In spring of 2020, the Val de Loire's Royal Abbey of Fontevraud will welcome the private collection of Martine and Léon Cligman in the brand-new modern art museum. Works from Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and Rodin illustrate the progression of this couple's collection. Come along and discover this amazing scenography in this brand new jewel of France's art museums.
Fifty years: this is how long it took Martine and Léon Cligman to put together their inestimable collection of modern art, from paintings, sculptures, tapestries and other objets d'art. This life's opus was formed by the former textile magnate's work (Léon) and the artist's passion (Martine, also known as Martine Martine).
In spring 2020, 900 works from the Cligman's private collection will hang on the walls of the new museum in the enclosure of Fontevraud Abbey in the Val de Loire. Among these, 100 of which are 19th and 20th century paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Soutine and Delaunay, and 20 are sculptures by Rodin or Germaine Richier.
The Fannerie, the former stables of the mothers abbesses of the Fontevraud, will be the historical building welcoming the museum. The first two levels of the of the 1 000 m² (10763 ft²) building serve as the screen for the permanent collection, and the more autonomous third level will be dedicated to temporary exhibitions.
Founded in 1101, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, located in the Pays de la Loire region, is the largest monastic settlement inherited from the Middle Ages. Fully restored, the site now brings its rich heritage to life with a multidisciplinary cultural programme and a host of digital installations.
In the heart of the Cligman collection
The scenography, entrusted to designer Constance Guisset, will focus on restoring the history of the art through the lense of a collector. Visitors are invited into the world of the Cligmans to discover their taste and the logic behind their acquisitions. Certain rooms will be dedicated to an artist, a movement, or a technique, while others will be grouped according to shared sensibilities in order to account for the gaze of those who gathered them.
This is the ideal occasion to explore the Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, one of the largest monastic communities of the Middle Ages, made further incredible by the fact that the mixed religious population here was led by abbesses, not monks.
Find out more:
- Abbaye royale de Fontevraud
- Prepare your trip to the Loire Valley
- In the gardens of the Loire Valley chateaux and La vie en rose in the Loire Valley
By The editor
The editorial staff of France.fr follows the trends and news of destinations to bring you stories from France that reveal its innovations and traditions that make you long to (re) discover its territories.
