Museum of Fine Arts of Reims, Art museum in Reims, France
The Museum of Fine Arts of Reims occupies the former Saint-Denis Abbey beside Reims Cathedral. Its pale grey ashlar corner façade has two storeys of tall grilled windows, two oval medallions between the upper windows, and a projecting round-arched entrance with flanking columns; slate roofs and dormers rise behind a stone balustrade. Inside, the 18th-century abbot's palace rooms hold the collections.
The museum was founded in 1794 during the French Revolution when objects seized from religious sites and private collections were first stored in city hall. The former abbey building later became the permanent home for this growing collection.
The museum's core is the Vasnier collection, bequeathed by champagne house owner Henri Vasnier, which formed the basis of the museum when it opened in 1913. Visitors can see 27 canvases by Corot, donated by Vasnier, a holding second only to the Louvre for this artist. The galleries also hold works by Cranach, Poussin, David and Delacroix.
Renovation and expansion work began in September 2019 and was scheduled to end in 2023, creating a 5,500 m² complex for about 20,000 works, at a cost of 45.3 million euros. The museum stands beside Reims Cathedral, in the former Saint-Denis Abbey; check the current opening status before travelling, since access changes during the works.
The collection includes rare watercolor portraits by Lucas Cranach the Elder, works that are seldom displayed in museums of this scale. These pieces showcase a more delicate side of Renaissance portraiture from Northern Europe.
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