The Angladon Museum is a tiny hidden gem in Avignon. It’s likely overlooked because the city’s visitors and day trippers are too busy admiring the Pope’s Palace or the Petit Palais.
But I definitely recommend a short visit!
Opened in 1996, the museum is housed in a lovely historic building near the Eglise St.-Denis. It holds the magnificent art collection of Jacques Doucet.
He was a celebrated haute couture designer in Paris. He was most well known for his elegant dresses with translucent fabrics.
In his spare time, Doucet cultivated the young avant garde artists of the day like Pablo Picasso.
The first artist he met was Edgar Degas, probably due to their common interest in theater. Doucet initially collected Impressionism, but then moved on to more modern artworks.
His heirs, his great nephew and his wife, donated the art collection to the city and it’s now run by a foundation.
The ground floor displays paintings in a modern setting. The first floor is preserved exactly as it was during their lifetime.
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Guide To The Angladon Museum: What To See
The museum has European artworks from the 18th to 20th centuries set over two floors, with European and Near Eastern decorative arts.
The collection features pieces by Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Amedeo Modigliani, Alfred Sisley, Pablo Picasso, and many others.
The signature work is Modigliani’s Jeune Femme au Corsage Brodé, Woman in a Pink Blouse.
Modigliani was a talented Italian artist living in Paris’ Montmartre neighborhood with other renegade turn of the century artists.
The painting is in the style of his distinctive elongated and stylized portraits, with a long neck, sloping shoulders, and sensitive eyes. In this one, the eyes are expressive, not blank as in his later pieces.
Another standout piece is Van Gogh’s Wagon de chemin de fer, which is a rare and valuable work.
In fact, it’s the only Van Gogh in Provence and was painted in Arles. It a rather dark depiction of trains set against a landscape with his signature furious brushstrokes.
Additionally, there are significant works by Degas, including Dans un Café and Two Dancers.
And there are quite a few Picasso paintings — Seated Harlequin, Nature Morte Cubiste, and Nature Morte a la Guitar — and Picasso drawings. They are from early in his career, 1904-1920.
You’ll also see a large Cezanne still life.
You’ll see the artist’s penchant for rendering everyday objects like fruit, bottles, and bowls in seemingly casual yet meticulously structured compositions.
As in all his still lives, the artist played with perspective, sometimes showing multiple viewpoints in a single piece.
Upstairs, themed rooms are furnished in 18th and 19th century period styles. There are some rare antiques, rare books, and objets d’art.
Practical Guide & Tips For The Angladon Museum
Address: 5 Rue Laboureur Avignon
Hours: Open daily from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm, closed Mondays.
Tickets: 8 euros. The museum is included in the Avignon City Pass.
Is The Angladon Museum Worth Visiting?
I admit, it’s a tad expensive for a smallish collection. More art gallery than museum really.
But there are some sweet pieces, and you’ll likely have the place to yourself. Plus, a visit will only take an hour or so.
The museum is perfect for those who love small house museums.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the Angladon Museum. You may find these other southern France guides useful:
- 10 day itinerary for southern France
- 1 week Dordogne itinerary
- Hidden gems in Provence
- Hilltop villages of the Luberon Valley
- Historic landmarks in southern France
- Beautiful villages in the Dordogne
- Beautiful villages in Occitanie
- One day in Avignon itinerary
- One day in Sarlat-la-Caneda
- One day in Toulouse itinerary
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