Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montauban

The Musée des Beaux-Arts of Montauban is now called the Musée Ingres Bourdelle, and it is dedicated to two of the town's most famous sons, the painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. It is housed in the former bishop's palace, a grand brick building above the river Tarn, built in 1664 for Bishop Pierre de Bertier on the site of a medieval castle. Parts of the earlier fortress remain, including vaulted lower rooms and a large medieval hall linked to the English prince known as the Black Prince, who ruled this part of south-west France in the fourteenth century, so the building itself spans many periods.

Ingres was born in Montauban in 1780 and became one of the leading painters of the French school, a champion of Neoclassicism, famous for his smooth, precise line and for portraits and nudes of great refinement. He never forgot his native town, and he bequeathed to it a vast collection of his drawings, along with other works and personal belongings, which now forms the core of the museum. Visitors can see several of his paintings, among them the Dream of Ossian, a large and moody work that was made for a ceiling in a palace in Rome, as well as thousands of drawings that show how he prepared his compositions. His violin, which he played all his life, is among the personal mementos, and a little display shows the artist at work.

The second pillar of the museum is Antoine Bourdelle, born in Montauban in 1861, a pupil and assistant of Rodin who became a major sculptor in his own right. His monumental bronzes, such as the Archer Heracles, with its dramatic tension, and his portraits and studies give a sense of the move from nineteenth-century tradition to a more modern, simplified form. The two artists, very different in style, make a strong pairing, and the museum helps put both in context. Other rooms house paintings and objects from earlier centuries, including works by artists of the French and Italian schools.

The terraces and windows look out over the Tarn and its old bridge, a pleasant bonus. Montauban itself is a bastide town founded in the twelfth century, built of pink brick, with a large arcaded central square, the Place Nationale, that is among the most beautiful in the region. The Collégiale Saint-Jacques and the Parc de la Châtaigneraie are other places to visit.

Allow one to two hours. It suits art lovers, drawing enthusiasts and travellers curious about two major artists. Check opening hours and ticket information online, since they change by season.