Musée du Verre de Conches, reopening and exhibition of a donation

After three years of renovation work, the Musée du Verre in Conches-en-Ouche reopened its doors at the end of June 2022. Too cramped for space in the premises it had occupied since its creation in 1996, it was transferred to the neighbouring site of the former Benedictine abbey, which became a hospice in the 19th century. It was an ambitious project driven by three successive mayors, Paul Guilbaud, Alfred Recours and Jérôme Pasco, and their most determined deputy in charge of Culture, Christian Gobert. The building was completely renovated at a cost of €5 million, co-financed by the municipality, the Normandy region and the State. The work was entrusted to the Parisian architectural firm Dubois & Associés, familiar with museum renovations and extensions in Lyon, Caen, Rodez, Albi and Montargis. The former Musée du Verre, de la Pierre et du Livre, which became the Musée du Verre in 2005 when its archaeological, historical and ethnographic collections were gradually loaned to the Musée du pays de Conches, dedicated to local heritage, is now known as the Musée du Verre François Décorchemont.

1. François-Eugène Rousseau (1827-1890)
Japanese Cherry Blossom Vase and Fish Vase, c. 1875-1878
Glass blown, engraved, enamelled, gilded, hot-applied - 22.5 and 26 cm
Conches, Musée du Verre François Décorchemont
Photo: Paul Louis Conches

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2. Jules Habert-Dys (1850-1930)
Colloquinte Vase, c. 1905
Multi-layered glass with metal inclusions
Conches, Musée du Verre François Décorchemont
Photo: Paul Louis Conches

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A major figure in the revival of the decorative arts in the early 20th century, François Décorchemont was born in Conches, where he always kept a workshop. In the early 1990s, realising the heritage value of this local artist, who was behind the rediscovery of glass paste, the local authority decided to build up a collection of his works, none of which had previously been in its collections. Several of his stained glass windows were purchased alongside contemporary works in glass paste by his grandsons Etienne and Antoine Leperlier, who were also master glassmakers in Conch. This initial nucleus of works provided the basis for the creation of the museum, whose initially disparate collections became increasingly specialised, with the theme of the glass arts soon becoming exclusive. A steady stream of temporary exhibitions and opportunities for donations and purchases led to the creation of an international collection of contemporary glass, where the older works of François Décorchemont struggled to find their place.

3. Gabriel Argy-Rousseau (1885-1953)
Thistle Leaf Vase, model of 1927
Glass paste - 24 cm
Conches, Musée du Verre François Décorchemont
Photo: Paul Louis Conches

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4. François Décorchemont (1880-1971)
Bottle Vase with Floral Design, 1923
Glass paste - 33 x 19 cm
Conches, Musée du Verre…