Musée municipal de Bourg-en-Bresse, Art museum in Bourg-en-Bresse, France
The Musée municipal de Bourg-en-Bresse is an art museum located in a wing of a cloister of the Royal Monastery of Brou and houses paintings from Flemish, French, and Italian schools spanning the Renaissance to modern times. The collection encompasses works from several centuries, showing different artistic traditions and styles.
The museum was founded in 1854 and relocated to a wing of the Royal Monastery of Brou in 1922 after being housed elsewhere. This move rescued the Baroque monastery building from decline and gave it a new purpose.
The museum displays works by Bernard Van Orley, the court painter to Emperor Charles V, alongside paintings by Pietro della Vecchia and Francesco Fontebasso. This collection reflects the artistic connections between Flanders, Italy, and France.
The museum is located within the impressive complex of the Royal Monastery of Brou, which you can explore while visiting the art collection. It is helpful to allow enough time to experience both the paintings and the architecture and gardens of the monastery grounds.
Thomas Riboud, a lawyer and politician from Ain, donated over 120 paintings in the mid-19th century that formed the core of the collection. His generous gift not only preserved the artworks but also enabled the abandoned monastery to be repurposed.
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