Despiau-Wlérick Museum

The Despiau-Wlérick Museum is one of the most emblematic cultural sites in the city of Mont-de-Marsan . It houses bronzes, plasters and marbles by Despiau and Wlérick, including some preparatory models for monumental works. These sculptures illustrate their search for classical beauty and sober humanity, far from the exacerbated expressiveness of Rodin.

Located in the former Lacataye Tower, this museum is entirely dedicated to figurative sculpture from the 19th and 20th centuries, making it a unique place in France. It is named after two major sculptors from the region: Charles Despiau and Robert Wlérick .

The museum pays tribute to its two major sculptors of the 20th century, whose works are at the heart of the collection.

Charles Despiau (1874-1946)

This sculptor from Mont-de-Marsan is known for his portraits of great sobriety and realism. A disciple of Auguste Rodin , Despiau is distinguished by a more refined and intimate aesthetic, part of the movement of the return to order after the First World War.

Robert Wlérick (1882-1944)

Born in Régades (Haute-Garonne) but trained in Mont-de-Marsan, he shares artistic concerns close to Despiau. Wlérick marked figurative art with his sculptures with simple lines, but full of strength and humanity. He is known for his monumental sculptures, but also for his more modest portraits and figures.

These two artists, often associated, participated in the revival of figurative sculpture after the tumultuous period of the avant-gardes at the beginning of the 20th century.