Musée du Dessin et de l'Estampe originale de Gravelines

About the museum

The museum grew out of the Groupe de Gravelines, an association of artists who organized exhibitions with the town from the 1960s to the 1980s and published editions of original prints. Thanks to these artists, the town built a municipal collection of original prints and drawings, which includes prints by Marcel Gromaire and Eugène Leroy. The museum project received the State’s approval, and the institution was established in October 1982. It then focused on printmaking and remains the only Musée de France whose project is dedicated to original prints.

The museum occupies the Arsenal, in the heart of the fortifications. Gravelines has been a fortified town since the 12th century; Charles V had a new castle built there in 1528, then a bastioned fortification in 1558, and the town became French in 1659. The present powder magazine bears the date 1742, after the explosion of an earlier powder magazine in 1654. It houses the exhibitions, while the vaulted casemates, one of which was fitted out under Vauban, host exhibitions, videos and a relief model of the town. The guardhouse at the entrance serves as the ticket office and shop.

The collection comprises about 28,000 works, mostly prints (88%), along with drawings and a few printing plates and engraver’s tools. The works are shown in rotation in an “impermanent” exhibition, renewed every five months. A printmaking workshop offers introductory sessions, weekly workshops, courses and artist residencies.

Highlights

• Dürer’s Apocalypse (woodcuts, 1511 edition)
• Picasso’s etching suite “Le Chef-d’œuvre inconnu”
• 170 prints from Hokusai’s Manga
• 1742 powder magazine and casemates of the Arsenal
• 18th-century relief model of Gravelines
• Printmaking workshop open to visitors

Permanent exhibition

• Exposition impermanente des collections – Rotating display of works from the collection, organized around printmaking techniques and renewed every five months.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Ville de Gravelines

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month, European Heritage Days, Museum Night, Fête de l’Estampe, fortified sites days and the Christmas market.

Admission is also free for art teachers, holders of the Pass éducation, staff of the DRAC Nord-Pas-de-Calais, holders of the ICOM card and journalists.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum offers activities for children and families, for example a puzzle tour for adults and children aged 6 and up, as well as introductory printmaking workshops.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop and ticket desk in the guardhouse: original prints, catalogues, art books and the museum’s editions.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit