Our Story

The Musée Gaspar is housed in an important bourgeois residence dating from the mid-19th century.
The building, constructed in 1839, originally served as a bank. It was extended in 1869 and became the property of the Gaspar family in 1893.
Upon his death, Charles Gaspar bequeathed the house to the City of Arlon, with the intention of creating a museum dedicated to the work of Jean Gaspar and to the heritage of Arlon.
Fully renovated in 2003 and opened to the public in 2004, the museum still features the fresco adorning the main staircase, as well as two state rooms restored to their original appearance, lending the site the authentic atmosphere of a magnificent fin-de-siècle residence.
The core of the permanent collections consists of the Charles Gaspar Bequest, through which he entrusted his home and its furnishings to the City of Arlon in order to create a museum devoted both to the work of his brother Jean, who died in 1931, and to the heritage of Arlon.
The two splendidly restored salons immerse visitors in the authentic atmosphere of a wealthy bourgeois home of the early 20th century.
The sculptures of Jean Gaspar (1861–1931) may be appreciated both through his personal works and his animal sculptures. A pupil of Jef Lambeaux, he emerged through a dynamic artistic career that was fully embedded in the spirit of his time.
As for Charles Gaspar (1871–1950), in addition to his patronage, he left an exceptionally important collection of photographs, both personal and artistic, from a period when this art form was experiencing its full development.
At the end of the visit, you enter the Religious Art Gallery, which houses part of the Gaspar Bequest as well as the finest pieces from the collections of the Institut Archéologique du Luxembourg, including the exceptional Fisenne Altarpiece (c. 1510), a jewel from the 16th-century Antwerp workshops. Visitors may also admire various works from Orval Abbey, the former Church of Saint Martin (Grand-Rue), and chapels throughout the region.
Finally, the museum is the custodian of several statues of popular devotion originating from the chapel of Heckbous (parish of Guirsch/Arlon).