Exhibitions: heritage and contemporary art
The Jean-Jacques Rousseau Museum presents a double exhibition, heritage and contemporary art.
The Jean-Jacques Rousseau Museum pays tribute to the Montmorency dynasty through the exhibition: "The Montmorency, an illustrious family" (from April 1 to October 29, 2023). A trip to the heart of France’s history, to discover eminent characters and remarkable architectures. Founded at the top of a hill, the City of Montmorency gives its name to one of the most illustrious families in the history of France. Close to the monarchy, this noble House gave birth to great figures like Connétable Anne de Montmorency, a close friend of François I.
Over the generations, the Montmorency family extended their territory through royal marriages and awards. Their achievements, both military and political, contributed to their reputation. They leave a considerable artistic and architectural heritage. Great religious buildings, such as the Collegiate Church of Montmorency, fortified squares and luxurious mansions bear witness to this: the castles of Écouen and Chantilly are remarkable examples.
In 1632, the eldest branch died out but the title «Montmorency» continued until the 20th century thanks to the younger branches. Nowadays, this prestigious family still fascinates as much. The exhibition presents a selection of works from the reserves, as well as loans from the Musée de l'Armée and the Musée national de la Renaissance - château d'Écouen. In the Museum’s garden, unusual anecdotes evoke the life of iconic family figures and the funeral of Constable Anne de Montmomrency.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Sabine Pigalle" (3 June to 29 October 2023). This internationally renowned artist has taken over the Museum by drawing inspiration from the section dedicated to women in the heritage exhibition "Les Montmorency, une famille illustur" (from April 1 to October 29, 2023). She notably presents for the first time her series "Protopunks" which reinterprets on a humorous tone some classics of painting. His works remix and hybridize photographs with the masterpieces of the great European masters of the Renaissance, resulting in a corpus of works that appear both ancient and contemporary, forming an «imaginary museum». Through digital techniques, the artist revisits the history of art and takes advantage of the visual habits of the public by evoking the collective memory about familiar works that we all share.