Musée Benoît-De-Puydt

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1861 thanks to the donation of Benoît De Puydt, a leading citizen and collector of Bailleul. He had gathered Flemish, European and Asian art objects, from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, displayed in a middle-class townhouse. Gifts, purchases, state deposits and bequests, such as that of Louis-Henri Hans in 1879, later enriched the collection; on the eve of the First World War, the museum held nearly 7,500 objects.

From 1914 the town was occupied by the British army for the whole conflict. In spring 1918, bombardments destroyed almost the entire town and its collections; only a small part of the works had been evacuated. Only a lion-headed chimney pier was found in the rubble. The museum now commemorates these lost works under the name “tableaux fantômes” (ghost paintings).

The museum was rebuilt on its original site by the architect Louis Roussel, as part of the reconstruction of the town led by Louis-Marie Cordonnier. The building adopts a Neo-Flemish style in brick. Inside, false chimneys, decorative beams and a reconstructed Flemish kitchen evoke a bourgeois house, while a glass roof brings zenithal light to the second floor. It reopened on July 15, 1934.

The current collections focus on the art of Northern Europe and Flanders. They include painting, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, graphic arts, as well as lace and textiles, which recall Bailleul’s craft history.

Highlights

• Collector’s house rebuilt in Neo-Flemish style
• Old cabinets, including tortoiseshell cabinets and Italian and Flemish cabinets
• Ceramics collection from Bailleul and bobbin lace
• Works by artists of the Académie Benoît-De-Puydt, including Pharaon De Winter
• Lion-headed chimney pier, a survivor of 1918
• Free admission

Permanent exhibition

• Collections permanentes – Painting, sculpture, ceramics, furniture and art objects, graphic arts, lace and textiles, presented in the setting of a collector’s house.

Founded

1861

Operated by

Ville de Bailleul

Visitors per year

approx. 8,073

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to the museum; only guided tours are paid.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

A family game trail is available online or in printable form, with questions to answer during the virtual tour of the museum.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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