On the 1st May 2010, the Villa Vauban – Musée d’Art de la Ville de Luxembourg will reopen to the public after five years of renovation and extension works.

Bourgeois villa architecture, in a 21st-century interpretation

The new museum was designed to reflect the specificity of its collection of paintings originally acquired by wealthy private collectors in the 18th and 19th century. Its core structure, an urban villa from 1873, was redeveloped under the supervision of architect Philippe Schmit of the Luxembourg-based office Diane Heirend & Philippe Schmit architectes, whose contemporary extension engages in a stimulating architectural dialogue with the historic building.

Relaxing in a historic garden

The museum complex is located in a park designed by the French architect Édouard André (1840 – 1911), one of the leading landscape planners of his time. Extensive refurbishment works will recover the park’s original design, thus allowing visitors to explore historic works of art in a quiet and relaxing setting
in the heart of the city.

The permanent collection

The exhibitions at the Villa Vauban will draw on the collection of the City of Luxembourg, whose focus lies on Dutch painting from the Golden Age (17th century) and 19th-century French history and landscape painting.
The collection is further enhanced by European paintings, sculptures and drawings from the 17th to the 19th century.

The character of the collection is thus significantly influenced by these bequests. They provide a unique insight into the collecting practice of the upper bourgeoisie during the late 18th and the 19th century and comprise works from the Golden Age of Dutch painting (17th century) by artists such as Cornelis Bega, Gerrit Dou and Jan Steen as well as French history and landscape painting from the 19th century by the likes of Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier and Jules Dupré.

Temporary exhibition programmed in 2010:

- The Golden Age reloaded
(From the 1st May until 31st October 2009)

The exhibition, developed in cooperation with the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum, combines two collections of Dutch art: The Villa Vauban’s collections, tracing back to Pescatore and including works by David Teniers the Younger, Jan Steen and Gerard Dou and selected masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum’s collections, including paintings by Frans Hals, Paulus Potter, Govert Flinck, Jan van Goyen and Jacob van Ruisdael. Additionally, engravings from the collections of the von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal will also be on show.

The visitor discovers diverse aspects of Dutch painting of the Golden Age in the exhibition which go beyond the often admired abundance of details and subjects characteristic of these artworks: What exactly fascinated the 19th century with the 17th? How did 19th-century painters imitate the Old Masters?

Furthermore, a view “behind” the paintings will be granted: Which types of frames did buyers and collectors prefer during the two periods? The visitor also learns about the art trade as well as about the restoration of selected artworks. Finally, the exhibition raises the question of how we perceive 17th-century art today.
 

The history of the permanent collection

The museum’s collection finds its origins in the 19th century, when Jean-Pierre Pescatore, Leo Lippmann and Eugénie Dutreux-Pescatore, three influential local figures, bequeathed their private collections to their home city.

“Get the full picture” – experiencing art from different perspectives

Instead of a permanent display, the Villa Vauban will accommodate a range of varying exhibition formats allowing it to highlight different aspects of its collection. Presentations will thus be structured around four constantly changing exhibition modules:

- Welcoming International Collections
- Passionate Collectors
- Works in the Spotlight
- The Life of Paintings

Art and Education

Exhibitions and public programmes at the Villa Vauban are designed to reach out to all audiences. The museum’s diverse and innovative range of manifestations will include thematic guided tours, special tours for children, workshops for all ages, performances and concerts. All events will be conceived with a focus on interaction with the public.
The museum will also provide art expertise for art lovers and collectors on a regular basis.

Opening hours in spring 2010:

Mo     10h – 18h
Tu     closed
We     10h – 18h
Th    10h – 18h
Fr    10h – 21h
Sa    10h – 18h
Su    10h – 18h

Access:

By foot: Station – Villa Vauban: 10 minutes (bus to city center, Centre, Centre Hamilius, then 5 minutes walking distance)
By Bike: “Vel’oh” bicycles for hire: until terminal no. 28 Charly’s Gare
By Cars: Parking Monterey