The collections of 19th Century French art in the Augustins museum are assembled in the " Salon rouge " and in the monumental staircase,which is built according to drawings by Viollet-Le-Duc and joins the south wing of the cloister on the first floor to the west wing, which runs parallel with the rue Alsace Lorraine.
The presentation of these collections is based on principles inherited from the 19th Century that were conserved during the renovation (terminated in 1981). In fact, the Augustins museum is one of the only museums in France to have preserved the atmosphere of the Salons of the past. It kept, for example, the overhead lighting - which admittedly is sometimes uncomfortable, and the high background colour, in this case a Pompeian red (giving the room its name).
Works are displayed in several rows - another feature from the 19th century tradition. Hence the paintings and sculptures here are presented just as they would have been in their contemporary milieu. In this very room, the film director, Roger Planchon found a perfect setting for his film on life of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
The main pictorial movements in 19th century French art are represented in the museum's collection, which covers neoclassicism through to realism. Special mention must be given to art from 1870-1914 . These works mainly originate from state donations and were enriched with municipal acquisitions. They reflect the diverse academic and modern styles at the end of the 19th Century.
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