Image: musée Mathurin-Méheut, Lamballe Armor
The Musée Mathurin Méheut in Lamballe Armor, France, will offer free access to its permanent collection and temporary exhibition during the European Heritage Days on 19 and 20 September 2026. The museum will welcome visitors continuously from 10am to 6pm, with advance reservations strongly recommended because of limited capacity and expected attendance.
The permanent display brings together more than 200 works by Mathurin Méheut, presented through the themes of ‘Nature,’ ‘Everyday Life’ and ‘Elsewhere.’ The museum says the thematic structure reflects major areas that guided the artist’s work over the course of his life. Visitors will also be able to see ‘L’équipage aux postes de halage du chalut,’ a late work made in 1955 to illustrate two books and not previously exhibited at the museum.
The temporary exhibition, ‘Henri Rivière - Mathurin Méheut: Regards japonisants en Bretagne,’ examines Japonisme and its influence on artistic practice in Brittany. The presentation includes original prints, Japanese notebooks, wood engravings and lithographs. The museum describes Japonisme as the artistic movement that emerged from Western encounters with Japanese art.
A special programme on Saturday 19 September will focus on the restoration of ‘Les Binious,’ a large-format work measuring 1.34 metres high by 4.25 metres wide. The work, currently displayed in the museum, had been stored rolled for nearly 40 years and underwent several weeks of conservation treatment at the institution. Dated 1921, it depicts a wedding scene in the Pont-Labbé region.
The restoration visit will take place at 11am and 2pm and will be led by Marine Letouzey and Marjorie Williams, identified by the museum as conservation-restorers specialising in graphic arts. The session is free and requires online booking. It lasts approximately 50 minutes according to the museum’s reservation page, is intended for visitors aged 10 and over, and is limited to 25 participants.
For the general museum visit, the reservation system lists a one-hour slot and access for all ages. Entry is guaranteed during the first 15 minutes of the reserved time; after that, admission will depend on available capacity. The museum is accessible to people with reduced mobility. It is located at the Haras de Lamballe, 15 place du Champ de Foire, in Lamballe Armor.
