Cordes-sur

The Yves Brayer Museum of Modern Art opened its season by celebrating its twenty years. The beginnings date back to 1976 when Yves Brayer donated around ten oil paintings to the municipality, which were then exhibited in a room of the Grand Fauconnier House, which was then the town hall. His wife Hermione made further donations.

Jean-Gabriel Jonin, deputy in charge of culture from 1995 to 2008, a passionate art lover and artist himself, organized exhibitions of regional painters in Fonpeyrouse and asked them to offer a work to the municipality, a tradition that still exists today.

A fund was thus established, which is now on display on the second floor. Jean-Gabriel Jonin met André Verdet in 2001, and a bond was formed between the two aesthetes, leading Verdet to donate part of his collection to the community, including works by prestigious painters like Picasso, Léger, Klee, and Prévert. In 2003, friends and collectors of Maurice Baskine, Jean and Monique Saucet, were impressed by the spirit and setting of Cordes and the municipality agreed to host them the following year.

In 2004, an exhibition featuring Aline Gagnaire took place in Fonpeyrouse. Jean Bollery, her heir, bequeathed around fifteen of her creations to the city. In 2006, with the help of Alain Meunier, son of surrealist painter Francis Meunier from Cordes, several more paintings were added to the collection. Faced with an increasing number of artworks, a solution was needed to present them properly to the public and honor the commitment made during these contributions. The idea was proposed during a municipal council meeting: to renovate the town hall in Fonpeyrouse, since the tourist office was moving to the Maison de Pays, and turn the Grand Fauconnier into a modern art museum.

The decision was accepted and the museum came to life. The venue quickly became a hub for various cultural activities, such as school workshops, conferences, concerts, and performances. For this anniversary, a new hanging was completely redesigned. “When we hang artworks, it allows us to rediscover them, to make them come to life,” emphasized Elodie Cortès, in charge of cultural affairs. Visitors familiar with the place will be able to see Yves Brayer’s paintings from a different perspective in their new space.