Printing art the old-school way.

Denise Delouche is the kind of professor who goes out into the field to make better sense of her subject, namely artists, painters in particular, in Brittany in the 19th century. It is in this manner that she began to research a particular artform: the art print (engraving, embossment and other techniques).

A very common variation of the traditional painted canvas, the art print appears as a highly interesting and revealing practise. Delouche asked herself the following questions: "what does this art form tell us about Brittany and 19th-century Bretons? Who would buy art prints? And how did they affect tourism and travels?"

The magical curiosity of a child.

The cause for this event: a place. The book-lined walls of Château-Gaillard, a place filled with mysteriously locked cupboards, bring to mind a society of intellectuals and their obsessive collections - that was more than enough to convince Jean-Luc Parant to recreate his own personal collection of curious things…
His fake-libraries are home to strange books, crafted from wax, with words rolled up into little balls, and writing tablets covered with embossed symbols that one longs to touch… The curious aspect of this collection echoes the obscure 19th century "savant" journals that sit along side it.

Jean-Luc Parant is a curious man. He has been worrying clay since the 70's when he decided that, with this primal, eternal element, he could conquer the world. The erudite scholars of history share with Parant that ambition to embrace the universe as a whole, to collect treasures. Unusual animals, or the perfect shape of an egg - worth their weight in gold, Parant recreates them himself, crafting clay to trick the eye. Deep down, Jean-Luc Parant has that elusive trait of character that once killed the colloquial cat..

Inside the coffers of France's cathedrals.

Just a mention of the word "treasure" will set off an cascade of jewels and gold coins in our imaginations, all the more fascinating because they are inaccessible. The treasures of the clergy are all these things at once, with mostly precious objects from the Christian liturgy, such as chalices, patens, ciboriums and vases, but also ecclesiastic garments and manuscripts.
A few other items may be of interest, such as royal emblems and unusual objects, but it is relics of the saints - which drove myriad believers to attempt pilgrimage - which are the heart of this treasure.

These objects were kindly lent by the Vannes Cathedral, the churches of the Morbihan region and the Vanne Museum's collections.

Renaissance II - The Return.

For this unique occasion, a number of performing companies will be setting up tents in the rampart gardens. This event will be an oportunity to discover life in the Renaissance period thanks to jousting competitions, swordfights, an old-style market and a number of games…

The Renaissance will be coming back to life for two days!

Dancing with Jazz.

Jazz dance is an umbrella term which covers a number of styles, from theatrical to social dances, with origins in tap dancing and even ballet. The common ground for all these styles is evidently the syncopated beats of African-American rhythms and jazz music.

Jazz dance includes a wide scope of techniques or styles such as the shimmy, the Charleston and the black bottom to name a few. This dance culture takes the best of both worlds, the traditional and the modern. Expect an entertaining and difficult performance that requires flexibility, strength and infinite grace.

Centuries of light.

Opened in June 2005, the museum's new presentation of its permanent collections of paintings offers a new outlook on the works of the 19th and 20th centuries.
For the most part, these are landscapes whose common feature is an attempt to grasp rhythm, colour and light and fix this impalpable illusion on canvas.
In the 19th century, painters began experimenting with outdoor painting.
Little by little, light begins to dissolve the subject and lead towards abstraction.
This progress towards modernity can be traced through the works of Elodie La Villette, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet, Jean Le Moal and Geneviève Asse.

Cultural outing.

La Cohue is an ancient mediaeval hall of imposing dimensions in which the museum displays its well-stocked collection of paintings.
These collections, further enriched by a number of works on loan, take the visitor on a journey that is both familiar yet constantly renewed.

Light in the landscape, that ceaseless quest of the artist, is the common theme of 19th and 20th century painting.
Figurative salon landscapes and abstract compositions hang side by side and speak visually to one another, reaffirming a continuity of inspiration.

In the 19th century, painters began experimenting with outdoor painting.
Little by little, light begins to dissolve the subject and lead towards abstraction.
This progress towards modernity can be traced through the works of Elodie La Villette, Eugène Boudin, Claude Monet, Jean Le Moal and Geneviève Asse.