Dijon Fine Arts Museum
In the heart of Burgundy, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon is one of the oldest in France due to its origins dating back to the Ancien Régime. The heritage of the Dukes of Burgundy has earned it the opportunity to present undisputed masterpieces from the end of the Middle Ages.
Dijon Fine Arts Museum – heritage of the Dukes of Burgundy
At the heart of Burgundy, the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon can trace its origins back to the Ancien Régime, making it one of the oldest Fine Arts museums in France. Unrivalled masterpieces belonging to the Dukes of Burgundy were first put on display at the end of the Middle Ages.
The museum is housed in a mansion, the Hôtel des Ducs de Bourgogne, and the eastern part of the Palais des Etats and as such provides an essential account of the art and history of Burgundy from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century.
In spite of the rigorous classical regularity imposed at the end of the 17th century, the diversity of the palace buildings, built between the 14th and 19th centuries, illustrate the history of the building across the centuries : residence of the Dukes of Burgundy, then residence of kings and governors, seat of the Estates, an art school which led to the creation of the museum and finally Mairie (town hall) of Dijon. The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon symbolises not only its strong local links by showing works by regional artists, but also its global awareness thanks to collections from all four corners of the globe.
A collection from Antiquity to contemporary art
With the current renovation of the museum the 21st century is making its mark on the palace in the form of architectural operations which rightly confirm its awareness of contemporary life. Its extensive collections, among some of the finest displayed in French museums, are the result of the founding period during the French Revolution and the enthusiasm of collectors, ranging from Egyptian art right through to the 21st century. From Antiquity to contemporary art, from painting to decorative arts via drawings and sculptures, all forms of art are represented in the 130,000 works held by the museum.
The medieval collections are without doubt the most remarkable, for both their quality and quantity. Although the museum is best-known for housing the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy in the centre of the main hall of the palace, these should not detract from other highlights of the collections like the Fayoum mummy portraits from Roman Egypt or masterpieces of European painting from the Renaissance to the 19th century by Titian, Guido Reni, Philippe de Champaigne, Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Géricault, Edouard Manet and Claude Monet.
Artists from Burgundy, often unknown outside their region despite their importance, are prominently featured in the museum, including substantial, expressive works by Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, François Rude, Jean-Baptiste Lallemand and Félix Trutat, who died aged 24 when he was one of the most promising portrait artists of his generation. The highlight of the 20th century collection comes from the Second School of Paris with works by Nicolas de Staël, Maria-Helena Vieira da Silva and Charles Lapicque. Art from today is not forgotten as the museum has several works by Yan-Pei Ming."
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