Musée des Beaux-Arts de Calais

The Calais Museum is a 1965 building facing the peaceful Parc Richelieu. Its architect, Paul Pamart, worked extensively in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region during the Reconstruction period. 

The galleries present approximately 250 works tracing art from the 1940th century to the present day. The tour begins with an evocation of the old museum, destroyed in May XNUMX, with a few pieces saved from a fire. Next comes the XNUMXth century with seascapes, landscapes, and watercolors. Here, the Englishman William Turner (who painted Calais) rubs shoulders with the northerner Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. 

During the 20th century, new movements appeared. The museum particularly honors French sculptors of the time such as Antoine Bourdelle and François Pompon. 

The reconstruction of a sculptor's studio at the heart of the Museum is sure to surprise! It belongs to Henri Delcambre, a regional painter. Some of his works, using various techniques: plaster, bronze, and terracotta, are on display. These works were donated by the descendants of Henri Delcambre, who died in 2003. 

Another collection of works by a local artist is on display: Jeanne Thil, born in Calais (1887). Her life of travel inspired her talents as a painter. The shimmering colors of the Mediterranean shores illuminate her paintings! 

The Calais Museum of Fine Arts naturally gives pride of place to Auguste Rodin, with a dedicated space (reopening in May 2025). It houses around thirty of the artist's sculptures, including 21 on loan from the Rodin Museum, including those that prefigure the Monument to the Burghers of Calais. 

Did you know ? Until its destruction in May 1940, the Museum of Fine Arts presented its collections in an old building located on Place d'Armes. The current museum opened in 1966. The building designed by Paul Pamart features brutalist architecture—thus using raw materials like concrete—typical of the Reconstruction period. Concrete was a modern material at the time, widely used, and here it is skillfully combined with traditional materials like brick and slate. Whether from the exterior or while visiting the museum, it is easy to see that Paul Pamart has taken a deep dive into the use of light.