a student of Jean-Pierre Rivalz in Toulouse, studied at the Royal Academy of Paris and won the 1st prize of the Academy of Saint Luc in Rome. His friendship with the Flemish engraver Jean Vander Bruggen contributed to the dissemination of his works, marked by mythological, religious and battle scenes.

The museum bears the name of Raymond Lafage in tribute to this artist, who died prematurely in Lyon in 1684. His drawings inspired Toulouse-style faianciers in the 19th century. Today, the museum continues to enrich its collections thanks to the municipality and the Association des Amis de Raymond Lafage, while highlighting local archaeological objects, such as paleolithic flints, Gallo-Roman ceramics, and a collection of 18th and 19th century glassware from the Grésigne forest.

The museum's collections also include works by regional or career artists in Paris, as well as ethnological objects, prints, and numismatic pieces. A permanent room is dedicated to the history of the local glassmen, illustrating local traditions under the Old Regime.

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