Museum Calvet in Avignon

The Calvet Museum is dedicated to fine arts, It is listed Museum for diversity and value of its collections. It has settled in the "Hôtel de Villeneuve-Martignan", a splendid mansion built in the 18th century, considered as the most beautiful mansion in Avignon for many people.

The museum has been build up from the collection of Esprit Calvet, musée s'est constitué à partir de la collection d'Esprit Calvet, a doctor of the 18th century, a fine spirit, brilliant adept of the Enlightment Age : he made a donation of his "cabinet odf curiosities", holding 12000 item, to the city of Avignon. His collections cover all domains of Art in the 18th century, and some domains of Science : painting, sculpture, goldsmithing and silversmithing, but also archeology and ethnology.

With time passing, the Museum Calvet's collection have been completed with private legacies, donations and State's deposits. Only a part of the collection is shown, so the Museum Calvet regularly offers very interesting temporary exhibitions.

iversity and eclectism of the collections characterize the Calvet Museum, but the paintings are, by their numbers, valour and quality, the main part of the visit. A wing of the mansion is dedicated to sculpture, goldsmithing and silversmithing.

The collection of paintings presents artworks from the 16th to the 20th century, with predilection for classicism and romantism. It gives a quality panorama about art of those period, with masterpieces of french painters as Nicolas Mignard, Horace Vernet or Jean Louis David. Provençal artists are also represented, as well as painting masters from the italian, spanish and flemish school. A room is specially dedicated to the 20th century paintings.

You can appreciate the outstanding architecture of this 18ty century mansion dedicated to fine arts. The museographic scenery exalts the artwoks, keeping them close to the visitor.

Contact

Coming to the Musée Calvet

GPS coordinates : N 43.947, E 4.80343