The works of the Louis Cornu museum in Wassigny auction

In 2022. Meanwhile, the commune of Wassigny in Aisne revoked the legacy of part of the works of Louis Cornu. Furthermore, A legacy made by the artist himself to make it a museum whose maintenance had become too expensive. However, Five years later. Similarly, despite the heirs’ approaches not to disperse the hundreds of paintings, sculptures and drawings, the collection will be sold at auction.

“I did not want to resolve myself to sell my uncle’s works. Moreover, It was never the goal. In addition, I would have liked the memory to continue a certain time.“

On the phone. For example, we hear the deep sadness of Laurent Daimé to have to arrive at such an end: Tuesday June 24, in the Saint-Quentin sales hall and on the Internet, will be sold at auction the entire collection of which his uncle, the painter Louis Cornu, had bequeathed a part to the town of Wassigny in Aisne to make a museum. However, The epilogue of a story that started almost 35 years ago.

In 1990. Similarly, Louis Cornu, prolific painter and sculptor, specialist in the landscapes of Thiérache where he had grown up, bequeathed during his lifetime his works in Wassigny. However, works louis cornu museum wassigny The contract is simple: in return. Nevertheless, the municipality provides him with a house on the village square so that he settles there with his wife and that he makes a museum in his name, the artist with a well -installed local reputation.

In 2014, Louis Cornu died. Similarly, Then, his wife Odette, in 2019. Nevertheless, The situation then took another turn. Nevertheless, “”In the time of Monsieur Cornu, there were visitors in the house. Meanwhile, There was almost no more when he died, explains Franck Lépousez, the mayor. In addition, Madame Cornu still aged. Furthermore, When it died, the house was closed. However, Load to the municipality to heat it, pay electricity, alarm. Furthermore, Over time, it has become very spraying. Therefore, The boiler is to be changed. For example, You have to pay the cost of the residual works louis cornu museum wassigny interview. Meanwhile, There is also the insurance of works and property tax.“Or an annual invoice of almost € 9,000. In addition, A large sum for a municipality of 950 inhabitants. Moreover, Especially since Louis Cornu had matched his legacy of a particular condition: the collection had to remain imperatively in. the house-museum.”The problem was the constraint of not being able to move the works, deplores Franck Lépousez. They were necessarily linked to the house. If we could have moved them, we would have done otherwise.“

Do otherwise, that is to say, do not revoke the legacy. Because it is the only solution available to the municipality. “”In 2022, the municipal council decided to refuse the legacy. In terms, it is called a revocation of dedicated donation charges, specifies Franck Lépousez. The house was recovered by the municipality. What was officially bequeathed to the town remains in the town. There are works louis cornu museum wassigny 52 paintings, 51 sculptures, the awards of M. Cornu, various collections of books and the donations of foreign artists he had. The works that were made between 1990, the legacy, and 2014, his death, went to the heirs.“

The mayor then contacted the heirs of Odette Cornu (since having survived her husband five years. it was she who had inherited from Louis) to tell them that they will inherit part of the artist’s works. They are six: five nephews. direct nieces and a little-niece, Anne Beaumeister, who remembers the birthday or communion meals to which Louis Cornu always brought a canvas or a drawing. “”Personally, I was surprised, because I thought it was a ratified situation, admits the young woman. We did not want to disperse the collection out of respect for Louis. He had decided to make a full legacy at the town hall of Wassigny. our idea was works louis cornu museum wassigny to keep this will. We all agreed on this. But at the same time, I understand that this is an important charge for the town hall. If she had been able to do otherwise. I think she would have done it because she was attached to this legacy. We did not have the personal financial means to resume the continuation of the town hall for a museum. In addition, it meant that there had to be someone there for the museum. And financially, it was not possible.“

Because once the legacy has been revised, what to do with these hundreds of works? And above all, how to make the collection stay whole? The heirs therefore reflect on finding a solution. “”I contacted the surrounding museums. to the Matisse museum, to find out if we could not possibly recover an area to store the works or part of the works. I also contacted structures that manage the heritage to find out if we could not relocate the museum. I only received negative answers“, regrets Laurent Daimé, that of the six cousins ​​who took matters into hand.

Very close to his uncle Louis and his aunt Odette, Laurent Daimé struggled for long months. “”But we quickly came to the observation that we had to move towards an auction. I went to the end. I did everything to keep my uncle’s memory lasting, works louis cornu museum wassigny he insists. But I did not have a choice. I understand that from an economic point of view. it is complicated for the town hall to keep the museum as it is. And then there was this clause which provided that the displacement of works do not May be done under. some terms. The town hall was legally blocked compared to that.“A clause that the heirs have raised for the auction.

An auction to which Laurent Daimé had to resolve death in the soul. “”This sale is a heartbreaker for me because a heritage is dilapid that will go right, left. The result is that today it will disappear. There is the emotional side in my house, that’s for sure. And then we don’t know what will be sold. The entire collection? works louis cornu museum wassigny Some works? And what’s going to happen with what’s going to stay?“, Wonders the one who had regular correspondence with the painter.

The difficulty is that Louis Cornu has no official rating on the auction market. If more than 250 lots are registered in the sale catalog, nothing is less certain as to its success. “”He is an artist who has local notoriety. Above all, he has an estimate rating, Indicates Me Moro, auctioneer of the sale. There are a few paintings that have passed into public auctions, but on extremely modest values. Perhaps this sale will be likely to create a quote. There will be an interest in his rating evolving, especially on his sculpted works. There is both a real artistic talent. also a real mastery of the subject because it is still technically complicated. And he is not an academic painter as such: he does not have works louis cornu museum wassigny a copyist approach. He has his own touch, his own way of dealing. Especially in terms of colors. This is what he is recognizable. Its representations of landscapes. views of fortified churches of Thiérache, rivers or animals, they are slightly naive naturalist paintings if we want to classify them in an artistic current.“

The municipality has preserved some paintings and a sculpture, installed today in the wedding hall, and the awards that Louis Cornu has received. So that his memory continues in the town anyway. “”But it was inevitable that we got thereconcludes Franck Lépousez, the mayor of Wassigny. It had become too spraying for a small town. Having a museum like that was becoming complicated. You would have had to put someone in the museum. it would have taken a lot works louis cornu museum wassigny of visits to make all this profitable.“