The museum seen from the garden

Inaugurated in 1973, the International Museum of Naïve Art in Vicq is housed in the former home of founder, Max Fourny and his wife, renowned figurative painter, Françoise Adnet. The building, an old farmhouse dating from 1777, next door to what used to be the village flour mill, was extended in order to accommodate Fourny's growing collection and with the view to creating a museum. Over the years the collection was further built up and developed within an international context.

Max Fourny was passionate about Naïve Art and he travelled the world in search of painters and sculptors. He often invited these artists to illustrate his art books, giving them themes such as Noah's Ark, folk songs, proverbs, festivals, trees and dreams, around which they were encouraged to develop their creative imagination. Thus a remarkable collection and a successful publishing house were born.

Tamas Galambos, The Flood, oil on canvas, 24x32.5in.

On his death in 1991, his collection of Naïve paintings and sculptures contained over 1,600 works. The collection was divided up between the International Museum of Naïve Art in Vicq and the Halle Saint Pierre in the famous Montmartre district in Paris. His widow, Françoise Adnet, donated the buildings to the village of Vicq and today the Museum is run by the Association du Musée International d'Art Naïf whose chairman is Daniel Besseiche.

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