Friday, May 25, 6pm
About Desbois, Rodin and Claudel: representing old age, modernity in sculpture.
« Daring to represent the female body in its decline from old age takes for Desbois, Rodin and Claudel the form of an expressionist manifesto of realism in sculpture. The three artists go beyond the literal, superficial aspect of this representation by seeking to reach the truth. They reverse the academic definition of the Beau attached to an idealized female body to return to the Man in himself. This research is shared by several sculptors in the 1880s, such as Constantin Meunier, but the triptych of Rodin’s Vieille Heaulmière, Camille Claudel’s La Misère de Desbois and Clotho focus our attention on these three artists and the relationships they maintain.
When these works were exhibited, art critics highlighted the violence of this representation. The philosophical aspect of the relationship between the sculpture and the spectator and the body has justified this revolution in expression. This will introduce the changes of scale, the unfolding of movements, the deformations, the fragment, opening the door to modern art.
These works also play a personal role for each of these artists who will reveal the struggles and dramas of their lives. Thus Desbois will make it a manifesto equal to the conflict of the First World War » ( Sophie Weygand).
Sophie Weygand is Chief Curator, responsible for the departmental conservation of the museums of Maine-et-Loire and since 1995, in charge of the department’s « museums » policy. She was responsible for the project to transfer the Jules-Desbois Museum to Parçay-les-Pins (opened in 2001), which became a municipal association museum, and then from 2001 to 2011, project manager for the renovation of the Joseph-Denais Museum in Beaufort-en-Vallée. The conservation department provides scientific support for the network of the associated directorate of municipal museums (DAMM) and the collections of the Jules-Desbois museums in Parçay-les-Pins, Joseph-Denais in Beaufort-en-Vallée, the Musée de Baugé, and the Musée de la vigne et du vin d’Anjou in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay.
Friday, June 15, 6pm
The Château de Montsoreau in the 15th century and its place in the architecture of the Loire Valley
In the 1450s, John II of Chambes, close advisor to King Charles VII, had the castle of Montsoreau completely rebuilt on the site he had occupied since the end of the 10th century.
The main building, the high courtyard, the low courtyard with the chapel and outbuildings, the surroundings of the castle form a vast land and architectural complex in the very heart of the village of Montsoreau. The study of the monument and the related archives provides a better understanding of how the castle was built, the function of the various spaces, but also places it in the context of architectural creation in the Loire Valley in the middle of the 15th century.
Emmanuel Litoux is in charge of the Archaeology Department of Heritage Conservation in Maine-et-Loire. His research has led him to specialize in the archaeological monitoring of restoration work on Historic Monuments, including the castles of Montsoreau, Saumur, Angers, Plessis-Macé and the priory of Saint-Rémy-la-Varenne.
Friday, September 7, 6pm
The memory of King René: arts and music from the 15th to the 20th century.
King René has remained in the memory of the Angevins a major figure in local history, supported by works of art. Over the years, a true « national » tribute from Angers has taken shape, as a response to the equally lively one from Provence. All are involved, and the initiatives of individuals are listened to carefully by institutions. It is thus a moment of unity that crystallizes around a statue in Angers. However, memory also takes many other forms over the years, depending on the angles of view chosen by painters, musicians and other artists, whether French or foreign.
Etienne Vaquet is Heritage Curator in the Department of Maine-et-Loire. It participates in the preservation, restoration and enhancement of the Angevin heritage. He has worked on various exhibitions on various subjects, such as « L’Europe des Anjou », « Dies solemnis, le Grand Sacre d’Angers » or « Saint Louis et l’Anjou ». Through numerous articles, he presents the results of his studies on the art and history of Anjou.
Price: 3€