French Museum Glossary
Definitions of key terms in the French museum world. This glossary helps you understand the vocabulary used on DellArte and in the field of labelled museums.
Museum of France
The 'Museum of France' label is a protected designation established by law n° 2002-5 of January 4, 2002, related to French museums. It is awarded by the Ministry of Culture to museums that have public interest and commit to obligations regarding conservation, inventory, restoration, and public accessibility. This label can be granted to public or private museums.
Joconde Database
Collective catalog of collections of French museums, managed by the Museum Service of France at the Ministry of Culture. Joconde lists over 700,000 notices for artworks and patrimonial objects. Each record includes title, artist, technique, creation period, dimensions, and the retaining museum. Data are available in open data on data.culture.gouv.fr.
Muséofile
Official directory of museums of France, administered by the Ministry of Culture. Muséofile contains administrative information for each labelled establishment: official name, address, geographic coordinates, category, thematic areas, key personality, and legal status. It is the reference source used by DellArte for listing museums.
Fine Arts
Thematic domain covering traditional visual arts: painting, sculpture, drawing, engraving, and graphic arts. Museums of Fine Arts are the most represented category among Museums of France. They hold collections from Antiquity to contemporary art.
Conservation
All measures taken to preserve a museum's collections: temperature, humidity, and light control, restoring damaged works, suitable storage conditions. Conservation is one of the core missions of Museums of France.
Thematic Domain
Classification of a museum’s collections according to their nature. Main domains include: fine arts, archaeology, natural history, sciences and techniques, decorative arts, ethnology, history, contemporary art, photography. A single museum can cover multiple domains.
Inventory
Mandatory register where each labelled museum records all objects and works in its collections. The inventory includes a unique number, object designation, artist, technique, provenance. Collections of Museums of France are inalienable and imprescriptible.
Open License v2.0 (Etalab)
Open data license created by the Etalab mission. It allows free reuse of public data, including for commercial purposes, provided the source is mentioned. Muséofile and Joconde data used by DellArte are shared under this license.
Restoration
Technical intervention to restore the condition of a damaged work or object. Restorations of collections of Museums of France are legally regulated and can only be performed by qualified professionals under scientific supervision.
Permanent Collection
Set of works and objects permanently belonging to the museum, exhibited or kept in reserve. Distinguished from temporary exhibitions, which loan works for a limited time.
Deposit
Temporary transfer of an artwork by a museum or owner to another institution. Deposits allow circulation of collections among Museums of France and enrich regional cultural offer.
Ecomuseum
Museum focused on the identity of a territory, its inhabitants, natural, and cultural heritage. Ecomuseums showcase know-how, traditions, and environment of a community. Several hold the Museum of France label.
FRAC (Regional Contemporary Art Fund)
Structures created in 1982, present in each French region. FRACs (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art) collect, display, and preserve contemporary art collections. Some hold the Museum of France label.
Acquisition
Procedure by which a museum enriches its collections by acquiring new works or objects. Acquisition can be made through purchase, donation, bequest, payment in lieu of tax, or pre-emption. For museums of France, any acquisition is subject to the opinion of a scientific committee.
Contemporary art
All artistic productions created from the second half of the 20th century to the present day. Contemporary art encompasses highly varied practices: painting, sculpture, installation, video, performance, and digital art. In France, FRACs and many museums of France collect and promote contemporary art collections.
Decorative art
Artistic field encompassing disciplines related to the production of functional and ornamental objects: furniture, ceramics, goldsmithing, glasswork, textiles, and tapestry. Decorative arts occupy an important place in the collections of the museums of France, notably at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Museum label
Label or panel placed near an artwork in a museum, providing essential information: artist name, title of the work, date of creation, technique, dimensions, and inventory number. The museum label is a fundamental tool of cultural mediation.
Catalogue raisonné
Scholarly publication that comprehensively catalogues all the works of an artist, a collection, or a museum. The catalogue raisonné includes for each work a detailed description, its provenance, exhibition history, and bibliography. It is a reference tool for researchers and curators.
Exhibition curator
Professional responsible for designing and organizing an exhibition. The curator defines the scholarly premise, selects the works, writes the texts, and coordinates the scenography. They work in close collaboration with conservators, registrars, and mediation teams.
Preventive conservation
Set of indirect measures taken to slow the deterioration of collections without directly intervening on the works. Preventive conservation includes climate control (temperature, relative humidity), lighting management, pest prevention, and appropriate packaging. It is distinct from restoration, which is a direct intervention.
Public domain
Legal status of a work whose author's economic rights have expired, generally 70 years after the artist's death under French law. A work in the public domain may be freely reproduced and distributed. This status facilitates the digitization and online publication of the collections of the museums of France.
Donation
Legal act by which a natural or legal person gratuitously transfers ownership of one or more works to a museum during their lifetime. Donation is a major mode of acquisition for the museums of France. It may be subject to conditions, such as the obligation to display the works together.
Right of pre-emption
Right granted to the French state to substitute itself for the buyer at a public sale of works of art, matching the final hammer price. This mechanism allows the museums of France to acquire major pieces that might otherwise leave the national territory or enter private collections.
Print (art)
Printed image obtained from an engraved matrix (wood, metal, stone). Printmaking encompasses various techniques: woodcut (xylography), etching, burin engraving, lithography, and screen printing. The print rooms of the museums of France hold important print collections.
Temporary exhibition
Presentation of works organized for a limited duration, generally from a few weeks to several months, around a theme, an artist, or a period. Unlike the permanent collection, a temporary exhibition draws on loans from other institutions or private collectors.
Engraving
Artistic technique consisting of incising or carving a matrix (metal plate, woodblock, stone) to produce prints. The main engraving techniques are burin, etching, drypoint, and aquatint. Engraving is a thematic field present in many museums of France.
Oil on canvas
Painting technique using pigments ground in oil (usually linseed oil) applied to canvas stretched on a frame. Emerging in the 15th century, oil on canvas became the dominant technique of Western painting. It constitutes a major part of the fine arts collections in French museums.
In situ
Latin expression meaning "on site." In a museum context, it refers to a work designed specifically for a given location and inseparable from it, or an object presented in its original setting. Ecomuseums often favor in situ presentation of heritage.
Bequest
Testamentary provision by which a person bequeaths one or more works to a museum after their death. The bequest is, along with donation and purchase, one of the main modes of acquisition for the museums of France. Many French public collections have been built through major bequests.
Cultural mediation
Set of actions and resources implemented by a museum to facilitate the encounter between audiences and artworks. Cultural mediation includes guided tours, educational workshops, audioguides, explanatory labels, and digital tools. It aims to make collections accessible to the widest possible audience.
Museography
Set of techniques and methods for displaying collections in a museum. Museography covers the layout of galleries, lighting, scenography, signage, and visitor pathways. It evolves to meet the requirements of preventive conservation and accessibility.
Digitization
Process of digitally reproducing the works and objects of a museum through high-definition photography or 3D scanning. Digitization enables the online distribution of collections, remote study, and documentary preservation. The Joconde database and DellArte contribute to making these data accessible.
Major work
A work considered particularly significant within a collection, due to its artistic quality, rarity, historical importance, or renown. Each museum of France identifies its major works, which often form the core of the visit and serve as mediation resources.
Intangible heritage
Set of practices, knowledge, skills, and traditions transmitted from generation to generation within a community. Defined by the 2003 UNESCO convention, intangible cultural heritage includes performing arts, rituals, traditional craftsmanship, and oral traditions. Some ecomuseums and ethnology museums are dedicated to its preservation.
Inventory audit
Systematic verification of a museum's collections, consisting of physically comparing each object against the inventory records. The inventory audit is a legal obligation for the museums of France, which must carry it out at least once every ten years. It enables the location of each work and the identification of any missing items.
Storage reserves
Secure storage spaces in which a museum keeps the works and objects not on public display. Storage reserves generally hold the majority of collections (often over 90%). They are subject to strict preventive conservation conditions: climate control, security, and appropriate shelving.
Scenography
Art of staging an exhibition or museum space. Scenography defines the spatial organization, display furniture, lighting, colors, and visual supports to create a coherent and immersive visitor experience. It works in close connection with museography and the exhibition curator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know
The « Musée de France » label is a protected designation created by law n° 2002-5 of January 4, 2002. It is awarded by the Ministry of Culture to museums whose collections have public interest. About 1,220 museums bear this label in France.
The Joconde database is the collective catalog of collections from museums in France. It lists over 700,000 records of artworks and heritage objects. The data is accessible at data.culture.gouv.fr.
Muséofile is the official directory of museums in France managed by the Ministry of Culture. It contains administrative information for each labeled museum.
A museum bearing the label commits to complying with legal obligations: conservation, inventory, restoration, public access, and scientific oversight by the State. Labeled collections are inalienable and unsellable.
The label is granted by decree of the Minister of Culture, after advice from the High Council of Museums in France. The museum must demonstrate the public interest of its collections.
Collections cannot be sold, donated, or exchanged. They are also non-prescriptible. This protection is guaranteed by law of January 4, 2002.
The Open License v2.0 allows free and open reuse of public data, including for commercial purposes, only requiring attribution of the source. Muséofile and Joconde data are under this license.
National museums are funded by the State, municipal museums by local authorities. Their own revenues, sponsorship, and donations supplement their budgets.
A FRAC (Regional Contemporary Art Fund) creates, distributes, and preserves collections of contemporary art. Present in each region, some hold the « Musée de France » label.
An eco-museum focuses on the identity of a territory. It highlights local know-how, traditions, and environment. Several have the « Musée de France » label.