Library and Documentation

While the establishment of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux can easily be dated back to the 1801 consulate decree expressing the national desire to create provincial museums, the library and documentation department have had a more progressive genesis. As it goes, the Museum’s slow growth and installation in the two wings of the Town Hall garden (built in 1881) gradually led to the development of preservation activities, which in turn began to require specific documentary resources.

 

Throughout the 20^th century the number of exhibitions never ceased to grow and museum regulations became more specific. At the same time, the need to study the collections grew around the obligations to present and preserve works. Publication policies diversified and the publication of a regular inventory eventually led to a more in-depth study of the entire collection (Italian school, Dutch school, artist monographs, etc.).

Today, the preservation team’s work provides a source of invaluable information to further knowledge of the works held at the Museum.

The Museum’s library and documentation center are located within the preservation department :

 

- They are available for consultation by appointment

- Several thousand artist files and artwork files

- More than 25,000 works

 

Classified and/or digitized, they are now accessible to the public and may be consulted on the premises.

Open from Monday to Friday by appointment

(33) 05 56 10 25 09 or (33) 05 56 10 25 18

mba-doc-photo(at)mairie-bordeaux.fr