The collections

Come and discover our unique collection, paying tribute to the artistic, cultural and social history of the town of Bormes and its surroundings! Having obtained the "Musée de France" designation in 2002 and a major witness to the artistic vitality of the region, the museum's collection includes a large number of renowned artists such as C.E Bénézit, Charles Cazin, Henri-Edmond Cross or Jean Arène. The two distinct collections of the MHAB; the Fine Arts collection and the collection of ethnographic and archaeological objects, will take you through the centuries, from antiquity to the contemporary era.

Fine Arts

The Beaux-Arts collection illustrates different artistic trends from the 19th to the 21st century.
Varied in technique, style and subject matter, the preserved works represent portraits as well as genre scenes, landscapes as well as modern or contemporary works from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Between inspirations and dreams of escape, let yourself be transported by the aesthetic richness of the Provençal landscapes and the talent of the artists who were enamored of them.

Techniques to be found in our collection

  • Watercolors and oil paintings, gouache cement and lavi.
  • Charcoal, pastel, graphite, bistre, sanguine and Indian ink drawings.
  • Prints and lithographs.
  • Photographs of the Var coastline dating from the beginning of the 20th century.
  • Sculptures with mythological subjects and busts of personalities in marble, wood, plaster, stucco and bronze.
  • Engravings on wood and paper.
  • Archaeological objects in terracotta and baslate dating back to the Gallo-Roman period, evoking the life of the Bormani people: jug, rotary millstone, oil amphora, wine amphora, pelvis (dish), and pan.

Local history: the ethnographic and archaeological collection

The local ethnographic and archaeological collection was born from Georges-Henri Pescadère’s wish to make the establishment, in addition to a fine arts museum, a museum of the history of Bormes. With this in mind, the curator has acquired archaeological objects from joint excavations with the museum in Hyères. These artifacts date from the Gallo-Roman period and evoke the life of the Bormani people, considered to be the first inhabitants of the town. It also brings in a set of ex-votos, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Georges Henri Pescadère was also keen to promote local craftsmanship and regional traditions by acquiring a model made in the area as well as posters on the events of the town and Provençal costumes.