Museums
Museum Louis Senlecq
“Give the colours and landscapes back their setting…” Today, this is a museum of Art and History, first created in 1939 to showcase local history and the artists and other great people who have left their mark on the town (Jules Dupré, Joseph Le Guluche, the Princes of Conti). At first, it was in the “Maison des Joséphites”. In 2006, this building had become too run down and so the museum was moved to the Jacques Henri Lartigues art centre, and officially opened to the public in 1998.
The museum was originally a volunteer-run organisation, it was awarded the “Musée de France” label in 2002 and hosts some very popular and renowned activities: temporary exhibitions, art workshops for children (from 6 to 14 years old, one Wednesday per month) and for adults (with a professional artist), a games booklet for families, art courses during the school holidays, a “Celebrate your birthday at the museum” package (guided tour, art workshop, birthday cake and drinks), a documentation centre.
From the 19th September to the 14th February 2021, the museum is hosting an exhibition devoted to Chinese artist Yang Ermin (1971 – ). This is the fourth time the artist has presented his work in France, and besides the interest this brings to the Museum of Art and History, this exhibition entitled “la réapparition de la couleur” (the resurgence of colour) aims to provide a whole new perspective of landscapes, by combining two concepts of landscape painting – that of the Far East and of the Western world.
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Museum Jean Gabin
The Gabin family came to Mériel in 1900. Jean Gabin spent his childhood and teenage years there. This one-of-a-kind museum in France is devoted to the famous French actor and was officially opened in 1992, upon the initiative of his loved ones and the local town council, at the same time as the adjacent town square that was also given his name. Long before he became well-known in front of the cameras of the greatest film directors, Jean Gabin enjoyed fishing on the banks of the Oise! He only left his little hometown to launch his career. Once he became well-known in France, Jean Gabin only came back to Mériel to visit his sister and some old friends. The museum tells the story of his life before fame, and pays tribute to his artistic career through many archived documents, some personal items and testimonies from some great names in cinema. The association “Société des Amis du musée Jean Gabin” also organises temporary exhibitions and film showings, not-to-mention the “Festival du Court Métrage – Au Pays de Gabin”.
(Currently closed for renovation work)
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