Welcome  FAQs
Links  News

France

La France… meilleur pays du monde (according to some).

Well. Let's face it: the French have it all. The highest mountains, the wildest coasts, amazing buildings, superb food, wines to die for… so what's not to like? (The frustrating strikes, perhaps?)

Full map of all France pages

Other Things

Translate & Share

Path: Photos > Museums > Limoges: The Enamel Collection in the Musée des Beaux-Arts
Tags: France  2023  Museum

Limoges: The Enamel Collection in the Musée des Beaux-Arts

 

(vero;2023-July-26)

The Musée des Beaux-Arts is housed in the former bishop's palace next to the cathedral with a nice park overlooking the river Vienne. Click here for information on opening hours and price (5 € in 2023). Its collection includes four sections: Egyptian Antiquity, Paintings, History of Limoges and an exhaustive display of Limoges Enamel. We wanted to see specifically the famous enamel collection and that's where we spent the major part of our visit, which left us with too little time for the paintings and Limoges history sections. I wish we could have seen more of the latter. We recommend reading this article from Britannica if you wish to know more about enamel techniques and history. But basically, there are two major types of enamels:

Limoges Champlevé enamels from the middle ages were mostly intended for religious use : crosses, reliquaries, binding plate for liturgical books among others. They constitute the so-called medieval "Oeuvre de Limoges". Later Limoges enamels painted during the Renaissance are mostly representing scenes inspired by Antiquity. Mythological figures, allegories or rural scenes replace religious representations. This trend continued until the 17th century and reappeared around the middle of the 19th century. Enamel is still a very lively art and the museum boasts a gallery dedicated to modern techniques and motives.

Long side panel of a châsse (box reliquary) showing the crucifixion (around 1200).
Short side panel of a châsse (box reliquary) showing Saint Peter (around 1200). Ivory portrait surrounded by precious stones. Châsse (box reliquary) showing Saulus before his conversion to Paulus, as he participates in the stoning of Saint Stephen. Christ on the Cross. Detail of a retable by the "Maître du rétable de Mesnil-sous-Jumièges" showing scenes of the Passion of Christ. Scene depicted on the retable shown in the previous picture: doubting Thomas. Tryptic of the Nativity by the "Maître aux Grands Fronts", beginning of the 16th century. The Lamb of God. The writing around the head of the man reads "Ecce Agnus Dei Qui Tollis" - Behold the Lamb of God who takes away.… (the sins). Not sure: could represent the Assumption of Mary. Tryptic by Colin Nouailher and Pierre Reymond: illustration of the Lord's Prayer (mid 16th century). The adbuction of Helen of Troy (Pierre Courteys, around 1550) The abduction of Europa, grisaille painted plate by Jean de Court, around 1570 Plate showing the abduction of Europa. The crossing of the Red Sea (16th century). François Ier (1515—1547) as a God, mid-1540s. In this painting, the king wears Minerva's helmet, Mars's armour, Mercury's winged sandals and his staff, Diana's hunting horn, and Cupid's bow and quiver; a Medusa's head adorns his breastplate. This elevation of the monarch into a superman with the attributes of the Olympic gods was typical of royal iconography in the 16th and 17th centuries. Portrait of a woman, detail of an enamel plate. Modern enamel art. Halberdier wearing a tunic sporting a salamander, the personal emblem of King François I. Enamel vase. Modern enamel plate. Modern enamel plate. Paul-Élie Ranson (1861-1909): les Baigneuses (Bathing Women). Paul-Élie Ranson (1861-1909): le Petit Poucet (Little Thumbling), around 1900. Charles Bichet (1863-1929): still life with lemons, around 1913. Risen Christ carrying the Cross (Andrea Piccinelli, dit Il Brescianino, around 1510) Virgin with Child (workshop of Pérugin) around 1502-1506 German school 1509 (workshop of the "Maître des Oeillets"): Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Detail of a stained glass window by Francis Chigot. Francis Chigot (1879-1960) was a Master Glassmaker from Limoges. He restored many windows from ruined churches in the north of France after WWI and went on restoring the windows of churches and cathedrals in all of France. His works, secular and religious, can be seen everywhere in the cities of Limoges and Vichy among others. He created the stained glass roofs of Limoges' famous railway station. Stained Glass Window by Francis Chigot.


Go back to Dijon: Musée des Beaux-Arts or go on to Paris: Musée d'art médiéval de Cluny or go up to Museums


$ updated from: Museums.htxt Fri 16 Aug 2024 15:40:17 trvl2 — Copyright © 2024 Vero and Thomas Lauer unless otherwise stated | All rights reserved $