Founded in 1825 by painter François-Xavier Fabre, this exceptional museum houses one of France’s richest collections of European art. The galleries collectively showcase the last 600 years of artistic activity in Europe; most of the big names are represented here. Recent renovations have transformed the museum into a light, airy and engaging space.
Of particular local interest are the works of Montpellier-born artist Fréderic Bazille (1841–70), a close contemporary of Monet, Sisley and Manet. The artist has a whole room devoted to him: look out for his portrait of Renoir, seated on a chair with legs tucked up beneath him, and a moody portrait of the artist himself by a very young Monet. Another local notable is Alexandre Cabanel (1823-89), whose striking, classical paintings explore a range of mythological and religious tales – look out for a dramatic portrait of a fallen Satan and a similarly dramatic image of a dying Moses, his soul carried away by angels.
Elsewhere around the museum, the Dutch section contains three small paintings by Rubens, while the Romantic section is strong on French artists – particularly Delacroix, Géricault and Corot. Monet, Degas, Kees van Dongen, Matisse and Delaunay are all represented in the modern section.
There is a particularly strong showing by Gustave Courbet – a close friend of Alfred Bruyas, a prominent local art collector who donated most of his personal collection to the museum (you'll see many portraits of his orange-bearded face as you wander round, including Courbet's own depiction of a meeting between the two friends). Among the museum's most prized works is Courbet's The Bathers (1886), which depicts a semi-nude woman displaying prominent buttocks – it caused a scandal at the Paris Salon in 1853, and was later purchased by Courbet for 3000 francs.
Several rooms are devoted to the abstract painter and sculptor Pierre Soulages, known for his 'noir-lumière' (black-light) works.
Entry to the nearby Hôtel de Cabrières-Sabatier d’Espeyran, a lavish mansion containing a rich collection of furniture and decorative arts, is included.
