An 18th-century private mansion, the Lambinet Museum was built for a building contractor of Louis XV. In 1929, the city of Versailles accepted the bequest of Mrs. Nathalie Lambinet to establish a museum there, which opened to the public in 1932.
An 18th-century townhouse, the Musée Lambinet was originally built for a contractor of Louis XV’s buildings. In 1929, the city of Versailles accepted the bequest of Mrs. Nathalie Lambinet to install a museum there, which opened to the public in 1932.
Benefiting from a transfer of Fine Arts collections from the municipal library and later enriched by purchases, donations, and bequests, the Musée Lambinet has become a true “collector’s museum.”
The institution presents a wide variety of works spanning from the Renaissance to the mid-20th century: paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, as well as furniture and decorative arts. The art of living in 18th-century Versailles, the history of the city, and particularly the French Revolution are the museum’s core themes. Since 2004, the museum has held the official “Musée de France” designation.
A recent museographic reorganization followed the restoration of the windows on the Rue Baillet-Reviron façade. This redesign of the permanent collections offers new coherence to the Musée Lambinet, affirming its identity as a true “collector’s house.”
The new museum is organized as follows:
* **Ground floor:** presentation of the history of the museum and its collections through major donors.
* **First floor:** art history galleries (sculpture, painting, furniture, and decorative arts) and a re-creation of an 18th-century apartment.
* **Second floor:** restoration of the Musée Lambinet’s role as a museum of the history of the city of Versailles, from the 17th to the 20th century.
Benefiting from a transfer of Fine Arts collections from the municipal library and later enriched by purchases, donations, and bequests, the Musée Lambinet has become a true “collector’s museum.”
The institution presents a wide variety of works spanning from the Renaissance to the mid-20th century: paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, as well as furniture and decorative arts. The art of living in 18th-century Versailles, the history of the city, and particularly the French Revolution are the museum’s core themes. Since 2004, the museum has held the official “Musée de France” designation.
A recent museographic reorganization followed the restoration of the windows on the Rue Baillet-Reviron façade. This redesign of the permanent collections offers new coherence to the Musée Lambinet, affirming its identity as a true “collector’s house.”
The new museum is organized as follows:
* **Ground floor:** presentation of the history of the museum and its collections through major donors.
* **First floor:** art history galleries (sculpture, painting, furniture, and decorative arts) and a re-creation of an 18th-century apartment.
* **Second floor:** restoration of the Musée Lambinet’s role as a museum of the history of the city of Versailles, from the 17th to the 20th century.
