Museé des Beaux Arts

Angers, France

The Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers is an art museum located in the historic Logis Barrault mansion in Angers, western France. It forms part of the Toussaint complex, which includes a garden, gallery, library, and other public spaces. After major renovations between 1999 and 2004, the museum now spans 7,000 square meters, offering permanent and temporary exhibitions, public amenities, and technical facilities.

Founded in 1801 as part of the Ecole Centrale, the museum survived the closure of the school system in 1803 and was preserved by the city. Over time, it expanded through major donations and bequests, notably from David d’Angers and Turpin de Crissé. Despite wartime damage in 1944, the museum was rebuilt and reorganized. In 2003, the nearby Château de Villevêque and its large art collection were added to the museum.

Restoration was led by architect Gabor Mester de Parajd, preserving the site's historical character, while Antoine Stinco redesigned modern spaces to enhance visitor experience.

The museum's permanent collections include over 900 works, from medieval to contemporary art. Highlights include works by Ingres, Boucher, Fragonard, Watteau, Monet, and Tiepolo, along with sculptures, decorative arts, and archaeological artifacts tracing the history of Angers.

The museum hosts several temporary exhibitions each year, with past shows featuring artists like Niki de Saint Phalle and François Morellet.

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Details

Founded: 1801
Category: Museums in France

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Michael Torbit (11 months ago)
Nice museum to visit. Great historic exhibit on the history of Angers.
The Chopsticks (11 months ago)
Lovely place to visit at Angers, one of the most memorable museum ive visited.. it has interactions part where by you are actually force unintentionally to remember about that particular painting.. very well thought on the interaction parts wish that alot of museum will do that.. enjoyed strolling around and appreciating the artworks and artifacts
Fathima Nazeer (2 years ago)
Impressive and well preserved collection of art. Location is wheelchair accessible with ramps and elevators to all levels. Restaurant available on site. No audio guides available. Temporary exhibit had bi-lingual explanations in French and English. Permanent exhibit explanations are in French only. Keep your ticket as it may be checked at various entry points.
Cheese Man (2 years ago)
Lovely museum, didn’t understand a lot as I sadly don’t speak much French but still cool to see a lot of the history of Angers and lots of great paintings. Very friendly staff and it wasn’t busy at all. Very affordable price at just €6.
Putu Rian Arde SURYA (2 years ago)
The attractive museum in Angers. You can find a 2 different vibes in this museum. Located in the city center of Angers city and really stunning to visit.
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