Musée des Beaux-Arts Salies

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1852 by Achille Jubinal, deputy for the Hautes-Pyrénées, who donated part of his own collection. His friendship with Princess Mathilde secured important long-term loans from the State, including paintings from the great Paris Salons.

Justin Daléas, a Toulouse cloth merchant, later bequeathed assets that enlarged the collections. He had the present building constructed and named it after a nearby spring to which he credited his recovery. The building was completed in 1931 to designs by the architect Jaussely, with a façade in the style popularized by the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs in Paris. In 1938, the watercolorist Blanche Odin donated the last major collection.

Today, the fine arts display on the second floor brings together drawings, paintings and sculptures, with a core of 19th-century works from the Paris Salons. The museum also holds Berber jewelry (donated in 2014), a Tibetan collection (donated in 2020), 48 watercolors by Blanche Odin, and 75 watercolors by Jean-Louis Morelle, donated in 2019. Every two years, in summer, watercolor takes center stage.

Highlights

• 19th-century paintings from the Paris Salons
• 48 watercolors by Blanche Odin
• 75 watercolors by Jean-Louis Morelle, donated in 2019
• Berber jewelry and Tibetan collection
• 1931 building in the style of the 1925 Exposition des arts décoratifs

Permanent exhibitions

• Beaux-arts du XIXe siècle – Drawings, paintings and sculptures, with a core of works from the Paris Salons of the first half of the 19th century.
• Aquarelles de Blanche Odin et Jean-Louis Morelle – Two rooms show watercolors by Blanche Odin and Jean-Louis Morelle, donated to the museum.
• Traditions et ethnographie – Berber jewelry and a Tibetan collection, from recent donations.

Founded

1852

Operated by

Ville de Bagnères-de-Bigorre

Admission & discounts

Payment by check or cash.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility and to strollers. Paid parking is available opposite the museum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly

The museum offers workshops for children and themed events.

Getting there & parking

Some tourist websites also give the address “7 boulevard Rolland Castells” for the museum.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum bookshop with books on the collections; library.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit