ESTÈVE MUSEUM

Housed in the Hôtel des Echevins, the Estève Museum is dedicated to the work of painter Maurice Estève. Its exhibition presents the life and work of this major 20th-century artist. Renovated in 2025, it offers an accessible and educational experience that is ideal for art lovers, families, schoolchildren and anyone with an interest in art.

The Estève Museum: history of the museum

In 1985, the painter Maurice Estève and his wife made a significant donation of Estève's works to the city of Bourges (paintings, drawings, tapestries and prints). To house them, the Hôtel des Échevins, a 15th-century Gothic building, and its 17th-century gallery underwent complete restoration. The Estève Museum was inaugurated there in 1987.

After almost 40 years of activity and regular programming, a major renovation project was launched in 2023: redesign of the exhibition layout, restoration of the works, upgrading to current standards and complete renovation of the spaces (scenography, public reception area, staff areas, etc.). This renovation was completed in the spring of 2025.

The Estève Museum presents a completely redesigned layout with new scenography designed by Vasken Yéghiayan. Visitors are invited to discover or rediscover Maurice Estève's paintings, tapestries and works on paper, as well as to explore the Grenier des couleurs (Colour Attic), a space dedicated to mediation and experimentation.

What can you see at the Estève Museum?

· A chronological tour, retracing the evolution of Maurice Estève's work, from his first canvases to his paintings from the late 1980s.

· 60 oil paintings, two tapestries, and a selection of works on paper (drawings, watercolours, collages, lithographs) from the initial donation (1985) and subsequent donations (1989, 1997, 2008) by Maurice and Monique Estève, totalling nearly 75 works on display out of more than 200 works held by the museum.

· Works by Maurice Estève and other artists from private collections or museums, exceptionally loaned for temporary exhibitions.

· Interactive workshops and educational spaces, the Grenier des couleurs (Colour Attic). Educational kits are also available at the museum reception.

Who was Maurice Estève?

‘It is light that I seek through colour’ Maurice Estève

Maurice Estève (1904–2001) was a major French painter of the 20th century, renowned for his unique and colourful non-figurative style. Originally from Berry, he developed a singular body of work, both poetic and vibrant, which ranks him as one of the greatest painters of his time and among the most talented colourists in art history, alongside Henri Matisse, Pierre Bonnard and Nicolas de Staël.

A passionate autodidact, he lived in Paris from his teenage years, where he discovered the masters of painting at the Louvre, such as Cézanne, Watteau, Paolo Uccello and Chardin. Avant-garde painters such as Matisse, Braque and Léger also influenced his early work. Refusing to be labelled, Estève did not attach himself to any movement, but forged a very personal artistic style based on rhythm, form and, above all, luminous colours.

Over the decades, he abandoned figurative art in favour of non-figurative compositions, characterised by flat areas of colour and balanced compositions. His free approach to painting made him a leading artist of his generation. He enjoyed international recognition. His works are included in the collections of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, the Pinacoteca in Milan, the Gandur Foundation for Art, the Sonja Henie Foundation – Niels Onstad Foundation (Norway), the Nasjionalgalliriet in Oslo, the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the Göteborg Kunsmuseum (Sweden) and museums in Sydney, Liège, Aix-en-Provence, Châteauroux, Colmar, Grenoble, Le Havre, Lille, Marseille, Metz and the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

Throughout his life, Maurice Estève remained deeply attached to his native region, Berry, where he returned regularly to paint and recharge his batteries. In 1985, he decided to make a significant donation of his works to the City of Bourges, marking the beginning of the adventure of the museum that now bears his name.

Artistic chronology of Maurice Estève

· 1904: Born in Culan, in the Cher department.

· 1913–1919: Moves to Paris with his family. Self-taught discovery at the Louvre of artists such as Cézanne, Corot, Delacroix, and Chardin.

· 1919–1930: In dialogue with the avant-garde (surrealism, cubism, purism, fauvism), he refined his personal style.

· 1930: First solo exhibition at the Galerie Yvangot in Paris.

· 1936–1937: On Braque's recommendation, he was invited to exhibit in Stockholm alongside Matisse, Picasso, Juan Gris, and Léger.

· 1961: Travelling retrospective organised in several European cities—Basel, Düsseldorf, Copenhagen, Oslo—consolidating his recognition outside France.

· 1966: Exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

· 1970: Grand Prix National des Arts

· 1985: First donation of works to the City of Bourges

· 2001: Death in Culan at the age of 97