Modern art collections
Nord Pas-de-Calais has some of best of the relatively few modern art galleries in France.

Fernand Léger: "le Mécanicien" (1918)
in the Musée d'Art Moderne, Lille

Henri Matisse: "Femme à l` gandoura bleu" (1951)
in Musée Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambresis.

Many of these collections are of artists with strong local connections: who were born in Nord Pas-de-Calais, or found the region a conduisive - and perhaps inspiring - place to work.

In the 20th century, the need to reconstruct many towns after the wanton destruction of the First World War, led to much commissions for modern designers and architects in the 1920's and '30s. Some rich industrialists of the Nord were patrons of contemporary artists.

A controversial cubist work by Georges Braque, "La Roche-Guyon" (1909)- can be seen at the Musée d'Art Moderne, Lille

Jean Dubuffet: detail from "Paysage du Pas-de-Calais II"
in Calais Fine Arts & Lace Museum

Places to visit:
Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dunkerque
Musée d'Art Moderne de Lille - in Villeneuve d"Ascq
Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelle - Calais
Musée Matisse - Le Cateau-Cambresis

Search Encyclopedia Britannica: Try:
leger
braque
dubuffet
... and other painters.

Related background information
Regional Art Galleries - and Art MENU

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