It is a very beautiful gift. The small town of Audincourt, in the Doubs, received a very nice present from a retired couple. As the report The Parisian, Monday January 3, these inhabitants of Belfort decided to donate their art collection to the small town of just under 15,000 inhabitants. In total, the town near the Peugeot-Stellantis factories in Sochaux received 236 parts gathered over 25 years in an incredible collection, all estimated at 2.1 million euros.

The two benefactors of the town preferred to remain anonymous until the collection was delivered. The mayor of Audincourt however specified that it was about a “couple without children, without heir”. “I saw them regularly at our various exhibitions. One day, they offered to visit their personal collection. And then, they became more specific about the destination they had given to it. They left a legacy” , tells the daily Martial Bourquin.

A “formidable gift”

Among the great works, paintings by Dali, Combas, Di Rosa, Erro or even Jean Messagier, artist from Doubs. This fine donation comes with one condition, however: that the works must be exhibited to the public. They must therefore be visible in an old castle belonging to the Peugeot family, dating from the 19th century. According to Le Parisien, the two donors will be unveiled to the public as soon as the collection is sent to Audincourt and secured.

>> To read also – The nice donation made by an anonymous to a municipality of Aude

A “tremendous gift” for the mayor of the who believes that “these people deserve to be known”. Martial Bourquin thus affirmed that he wanted to allow them to “take great pleasure in visiting their collection installed and available to the public and to them”. The councilor announced that the collection should be visible, at the latest, at the beginning of the year 2023.