Musée Saint-Nicolas

Musée Saint-Nicolas

This Museum of Sacred Art, housed in the old chapel of the Saint-Yves and Saint-Nicolas hospitals and the adjacent nuns’ choir, specialises in French religious silverwork from the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The collections retrace its development over time through the creations of major religious silverwork designers: the eclecticism of the Louis Philippe era, which took inspiration from the Renaissance period and 17th century; the second half of the 19th century, characterised especially by the neo-Gothic work produced by major Parisian designers (P. Poussielgue-Rusand, Trioullier, Demarquet) and Lyon-based designers such as Armand Calliat. The transition to Art Nouveau and then Art Déco can be seen in the work of silversmiths such as Chaumet, Brunet and Mellerio. This permanent exhibition features traditional pieces such as ciboriums and chalices, along with a number of exceptional works such as J. Chaumet’s Christus Vincit.