Yvon Lambert is an art gallerist and collector, now in his 80s, whose extensive collection of art is housed in Avignon and open to the public. We spent the morning there on a recent family trip and it was one of the highlights of our holiday, prompting me to read up about this extraordinary man and his visionary approach to collecting art.
After acquiring his first artwork at the age of 14, Yvon Lambert went on to open a gallery in his French hometown of Vence. In 1966 he established his pioneering Parisian gallery, representing key minimalist and conceptual artists of 1960s and 1970s America including Lawrence Weiner, Carl Andre and Brice Marden.
He opened galleries in New York and London before retiring back to his native south of France and the town of Avignon, where he decided to gift a large part of his collection to the State of France, under the condition that it be on display to the public. It officially opened in 2014, housed in 18th double mansions, Hôtel de Caumont and Hôtel de Montfaucon, both renovated by Parisian design team Berger & Berger.
Hôtel de Caumont features displays from the permanent collection throughout the year whilst Hôtel de Montfaucon houses temporary exhibitions, the bookshop and an auditorium.
Lambert’s collection represents the significant artistic movements of minimalism, conceptualism and land art, alongside paintings from the 1980s and video, photography and installation of the 1990s and 2000s.
We spent a few hours exploring the museums, enjoying one on one time with the wonderful works of art and building an understanding of how this fascinating collection has evolved. The following photos are just a small selection from our visit. I can’t recommend Collection Lambert enough – its an impressive collection of important pieces – an absolute treat for art lovers and a fantastic introduction for those wanting to broaden their knowledge of art and collecting.
*Please see my separate post – coming soon – for information on the Basquiat show:
Basquiat Remix: Matisse, Picasso, Twombly.*
Empreintes de pinceau N.50 répétées à intervalles réguliers, 2000
Canvases by Brice Marden sit alongisde Land Art by Richard Long
Collection Lambert
5 Rue Violette
84000 Avignon
https://collectionlambert.com/
Visiting Hours
September to June:
Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 6pm
Closed Mondays, Jan 1st, May 1st, Dec 25th
July and August:
Open every day 11am to 7pm
Admission:
Adults 10 Euros
6 to 11 years 2 Euros
Restaurant:
Tuesday to Sunday 11am to Midnight
(but check serving times as they had stopped at 2pm on the day we visited!)
KATEJONESLONDON 