Musée de Grenoble
5 place de Lavalette
About
The building that houses the Musée de Grenoble art museum was inaugurated in 1994, but the institution dates back to 1776. The current set up allows visitors to explore art from the 13th to the 21st century in the main exhibit areas. Beneath the entrance area, several rooms house an impressive collection of ancient art, including Egyptian sarcophagi and a nearly-intact mosaic. The Tour de l'Isle, a tower which remains from a Middle Age fortress, and another 1,000 m2 hall showcase temporary exhibits. Many visitors come to see Rubens' Saint Gregory and a sculpted door panel from the 1400s depicting Jacob and his many sons. The neo-Impressionist and Fauvist collections also draw art enthusiasts, with works by Matisse, Picasso, Monet, Gaugin, Chagall, Klee, and Ernst. Look for Chagall's ethereal Songe d'une Nuit d'Eté and Picasso's Femme Lisant. Through decades of purchases and donations, the Musée de Grenoble has acquired quite a collection that lets visitors see quality examples of nearly every major artistic current from the past seven centuries. The collection privileges the Italian, Flemish, and French schools. The visit also continues outside the museum, where 15 monumental sculptures dot the Albert Michallon park and the François Mitterand Esplanade.
