Musée National de la Tapisserie de Beauvais (MNTB)
Beauvais was one of the great tapestry capitals of Europe from the 17th century onwards, and this national museum — housed in the former Bishop's Palace — holds the most comprehensive collection of Beauvais-manufacture tapestries in the world. It is a surprisingly intimate and unhurried place, even in summer.
From Royal Commissions to Modernist Experiments
The collection spans five centuries, from Renaissance verdures (lush green hunting-scene tapestries) to the bold geometric designs commissioned in the 20th century from artists including Jean Lurçat and Pablo Picasso. The contrast between a 17th-century pastoral scene and a Cubist-influenced panel hanging in the next room is genuinely startling.
Highlights include a rare complete set of Les Grotesques, woven at the Beauvais manufactory under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Oudry in the early 18th century. The colours — still vivid after 300 years — demonstrate why Beauvais tapestries commanded prices equivalent to oil paintings.
The Living Craft Next Door
The museum connects thematically to the Manufacture Nationale de la Tapisserie, the state-run workshop still operating in Beauvais today. Occasional open-studio days allow visitors to watch weavers working on high-warp looms — check the museum's website for scheduled dates.
The Bishop's Palace courtyard is a lovely spot to decompress after the galleries; stone arcades frame a garden that is quiet even on busy market days.
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