The Museum of Art and History of Langres (also known as the Guy-Baillet Museum, named after a former mayor of the locality), in Haute-Marne, was founded in 1841.
Since 1997, it has been housed in a building with contemporary architecture developed around a Romanesque chapel, in the historic center of the city.
This is the other major museum center of the city with "the Maison des Lumières Denis Diderot", dedicated to the philosopher and encyclopaedist born in Langres.
The Museum of Art and History, whose archaeological and artistic collections extend from prehistory to the 20th century, comprises three levels of exhibition.
The public discovers Gallo-Roman treasures, medieval sculptures, decorative art objects (cutlery, earthenware, furniture, etc.), but also paintings, engravings, old photos, not to mention collections belonging to the Egyptology, and Natural History.
Among the major works presented, for Prehistory and Antiquity, swords dating from the Bronze Age, a marble statue of a Roman emperor, a mosaic of Bacchus, a rare glass bottle decorated with serpents…
In the old chapel are installed medieval statues of bishops and saints, but also "the" masterpiece of the museum, a painting by José de Ribera representing "Jesus among the doctors" (Seventeenth century).
A large part of the collection highlights artists from the region but also exhibits works by Charles Le Brun, Nicolas de Largillierre, Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Evariste Luminais or Raoul Dufy…
Workshops are regularly held offered and temporary exhibitions scheduled each year.
Open every day except Tuesdays and 1 January, 1 May, 1 November and 25 December. Price: 4 and 7 euros (ticket also valid for the Maison des Lumières). Supplement of 2 euros for a guided tour. Information on +33 3 25 86 86 86.
