The Goya Museum is a museum of Hispanic art unique in France, exhibiting works from Antiquity to the 20th century. It is located in a former episcopal palace of classical 17th century architecture, the plans of which were drawn by Jules-Hardouin Mansart, one of the architects of Versailles. It is located right in the historic city center. An outdoor car park welcomes visitors.
It is the bequest of Pierre Briguiboul in 1894, son of a painter and collector from Castres, to the City of Castres which determines his Hispanic vocation by bringing into the museum three paintings by Goya including The Junta of the Philippines painted in 1815. In 1949 , prestigious deposits from the Louvre museum have confirmed this Hispanic orientation. Since then, the city’s acquisition policy has made it possible to regularly enrich this remarkable collection.
The museum has on deposit by agreement signed with the municipality of Solliès Toucas about ten works by Blasco Mentor which were the subject of a temporary exhibition in 2009. (Mentor ou le mirror du temps – November 15, 2009 – January 17 2010). A painting has been restored at the expense of the municipality of Castres.
The Goya Museum has around 6,000 works of which a third, or around 1,800 works, are presented in the museum itself. The others are deposited in the museum’s reserve / workshop. This 540 m2 reserve is housed in premises belonging to the town of Castres located about 3km from the museum. It is air-conditioned with hydrometry and has a quarantine room. The 2,500 m2 museum has no integrated restaurant, patio for sculptures or thematic rooms.
The Goya Museum receives 35,000 visitors per year. It is not financially autonomous and receives subsidies from the municipality and the department. To be autonomous, the curator estimates that annual admissions should be around 50,000.
The museum and workshop / reserve operates with a team of fourteen people.
Based on this information, “Friends of Blasco Mentor’s work” have decided to publish a new leaflet which should be available at the end of July, defending their positions that we want a smaller, more intimate and warm, part of the dynamics of our village, in the initial location, and in direct relation with Casa Nieves.
The current study (PSC) defines a museum that is too largely oversized and therefore a dissuasive price for future investors.
We will make our point of view heard at a future meeting with Ms. Elsa Olu.
Friends of Blasco Mentor’s work July 13, 219