The Paul Dupuy Museum of Precious Arts in Toulouse !!! .

Franck BRUGUIERE
Oct 20
4 min read

Photo showing the inner courtyard of this magnificent mansion that houses a museum in Toulouse; — In this photo, we can see the magnificent mansion built b the collector " Paul Dupuy " himself on the foundations of the former museum, which was originally a Renaissance building, made of architecture, is truly remarkable.

INTRODUCTION :

Street plaques showing the name of this splendid museum housed in a historic mansion in the center of Toulouse. — Signboard t-in the inner courtyard of this splendid mansion, home to the Paul Dupuy Museum of Precious Arts in Toulouse. This is a museum you should not miss if you ever come to visit the Pink City.

We are about to set off together to discover this splendid museum in Toulouse.

What makes it truly special is that it is housed in one of the city's many mansions, the former " Pierre Besson " mansion .

A little history :

The giant clock in the inner courtyard of this historic mansion that houses this magnificent museum in Toulouse. — Photo of a large and magnificent clock with its mechanism, located in the inner courtyard of this splendid mansion that houses the Museum of Precious arts in Toulouse. Paul Dupuy had a passion for collecting clocks, which is truly one is displayed here.

It was thanks to " Paul Dupuy ", a true of Toulouse, that this museum came into being.

born into a family of prominent merchants, his father having made a fortune particularly in the spice trade.

" Paul Dupuy " was a highly educated man, a collector, bibliophile, ans art enthusiast.

He left the family business to hid brother and, over time, built up this extraordinary collection of diverse objects that today form the wealth of this Toulouse museum !!! .

Old photo showing the founder of the "Musée des Arts Précieux " in Toulouse. " Paul Dupuy " .

The History of the Construction of the Paul Dupuy Museum :

Close-up photo of this magnificent capter house tower, located in the inner courtyard of this historic mansion that houses a museum in Toulouse. — In this photo, we see the magnificent courtyard of this mansion in Toulouse, with typical brick architecture of our city and its beautiful, massive capitulary tower.

" Paul Dupuy ", who owned a large collection, was looking for a place to display it.

In 1909, he purchased one of that many mansions in Toulouse : The Hôtel particulier de Besson !!! .

At this location, there are already a museum, which was a small Renaissance-style house.

Splendid staircase of the mansion that houses the " Musée des Arts Précieux " in Toulouse.

The building, constructed between 1511 and 1512, was in serious need renovation.

The new owner, " Paul Dupuy " took charge of the work.

On the foundations of the former house, he added a third floor to the structure and built a magnificent capitulary tower, set within a splendid inner courtyard featuring the region 's typical terracotta brick architecture.

The " Paul Dupuy " 's Collections :

Ancient armchair of NAPOLÉON present at the "Musée des Arts Précieux " in Toulouse.

" Paul Dupuy " revoted his life to enriching his personal collection, often by browsing among the many antique dealers of Toulouse.

His collection consists mainly of everyday objects dating from the period of LOUIS XVI to NAPOLEON III.

But " Paul Dupuy " was also interested in painting, sculptures, ceramics furniture, textiles, and drawings, most of them created by artisans from Toulouse or the Languedoc region.

The historical evolution of the museum as it becomes a public museum :

" Paul Dupuy " donated his collections and the magnificent building to the city of Toulouse by a decree dated June 16, 1935.

It became a municipal museum in 1949.

An old carved wooden door from the period in this museum of precious arts in Toulouse.

In 1954, the museum changed its name to become the Museum of Decorative Arts and Graphic Arts of the Pink City.

The Museum Today :

A magnifient photo showing the splendid inner courtyard of this mansion in Toulouse, with the typical terracotta brick architecture of our region. The façade are lined with windows restored, of course, but one can still admire the beautiful wrought-iron balconies, along with a large click and its mechanism. And naturally, above the Pink City, we see the magnificent blue sky.

The museum's works currently cover a period raging from the Middle Ages to 1939.

The collections include numerous drawings by Toulouse artists, clocks, religious treasures, ivories, faience, glassware, and many other objects.

Today, it is believed that museum in Toulouse contains no fewer than 150 000 precious, diverse, and varied objects.

A magnificent decorative clock and its period mechanism in this museum in Toulouse.

In 1985, the City of Toulouse acquired a fine " ROUZAUD " collection, which complemented " Paul Dupuy " 's cinema collection and made it possible to enrich and display them together.

This collection is made up of objects related to the earliest animated images.

The museum notably houses a remarkable collection of various clocks, of national significance.

At that moment, the museum was named : " The Paul Dupuy " Museum of Precious Arts ".

It underwent renovation in 1985, then again in 2019, and finally in 2022.

At this stage, the museum opened itself to the contemporary world....that is, the digital age.

A Splendid Baroque-style clock in the Museum of Precious Art of Toulouse.

Well my friends, that's all for today.

If you ever come to visit Toulouse, this museum is an absolute must see, not only for its magnificent and unique collections, but also for the historic setting that houses them.

Adress : 13 , RUe Plaeau 31 000 Toulouse.

Phone : 05/31/22/95/40

Website : https://musepauldupuy.toulouse.fr

Welcome in Toulouse.

The blog from Toulouse.

Best Regards, Franck.

BONUS PHOTOS OF THE TYPICAL ARCHITECTURE OF THE MUSEUM MANSION :