The Cabinet des Estampes et des Dessins is the collection of old prints of the Strasbourg museums. Established at the beginning of the 20th century as a complement to the painting collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, it gradually became independent and forms one of the most important holdings of works on paper in the Strasbourg museums, alongside the Cabinet d'arts graphiques of the Musée d'art moderne et contemporain and the Musée Tomi Ungerer.
Its collections reflect the large families of objects in the network of Strasbourg museums. Thus one finds drawings and engravings from the 15th to the mid-19th century, from the Italian, Nordic or German schools, which complement and resonate with the collections of the Musée des Beaux-Arts. Engravings and drawings of ornaments, as well as a series of goldsmith's drawings, make it possible to recall the tradition of arts and crafts, very important in Strasbourg since the 18th century, and complement the objects displayed in the Musée des Arts décoratifs.
The documentary collections, views of Strasbourg or Alsace, portraits of famous Alsatians, tell the story of the city and its inhabitants, thus enriching the collections of the History Museum. The large stock of folk paintings and, more broadly, lithographs published in Alsace in the 19th century enriches our knowledge of folk art and traditions, which are enhanced by the Alsace Museum.
This collection of light-sensitive works is accessible by appointment only
