Exhibition Travels in France, on the back roads of a collection of drawings and paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries
Current exhibition
This spring, take part in a voyage of discovery at the Château de Bussy-Rabutin, where arts and travels combine to recreate the spirit of the Grand Tour so dear to the 17th and 18th centuries!
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29 March to 14 May : 9.15am - 12pm and 2pm - 5pm
From 15 May to 7 September : 9.15am - 1pm and 2pm - 6pm
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Admission
Exhibition included in monument entrance fee
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Public
General public
Presentation
Discover the characteristics of the " French style " and its profound and major influence on the arts of the Grand Siècle thanks to a moving collection of drawings and paintings !
"Voyages en France" takes visitors to the Château on a journey through time and space, with a collection of French paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. The exhibition is the result of a scientific collaboration with the Société des Amis de Bussy-Rabutin and is curated by M. François de Bernard.
Through the fragile strokes of the pen or the vigorous brushstrokes of the various artists, all these works provide an insight into the creative explosion that was taking place at the French Court during this period.
The exhibition will also evoke travel and the different types of traveller, from merchant to pilgrim, prince to artist, to recreate the atmosphere of the Grand Tour so dear to the 17th and 18th centuries!
Itinerary of a collector
This exhibition is based on our generous collector's desire to share his passion for French painting and the wealth of his paintings and drawings with visitors to the château over a 6-month period. But what are the reasons for such an invitation? What does it mean to collect such works of art? To these questions, which every visitor must ask themselves, we can only offer some answers, always linked to moments in the collector's personal history.
He started collecting when he was a teenager: it was always obvious to him. He didn't feel the " need to collect, but found [and still finds] this activity interesting, different, long-term, demanding a certain obstinacy, and which has many virtues: to entertain, to work on disciplines other than the main daily activities, to stimulate the imagination ".
After collecting contemporary art, he turned his attention to the 19th century, before finally deciding to 'build' as coherently as possible a small collection centred on drawings and paintings from the French and Italian schools of the 16th and 17th centuries. These peregrinations took place over the years as his passion for art grew. This movement was part of the Grand Siècle, a flourishing period for all branches of the arts in France, including painting. Since the beginning of the Renaissance, Italy had been the centre of the arts in Europe, but in the second half of the 17th century we saw a shift towards France, even if Rome retained its prestige, and the gradual establishment of a truly French school of painting. Two of the greatest artists of the 17th century, celebrated during their lifetime, were French: Nicolas Poussin and Le Lorrain. Others, such as Georges de La Tour and the Le Nain brothers, were forgotten after their deaths and gradually rediscovered in the 19th and 20th centuries, before finally being recognised as major painters of their century.
Following in his footsteps, the collector invites you to follow him on the back roads of his collection, to enjoy a timeless moment of discovery of his passion for French art.