Le Havre, sailing boat at quay, Albert Marquet
Visitors to Le Havre have the opportunity to visit the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art (MuMa), renowned for housing one of France's most prestigious Impressionist collections. As well as its formidable permanent collection of modern paintings, featuring names such as Boudin, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Sisley, Sérusier, Marquet, Matisse and Van Dongen, the museum also regularly hosts large-scale temporary exhibitions. The current exhibition, "Marquet in Normandy", takes visitors on a gentle journey through the world of one of France's greatest landscape painters. If you're planning a trip to Le Havre this summer, here are all the good reasons to visit this museum, located just 600 m from the marina.
The Waltz, Félix VALLOTTON
1. One of France's most prestigious Impressionist collections
The André Malraux Museum of Modern Art, whose permanent collections initially reflected the different schools of European painting since the Renaissance, became a Mecca for Impressionism and Fauvism at the turn of the 20th century, thanks to a number of gifts and bequests. These include gifts and bequests from Eugène Boudin's brother, cotton merchant and art lover Charles-Auguste Marande, Raoul Dufy's widow, and Hélène Senn-Foulds, who in 2004 gave the museum the extraordinary collection of her grandfather, Olivier Senn. Over the years, the museum has acquired some splendid Impressionist pieces, with names such as Renoir, Monet and Pissarro, as well as Fauvist works by artists such as Marquet, Dufy, Matisse, Van Dongen and Camoin.
From time to time, the museum's collection is enriched by key works such as Fécamp bord de mer, by Monet, or La Vague, by Courbet. A number of works have also opened the museum up to the 20th century, with works by Léger, Hélion, Villon, Stael and Dubuffet.
Other important works are now part of the permanent collection of the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art. These include Georges Braque's Barque sur la grève, Raoul Dufy's Le Clocher de l'église d'Harfleur, Geneviève Asse's Horizontale and Marquet's Notre-Dame de Paris sous la neige.
A stroll through the MuMa, through the prism of modern art, is a great opportunity to move between styles. You'll also be interested in Post-Impressionism, with Cross and Sérusier, and the Nabi movement, with Vallotton, Bonnard and Vuillard.
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Rouen, view of Canteleu, grey weather, Albert Marquet
2. "Marquet in Normandy", a must-see temporary exhibition at the MuMa
Albert Marquet is a particularly well-represented artist in the MuMa collections. Visitors can admire no fewer than 14 paintings and 23 drawings. In 1903, Albert Marquet discovered Normandy during a stay at La Percaillerie. He travelled the Normandy coast from 1903 to 1937, stopping off at Flamanville, Le Havre, Fécamp, Trouville, Honfleur, Rouen, Vieux-Port and Dieppe. Alongside other artists such as Manguin, Dufy, Matisse, Signac and Vallotton, he experimented with colour and motifs in worlds that would continue to fascinate and inspire him throughout his life. These included the maritime world, the port and its associated human activities, boats, water and the beach.
After devoting two temporary exhibitions to Pissarro and Raoul Dufy, the MuMa is continuing its tradition of highlights devoted to artists who lived in Le Havre and Normandy, by highlighting the Norman work of Marquet from 22 April to 24 September 2023.
A painter of sober, synthetic seascapes and river landscapes, the "Marquet in Normandy" exhibition offers an insight into Marquet's originality, in his works where the port is omnipresent. But also where the forms are blurred by various elements, such as the movements of the water and the weather. 60 paintings and drawings from public and private collections, both French and foreign, in dialogue at the MuMa with those of several of his compatriots, including Dufy, Matisse, Friesz, Camoin and Valtat.
La Jetée, seated women, Albert Marquet
3. Discover the highlights of the exhibition and the works at the MuMa
The "Marquet in Normandy" exhibition is an opportunity for the André Malraux Museum of Modern Art to offer a host of events. On 10 June 2023, a concert featuring the English composers Benjamin Britten and Henry Purcell will pay tribute to Marquet's stay in London. Not to be missed this summer are the guided tours of the exhibition and those aimed especially at children ("T'as le bonjour d'Albert"). There are also workshops for children and adults. A special mention should be made of the on-board workshops, during which participants are invited to discover the city of Le Havre from the water, but also to explore the work of Albert Marquet in a different way. All accompanied by Le Havre artists Laure Delamotte-Legrand and François Belsoeur.
On Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September 2023, during the Fête de la Mer, an artist from Le Havre will be inviting the whole family to explore the work of Albert Marquet in the Saint-François district. Also worth remembering are the dates of 8, 15, 22 and 29 June, and 7, 14, 21 and 28 September 2023, the days of the Thursday Afterwork, during which visitors can discover or rediscover works from the MuMa's permanent collections.
The MuMa programme can be found by clicking on this link.
4. The MuMa, a building to be admired from every angle
The André Malraux Museum of Modern Art was the first major museum to be built in post-war France. Before going inside to see its permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, you should take the time to contemplate its bold architecture. The building is a masterpiece of modernity, designed by architects Guy Lagneau, Michel Weill, Jean Dimitrijevic and Raymond Audigier. Facing the sea, it boasts a smooth, transparent volume, a combination of glass and steel overlooked by the magnificent aluminium louvre, the work of engineer Jean Prouvé. Outside, Henri-Georges Adam's sculpture Le Signal highlights the building's remarkable position at the entrance to the port.
Despite the restructuring carried out in 1999 by architect Laurent Beaudouin, the monument has retained all its fluidity and remains flooded with natural light. The contrast with the modern city centre designed by Auguste Perret is striking.
5. Some works not to be missed on a visit to the MuMa
Boats at sea, setting sun, Édouard Manet
Sky at sunset, Eugène Boudin
The Shepherd Corydon and the Red Tree, Paul Sérusier
Portrait of Nini Lopez, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Some of the works on show at the "Marquet in Normandy" exhibition
The Port of Dieppe, Albert Marquet
The Quay of Le Havre, Albert Marquet
