Alexandre Leger at the Musée Atger

From September 15 to October 13, 2017
Opening Thursday September 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Musée Atger - Faculty of Medicine

A contemporary artist in Montpellier's oldest museum: between a modern artist and prestigious antiques, a dialogue nourished by the echoes of the same convulsion, that of artistic creation..
In 2014, Alexandre Leger discovered the Musée Atger and fell in love with the place. and its rich collection of French, Italian and Flemish drawings from the ^16th, ^17th and ^18th centuries. A collection that emphasizes the notion of study in the noblest sense of the word. "he says.
Alexandre Leger finds himself in a familiar environment. " The ancient drawing acts, in my approach, like a thought that accompanies me at all times ". Observation, morphology, the landscape, references to certain artists or works: these are all tools for the poetic transformation he likes to carry out.
Hosted within the museum itself, this singular exhibition offers a dialogue between yesterday's and today's creations. Alexandre Leger invests this prestigious venue with his imagination, offering notebooks or objects revealing his approach, intimate drawings, free echoes of the old drawings exhibited here, linking his work to this exceptional collection that visitors can, in turn, rediscover with a completely contemporary eye.

Museum treasure

In the heart of Montpellier's Faculty of Medicine, nestled in the former ceremonial rooms of the bishop's palace, the Musée Atger houses a treasure trove: one of France's most important collections of drawings by the great masters of the French, Italian and Flemish schools, from the Renaissance to the ^19th century. It offers an intimate journey into the world of the masters of drawing and printmaking, through genres, techniques and themes - from portraits to landscapes, anatomical studies to historical scenes, allegories to animal drawings.
Founded in 1813 by Montpellier collector Jean François Xavier Atger (1768-1833), the museum offers an invaluable and intimate insight into the work of artists who are responsible for some of the greatest masterpieces in the history of art. It has been listed as a Monument Historique since 1913.
" Showing how ancient collections can generate fertile echoes in today's creators: this is the declared aim of the Musée Atger, which exhibits contemporary authors (Paul Dardé, Richarme, Clara Castagné and Jaume Ojea) within its walls," explains Hélène Lorblanchet, head of the written and graphic heritage department at Montpellier's inter-university library.
September 15 - October 13
Opening Thursday September 14, 6:30 pm
Musée Atger, Faculté de médecine, 2 rue Ecole de médecine, Montpellier