The collection originated from works seized during the French Revolution and pieces sent from the Louvre in 1801.
It is one of the few museums in France where the collection is housed in two distinct buildings separated by a public garden.
The museum holds a specific collection of 19th-century Bordeaux-related portraiture.
The Galerie des Beaux-Arts, the museum's annex, is a dedicated space exclusively for large-scale temporary exhibitions.
The museum complex is physically connected to the Palais Rohan, which serves as the current Bordeaux City Hall.
The Bordeaux Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux) is one of France's largest public art galleries, housed within the City Hall complex. The permanent collection focuses on European painting from the 15th to the 20th century, with significant holdings in French, Dutch, and Flemish schools. It is situated across two wings, the Galerie Bonie and the Galerie Ferguson, which flank the formal gardens of the Palais Rohan. The museum’s collection includes works by Titian, Veronese, Rubens, Delacroix, and Matisse. It frequently hosts temporary exhibitions in the Galerie des Beaux-Arts located across the street. The institution was founded in 1801 by a decree from Napoleon Bonaparte. Its architecture reflects the neoclassical style of the former archiepiscopal palace it partially occupies.
The courtyard garden between the two gallery wings looking toward the Palais Rohan facade.
Check the museum's website before visiting to see if the separate Galerie des Beaux-Arts is hosting an exhibition, as it requires a different entry flow.
Combine your visit with a walk through the adjacent Jardin de la Mairie for a quiet viewing of the palace architecture.
Look for the smaller, more intimate gallery rooms on the upper floors which often contain lesser-known sketches and drawings.
Do not confuse the main museum building with the smaller Galerie des Beaux-Arts annex located across the street when planning your arrival.
Closed on Tuesdays and public holidays.
Photography is generally permitted for personal use without flash or tripods; maintain a low volume in gallery spaces.
