The Musée des Beaux Arts de Pont-Aven also known as Museum of Pont-Aven was created in 1985 with the support of the French Museum Department and the

Finistère Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.

Conseil Général The departmental councils ( French: ''conseils départementaux''; singular, ''conseil départemental'') of France are representative assemblies elected by universal suffrage in 98 of the country's 101 departments. Prior to the 2015 French depa ...

. The modern wing built in 1985 is reserved for

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...

s and the old wing, which was renovated in 1987, houses a historical reconstruction of

Pont-Aven Pont-Aven (, Breton: 'River Bridge') is a commune in the Finistère department in the Brittany region in Northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 2,821. Demographics Inhabitants of Pont-Aven are called ''Pontavenistes'' in French. ...

at the end of the 19th century as well as the permanent collection dedicated to the

Pont-Aven School Pont-Aven School (french: École de Pont-Aven, br, Skol Pont Aven) encompasses works of art influenced by the Breton town of Pont-Aven and its surroundings. Originally the term applied to works created in the artists' colony at Pont-Aven, which s ...

History

Some key dates marking the genesis of the museum *August 1939. First revival of interest in the artistic past of the city: the mayor of Pont-Aven unveils a commemorative plaque on the former

Pension Gloanec The Pension Gloanec was an inn in Pont-Aven, Brittany, France, that was a base for artists of the Pont-Aven School in the last half of the 19th century. It was known for economical but excellent quality food, where the diners served themselves from ...

, recalling the many artists' productive stay (

Émile Bernard Émile Henri Bernard (28 April 1868 – 16 April 1941) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer, who had artistic friendships with Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch, and at a later time, Paul Cézanne. Most of his nota ...

Charles Filiger Charles Filiger (28 November 1863, Thann – 11 January 1928, Brest) was a French Symbolist painter. He was one of the artists who associated with Gauguin at Pont-Aven in Brittany. Biography The son of a wallpaper manufacturer in Mulhouse, Fili ...

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...

Paul Sérusier Paul Sérusier (9 November 1864 – 7 October 1927) was a French painter who was a pioneer of abstract art and an inspiration for the avant-garde Nabis movement, Synthetism and Cloisonnism. Education Sérusier was born in Paris. He studied a ...

... ). Alongside this symbolic gesture, the salons of the Hôtel Julia host an exhibition on Gauguin and the Pont-Aven group. *1953. Fiftieth anniversary of the death of Paul Gauguin: a retrospective exhibition is held, featuring his painting ''La Belle Angèle'', on special loan from the Louvre Museum, where it was then held. *1960. Creation of "The Friends of Gauguin" chaired by Maurice Malingue. Its mission is to publicize the Pont-Aven School through temporary exhibitions. *1971. The "Société de peintures de Pont-Aven", chaired by Bertrand Queinec, is successor to a body known as the "Association of the Friends of the 'Musée Paul-Gauguin'". In 1985, this becomes the "Association of the Friends of the Museum of Pont-Aven." *Fall 1984. Building works for the museum begin. *June 1, 1985. The Museum of Fine Arts in Pont-Aven opens. *September 2012. Museum closes for building works. *March 26, 2016. New museum with 18,000 square feet of working space opens to the public as the Musée de Pont-Aven in the restored and extended annex of the Hôtel Julia.See ''Le Figaro''

Objectives

The objectives of the Museum *To publicize the work of artists inspired by Brittany and especially by Pont-Aven, from the 1860s to the 1970s *Develop a scientific work about this time period *Open to the contemporary *Guarantee of quality and professionalism of the work of the team, the Museum of Fine Arts in Pont-Aven now enjoys the title "Musée de France" issued by the Directorate of the Museums of France.

Collection

Artists within the collection: *

(1868–1941) *

Maurice Denis Maurice Denis (; 25 November 1870 – 13 November 1943) was a French painter, decorative artist, and writer. An important figure in the transitional period between impressionism and modern art, he is associated with '' Les Nabis'', symbolism, a ...

(1870–1943) *

(1848–1903) *

Meijer de Haan Meijer Isaac de Haan (Amsterdam, April 14, 1852 – Amsterdam, October 24, 1895) was a Dutch painter. In French the name was written Meyer de Haan. Biography He was born into a successful Jewish family of bread and matzo bakers who held to conse ...

(1852–1895) *

Émile Jourdan Émile Jourdan (30 July 1860, in Vannes – 29 December 1931, in Quimperlé) was a French painter who became one of the artists who gathered in the village of Pont-Aven in Brittany. Early life Son of Prosper Jourdan, a ranking customs officer, an ...

(1860–1931) *

Maxime Maufra Maxime Maufra (17 May 1861 – 23 May 1918) was a French landscape and marine painter, etcher and lithographer. Life Maufra first began painting at 18. He was encouraged to do so by two artists from Nantes such as the brothers Charles Ledu ...

(1861–1918) *

Henry Moret Henry Moret (12 December 1856 – 5 May 1913) was a French Impressionist painter. He was one of the artists who associated with Paul Gauguin at Pont-Aven in Brittany. He is best known for his involvement in the Pont-Aven artist colony and his ric ...

(1856–1913) *

(1864–1927) *

Władysław Ślewiński Władysław Ślewiński (1 June 1856, in Nowy Białynin – 24 March 1918, in Paris) was a Polish painter. He was one of Gauguin's students and a leading artist of the Young Poland movement. Biography He was born to a landowning family and his ...

(1854–1918)

Management

*Curator: Estelle Guille des Buttes-Fresneau *Assistant Curator and Head of Public Service: Camille Armandary *Store Manager and Head of the Documentation Centre: Anne Bez-Le Tallec *Secretary: Nathalie Floc'h

Notes

Bibliography

* Guille des Buttes-Fresneau, Estelle ''et al.'' (2016): ''The new Musée de Pont-Aven: A treasure-house for Gauguin and the Pont-Aven School'', Éditions Faton, ''L'Objet d'art'' special issue * Guille des Buttes-Fresneau, Estelle (3 November 2010): ''Pont-Aven Un Musée Une Collection'', Paris: Somogy éditions d'art * Morane, Daniel (2000): ''Émile Bernard 1868–1941. Catalogue de l'œuvre gravé'', Paris: Musée de Pont-Aven & Bibliothèque d'Art et d'Archéologie – Jacques Doucet

External links

Musée Pont-Aven official website

Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art

Information on L'Aven Project and John Melvin
{{authority control Museums in Finistère Art museums and galleries in France Art museums established in 1985 Musee des Beaux-Arts de Pont-Aven