The Youth of Fine Arts
Rennes and its artists, 1794–1881
The exhibition La Jeunesse des Beaux-Arts ( The Youth of Fine Arts) highlights a forgotten chapter in the artistic history of Rennes in the 19th century: the beginnings of the museum and the municipal school of fine arts.
This deep dive into the origins of Rennes’ cultural institutions reveals a heritage that has been largely overlooked until now, allowing visitors to rediscover works that have been hidden from view since the post-war period and recapture the dynamism of a city undergoing rapid change.
Exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rennes
From 29 November 2025 to 29 March 2026
A century of artistic life in Rennes
n 1794, during the French Revolution, the first inventory of the Rennes collections led to the creation of a public museum. In 1799, the museum moved to the Palais Saint-Melaine, becoming the city’s first public art institution. A municipal school of painting, sculpture and drawing was created around it, which later became the regional school of fine arts, the predecessor of the current EESAB.
The exhibition La Jeunesse des Beaux-Arts (The Youth of Fine Arts) traces a century of artistic life in Rennes (1794-1881) through the collections, institutions and artists that shaped the city’s cultural identity. In a changing France, Rennes experienced an artistic dynamism embodied by its museums, school, exhibitions and shows.
The exhibition itinerary
The Youth of Fine Arts
Rennes and its artists, 1794–1881
From the 1794 inventory to 1881, Rennes transformed from a provincial town into a recognised artistic hub, with exhibitions, concerts and shows demonstrating its remarkable cultural vitality.
The exhibition is structured in six parts:
- Birth of Rennes’ artistic institutions (museum and school of fine arts)
- Faces of Rennes: painted and sculpted portraits of 19th-century Rennes notables
- Public works
- Producing, exhibiting, selling: a selection of works by artists active in Rennes in the 19th century
- Graphic arts cabinet: drawings and engravings by 19th-century Rennes artists
- The museum as a place of training and exhibition for living artists
Paul-Vital Mussard, Portrait d’adolescent dessinant un paysage, avant 1888, oil on canvas
© Musée des beaux-arts de Rennes / Jean-Manuel Salingue, inv. 888.42.1
The flagship works
Two major pieces in the exhibition illustrate the artistic vitality of 19th-century Rennes and the influence of its artists:
- The high relief Mucius Scævola devant Porsenna by François Lanno, the first artist from Rennes to win the Prix de Rome;
- Alexandre Cabanel’s Portrait de Marie Jamet, presented for the first time, a rare testimony to the Montpellier master’s interest in Brittany.
This exceptional presentation is the result of extensive restoration and research work carried out by the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Rennes. The restored works reveal the richness of a long-overlooked local artistic heritage.
Alexandre Cabanel, Portrait de Marie Augustine Jamet, 1885, oil on canvas © Collection particulière / Saint-Pern, congrégation des Petites Sœurs des Pauvres.
Curator
- Guillaume Kazerouni, Scientific curator
- Simon Poirier, Scientific collaborator
La Jeunesse des Beaux-Arts
Rennes et ses artistes, 1794-1881.
Exhibition from 29 November 2025 to 29 March 2026
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes
Site Quai Zola 20, quai Émile-Zola
35000 Rennes
Artists nominated for the 2026 Drawing Prize of the Guerlain Foundation
Cathryn Boch, Simon Schubert and Renie Spoelstra are the three artists nominated for the 19th Daniel and Florence Guerlain Contemporary Art Foundation Drawing Prize.
The MuMa-Le Havre, guest of honour of the Salon du dessin 2026
This year, the musée d’art moderne André Malraux (MuMa – Le Havre is exhibiting works from its collection at the Salon du Dessin, where it is the guest of honour.
Joint statement
The Salon du Dessin is a signatory to the joint declaration by art market professionals, cultural institutions, artists and representatives of the creative ecosystem.
Bella Maniera Publication Grant Third edition
The Salon du Dessin is pleased to announce the third edition of the Bella Maniera Publication Grant, a €3,000 prize that supports research on antique and 19th-century drawings. Applications are open until 1 December 2025.
The Salon du Dessin changes its chairmanship
The Salon du Dessin is now chaired by Florence Chibret-Plaussu (Galerie de La Présidence) and Hervé Aaron (Galerie Didier Aaron)
The 2025 edition of the Salon du dessin
• The musée des Beaux-Arts de Reims • The Tavolozza Foundation • The 18th Daniel & Florence Guerlain Contemporary Art Foundation Drawing Prize • Exhibitors' stands
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