Nantes’ renowned Maison Peignon was among France’s most prestigious costume suppliers until the early 2000s. From 1864 to 1894, Eugène Peignon designed a remarkable repertoire of infinite, yet precise, facial expressions ranging from benevolence and jeers to horror and grimacing. Caricature is what underpins all of these masks, be it social, political, or moral.
Le Voyage à Nantes presents this unique collection in the surprising, unique space of Maison de l’Immaculée (“House of the Immaculate”) located on the site of the former Couvent des Minimes convent, next to a late-16th century chapel.
THANKS TO NICOLE AND ANDRÉ PARENT, THE RESIDENTS OF THE MAISON DE L’IMMACULÉE AND THE DIOCESE OF NANTES.