When in Languedoc, you will find that you are outside most of the time enjoying the good weather. There are so many outdoor activities, but this beautiful region also has some museums that are absolutely worth a visit. Like the Musée Fabre in Montpellier, for example. Since its reopening in 2007, the museum attracts many art lovers to Montpellier.
Classical and modern
I visited Le Musée Fabre on a warm, sunny day, and the beauty of this museum surprised me. A huge renovation started in 2003 and took four years in total. Now, the museum offers more than 9200 m2 of exhibition space. Although the museum hosts an important classical collection, the interior is very modern and light. Mixing this modern architecture with the building’s original features has been very successfully done.
Generous donation
Le Musée Fabre was founded by the Montpellier painter François-Xavier Fabre. Because of his generous donation, the museum could officially open in 1828. After Fabre, many other artists and collectors donated art to the museum. Today, the permanent collection hosts interesting paintings, and some sculptures, from the 15th century to the present day. Besides this diverse range of artistic works, the museum is very active and regularly curates temporary exhibitions throughout the year.
Outrenoirs
Pierre Soulages made the last substantial donation, an abstract artist who maintains close ties with Montpellier. After the renovation in 2007, a special wing of the museum was dedicated to showing some of Soulages big paintings, also known as “Outrenoirs”. The closest translation of Outrenoirs would be “Beyond Black”, as a thick layer of the blackest black paint cover these enormous paintings. Because of the structure created in this layer, the light can play with it, giving the paintings a whole new dimension.
