Located in Burgundy, on the banks of the Loire, the museum presents two distinct collections: the testimony of many human activities linked to one of the largest rivers in Europe, as well as a collection of modern paintings.
Its collections are presented in a remarkable setting: the town's former Augustinian convent and its adjoining guardhouse. Dating from the 17th century, both are listed in the inventory of historical monuments.
The Loire Museum benefits from the designation "Musée de France" from the Ministry of Culture.
Evoked by paintings of landscapes from the beginning of the 20th century, earthenware and everyday objects, the Loire is presented under its ethnographic aspect.
After a quick introduction to the link between the river and people throughout history, the visitor finds himself immersed in the heart of the trades of yesteryear.
In the first room of the museum, bargemen, washerwomen, haulers or even sand blasters are evoked through their daily tools, photographs, paintings, and recall the importance of the Loire in past centuries.
Many earthenware pieces are also exhibited and illustrate the importance of this production in the surroundings, as well as its link with fishing and navigation.
Beliefs and devotions are not to be outdone: Saint Nicolas, patron saint of sailors, or Ver-Vert, the famous Nevers parrot imagined by the Jesuit Gresset, have their place in the windows of this room.
The next room exhibits very beautiful models of the various Loire boats, visible from the outside thanks to a glazed passage: barge, fir trees and Inexplosible. River navigation is evoked through the various boats, the goods transported or even the emergence of the canals along the Loire.
The collection of modern paintings, resulting from the legacy of Emile Loiseau and enriched through regular purchases, brings together the works of some great names of the School of Paris (1910-1925) including Vlaminck, Dufy, Utrillo, Derain and Manguin.
This bequest, made up of works from modern painting, was created by Emile Loiseau, an enlightened art lover. It is made up of around thirty artists, ie more than sixty works. The collection also provides historical legibility on the years 1900 to 1920, on the production of artists, mostly exiled, attracted by the capital of the arts: Epstein, Krémègne, Soudeïkine or Chagall.
Located on the first floor of the museum and spread over 3 spaces, this collection also includes works by artists such as Le Scouezec, La Villéon, Harpignies, Burkhalter, Utter and Zingg.
