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The Fabre Museum in Montpellier

26th February 2007

The Fabre Museum holds one of the largest collections of art in France, and a far-reaching refurbishment means the range of work on display is set to become even more extensive.

The museum reopened on February 4th 2007 following four years of renovation, and has now doubled in size to 9,200 square metres. Closed for the past two years, the Fabre now holds around 1,600 works of art including 800 on permanent display.

Additions to the collection include a selection of work donated to the museum by French painter Pierre Soulages, as well as pieces by 19th century realist Gustave Courbet and impressionist Jean Frederic Bazille.

The museum's artistic heritage stretches back to the vocation of its founder, Francois-Xavier Fabre. The Frenchman won the prestigious Prix de Rome scholarship in 1760, and his own work represented the beginnings of the Fabre Museum's collection upon his death in 1837.

Other areas of interest within the museum include a collection of ceramic work from Greece and around Europe, along a series of sculptures from across the 17th to 19th centuries.

Poussin's Venus and Adonis and Delacroix's Fantasia are two of the most famous pieces on display in the Fabre, while works by Veronese, Rubens and Il Guercino also feature. With over 300,000 art fans expected to visit the newly-refurbished venue this year, the Fabre is once again a key stop on any trip in and around Montpellier.

© Adfero Ltd

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