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It is one of the finest provincial museums
in France, both for its collections and the quality of its
architecture and gardens, which are typical of the Napoleon
III era.
It houses archaeological collections, which
for the most part have come from local excavations, mediaeval
collections, rooms of paintings including the Puys d’Amiens
(works from the XVth to the XVIIth centuries produced for
the cathedral, in hommage to the Virgin), and a remarkable
ensemble of XIXth century statues. Contemporary art is represented
most notably by a work by Sol LeWitt, a wall-drawing done
on a rotunda of the Museum in 1991.
History of the Museum
Built between 1855 and 1867, on the initiative of the Picardy
Antiquary Society, the Museum is both a monument to the glory
of Picardy and a display space for collections.
Its architecture was inspired by that of the new Louvre at
that time. It is remarkably integrated into the rue de la
République, which was built in the middle of the XIXth century,
towards the south, when Amiens was wealthy enough to be able
to invest in such grand facilities, like the neighbouring
library.
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In 1886, the interior courtyard was
converted into a Grand Salon, modelled on the Salon
Carré of the Louvre. In 1861, the architect Arthur Diet
commissioned Puvis de Chavannes to do the decor of the
entrance to the 1st floor, on either side of the main
staircase. Between 1861 and 1882, Puvis de Chavannes
painted 14 pictures, including 6 large compositions;
some are commissions of the Museum (Ave Picardia Nutrix),
some deposits from the State (Concordia, Bellum, Pro
Patria Ludus), and others donations by the artist. Although
they were painted over a period of more than 20 years,
they form a remarkably coherent whole.
The renovation of the Museum,
undertaken in 1982, was in different phases:
- the first was to renovate the vaulted cellars to house
archaeological collections, which are now excellently
displayed
- the other phases concerned the ground floor and the
first floor.
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Since its foundation, the Museum has continued to add to
its collections:
- the first gifts from the State were in 1802, in the form
of paintings originally intended for decorating the Hôtel
de Ville, then deposits of antiquities from the Mediterranean
basin and XIXth century sculptures.
- acquisitions and bequests of the Picardy Antiquary Society,
particularly for the archaeological collections.
- various donations and bequests, in particular from Lavalard,
in 1894, for 250 French and foreign paintings from the XVIIIth
century, from Albert Maignan, in 1908, for the mediaeval and
Egyptian collections, and from the Duthoit brothers, in 1911,
for the regional collections.
- acquisitions of contemporary works since 1980 and a deposit
from FNAC.
The archeological collections
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The mediaeval
collections
The works displayed date from the IXth to the XVIth
centuries. Many come from religious buildings in the
region.
Some of
the most remarkable pieces:
- a IXth century ivory
binding plate, depicting scenes from the life of Saint
Rémi.
- sculptures removed from Amiens
Cathedral during the renovation led by Viollet-le-Duc
in the XIXth century.
- Limoges champlevé enamelled objects of worship from
the XIIth and XIIIth centuries; and in particular the
crosier from the tomb of Guillaume de Mâcon, Bishop
of Amiens, depicting Saint Michael slaying the dragon.
- polychrome wood sculptures and altarpieces from XVIth
century Picardy workshops.
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The painting collections
The Puys collection is particularly interesting. These works,
from the XVth to the XVIIth century, are paintings commissioned
by the Brotherhood of Puy Notre Dame for display in the cathedral,
in hommage to the Virgin. Some of these paintings are displayed
in very beautiful oak frames, very finely carved and painted
at one time.
The paintings from the XVIIth century, Italian, Spanish and
mostly Flemish, are particularly well represented: note in
particular: "Portrait of a Gentleman" by El Greco; "Portrait
of a Bearded Man" by Van Dyck; "Herman Langelius" by Frans
Hals.
But the collections that have made the Museum famous are those
of the French masters of the XVIIIth century. Note particularly:
- nine hunting scenes commissioned by Louis XV for Versailles
are on display. They were done by several artists of the period,
notably Carle Vanloo and Boucher;
- "The Cradle", "Education of the Virgin" and "Head of an Old
Man" by Fragonard;
- a self-portrait in pastel by Maurice Quentin de La Tour.
Other paintings from the XIXth century include works by Corot,
Courbet and Millet.
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The sculpture collections
They include French works from the XVIIth to the XXth
century, and mostly from the XIXth century:
- works by the Amiens sculptor Nicolas Blasset (1600-1659)
- some marble statues and a bronze commissioned then
deposited by the State in the XIXth century, works by
Auguste Clésinger, Antoine Desbœufs, Léon Cugnot, Pierre
Loison and Jean-Charles Chabrié.
- a bust of Puvis de Chavannes by Rodin- works by Albert
Roze (1861-1952), Amiens sculptor, pupil of Rodin- a
bust of Anatole France by Antoine Bourdelle.
These works are shown to their best
advantage by the lighting and modifications in the layout
implemented during the renovation that took place a
few years ago.
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Works from the XXth century
Nineteen works by thirteen
artists are on display at the Museum. Amongst them,
"Portrait of Maria Lani" by Francis Picabia and "Painter
and Model" by Picasso.
In 1992, the City of Amiens
and the State commissioned Sol LeWitt to paint "Wall-Drawing
n°711" for the Museum's rotunda, which is located beyond
the Grand Salon. The walls and ceiling are covered with
blue, yellow, red and grey ink wash, according to geometric
motifs, which are perfectly adapted to the architecture
of the space.
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Practical info
The café of the museum is open at
the same times.
Parking is advised on the Circus car park, Mail Albert 1er
or in the underground car park of the Jacobins.
Opening times
Everyday, except Mondays and
some Public holidays,
10am - 12:30pm &
2pm - 6pm
Prices
Permanent Collections
Adults : 4.50 €
Children (6-18) : 2.50 €
Museum
of Picardy
48, rue de la République - 80000 Amiens
Tel : +33 (0)3 22 97 14 00 - Fax : +33 (0)3 22 97 14 26
E-mail : musees-amiens@amiens-metropole.com
Website : http://www.amiens.com
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