Since 1925, the MHAB has had an important collection of graphic arts created by the Cazin family. Célie Heseltine, sister-in-law of the artist Jean Charles Cazin, donated nearly 50 works to the Museum.
French painter, sculptor and ceramist, Jean-Charles Cazin (1841-1901) began his career representing the landscapes of his native Picardy. The luminous atmospheres of the North influenced his work and marked the great biblical canvases he executed. Based on a long observation of the subject and multiple preparatory works, this singular method of creation is reflected in the museum’s collection, which is mostly composed of preliminary studies.
This attention to detail is particularly visible in the execution of his biblical representations, notably his work Judith at the Camp of Prayers.
The Cazin collection is composed of 34 works by the artist, ten works by his son Michel Cazin (1869 – 1917) and five by his wife, Marie Cazin (1844 – 1924). Each of them having their own artistic identity, the museum offers a complete vision of the production of the Cazins, a true family of artists.
(The museum keeps three landscape studies and 10 portrait studies by Michel, one animal representation and four portrait studies by Marie Cazin).
