The Musée Fabre in Montpellier has acquired two 18th-century French paintings at auctions held by Artcurial in September 2025. The first is an "Allégorie de la Poésie" (1774) by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, purchased for €250,000 with support from the museum's corporate foundation and a special grant from the Fonds du patrimoine. The painting, which depicts the early struggles of the future portraitist, was previously owned by Henry and Catherine Robert and had been exhibited in a major retrospective at the Grand Palais a decade ago.
This acquisition underscores the museum's renewed focus on the Enlightenment era under its new director, a specialist in 18th-century art. The purchase of a relatively early work by Vigée Le Brun—painted when she was just twenty—adds a significant piece to the museum's collection, highlighting both the artist's formative years and the institution's commitment to expanding its holdings of French Old Masters. The transaction also illustrates the continued role of private foundations and public heritage funds in supporting museum acquisitions in France.