Germanic paintings in French collections (1370-1550)

Some works are essential, revealing a whole area of the history of art and museums to both specialist and non-specialist audiences. The project led by the INHA on German painting in French collections is one of these. It takes two forms. One is the permanent database included in Agorha (the portal that brings together all the databases created by the INHA), but it is regrettable that it is still inaccessible online. The other, which is more ephemeral - but will survive thanks to its excellent catalogue - is an exhibition in three parts, in Dijon, Besançon and Colmar, giving visitors the opportunity to admire a large number of works, some of them very well known, others rediscovered on this occasion. The ensemble forms an impressive panorama that stretches from the end of the 14th century to the middle of the 16th, with works from the late Middle Ages on display in Dijon, Renaissance paintings in Besançon, and Upper Rhine paintings from the same period in Colmar.

We can’t advise our readers enough to plan an itinerary that can be completed in two days, taking in all three towns. Each stage is worth the diversions, even if the Dijon presentation wins out thanks to the sobriety of the museography, the colours of the Colmar and Besançon picture rails not always being in the best taste. But these are trifles of little importance in the light of the immense work accomplished. If any further criticism were needed, it could be levelled at the ridiculous titles: "Colour, Glory and Beauty" in Besançon, "Made in Germany" in Colmar, and even "Masters and Marvels" in Dijon. Not sure that’s what’s needed to attract the public.
Here, we will treat the exhibition as a whole, as the unique catalogue shows, even if we will sometimes look at the particular journey of a museum. On the other hand, we will not summarise the history of German painting in the Renaissance, or that of the constitution of collections in France. The first point is not the focus of this article, which is primarily concerned with the works themselves, as these do not provide a complete history of German painting. The second, on the other hand, is dealt with in great detail in the catalogue, to which we refer the interested reader. We would simply point out that, quite logically, with the exception of the Louvre, the main museums with substantial collections of German painting from this period are those in eastern France, that only a few of them have pursued a deliberate policy in this area (including, of course, Colmar), and that the works held in other museums, or in churches outside Alsace, have more often than not arrived there by chance through donations. The exhibition is primarily concerned with objects (a point that seems logical when talking about art history, but which some people seem to…