Museum of Art
and History
DISCOVER THE TREASURES
OF THE ANCIENT CITY OF ARAUSIO
The Museum of Art and History, housed in the private mansion opposite the theatre, built in the 17th century, contains priceless treasures. In it you will discover exceptional archaeological remains from the theatre.
The impressive Roman cadastre dating from the 1st century, a precious archaeological document unique in the world, bears witness to the organisation of the Roman province.
The extraordinary history of Orange continues through the medieval period of the city, you will meet William of Gellone, Count of Toulouse and Lieutenant of Charlemagne, before experiencing the five centuries of the very famous Principality of Orange, governed by Protestant Princes, who confronted Louis XIV at the end of the 17th century.
You will also enter the artistic world of Frank Brangwyn and Albert De Belleroche, 19th century painters and contemporaries of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Auguste Renoir.
Focus
Albert de Belleroche (1864-1944) – an entire room in the museum is dedicated to him – had an apartment in Paris with a clear view.
This enabled him to be well placed for Emile Zola’s funeral on 6 October 1902. The painter absolutely wanted to paint this event on the spot. Although there were guests at his home that evening, he completely ignored them, much to his wife’s dismay, in order to finish the painting on the same evening.
A letter from 1953 was found in the museum’s archives indicating that Julie de Belleroche, the painter’s widow, and his son, William de Belleroche, wished to donate the painting to the City of Orange. This request was heard and accepted in 2018 by the twenty beneficiaries of Albert de Belleroche. The painting entitled “L’enterrement de Zola” (Zola’s Funeral) is currently on display in the Belleroche Room at the Museum of Art and History.
EXHIBITION DU FIL À L’ETOFFE (FROM THREAD TO FABRIC)
From 3 June to 31 December 2022
From the 1760s onwards, Orange was actually the site of major indienne production. Established in the Pourtoules district in order to use the water of the Meyne, the Wetter factory took advantage of the craze for these cotton textiles printed using an Indian technique. Thanks to the recognised skill of its 530 workers, it exported its textiles throughout France, Europe and even the world. Orange textiles were actually renowned for their particularly shimmering colours.
Following the thread of this prestigious history, the exhibition aims to show the stages involved in making outfits – from the thread to the finished clothes – and their evolution. After a look at the raw materials (fabrics and colours) and their importation, a life-size “timeline” of 12 mannequins shows the evolution of women’s and men’s outfits in the centuries of the industrial revolution. Visitors will then be able to follow the production process for the textiles featured on the panels and even touch the ones that were made last year in the old-fashioned way in India.
This exhibition is an opportunity to present the many acquisitions made by the museum in recent years and so eagerly awaited by the public: dresses, skirts, petticoats, headdresses, etc. Items to be discovered to re-establish the links between the present, past and future.
