FABRE MUSEUM IN MONTPELLIER

Lecture (in German) by Matthieu Fantoni, Musée Fabre in Montpellier

As part of a series showcasing renowned museums from Occitanie in cooperation with the Kurpfälzisches Museum, the Montpellier-Haus is presenting the Musée Fabre in Montpellier to mark the anniversary of the city partnership. It was founded in 1825, when François-Xavier Fabre decided to donate to the city of Montpellier the works of art he had collected during his exile in Florence. Generations of donors followed his example, including Alfred Bruyas
(1821–1877), a friend of Cabanel who was close to Courbet and an accomplished collector of Delacroix. In the 20th century, the museum’s collection was enriched with works by Frédéric Bazille and artists from the “Support/Surface” group. In 2005, it received an extraordinary donation from Pierre and Colette Soulages, bringing the total number of works on display to over 1,000 today. The exhibition traces the history of this unique museum up to the present day.

After studying art history at the École du Louvre and the University of Heidelberg, Matthieu Fantoni worked in the field of historic preservation for five years beginning in 2016. Since 2024, he has been in charge of the collections of ancient art at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier. His research focuses on French painting from the 17th to the 19th century and its reception.