30 
MuseoMag   N°III 2024 
A lithograph by Nicolas Liez depicting Luxembourg City. On the opposite page: a portrait of Mrs. Paul Abbot by Edward 
Steichen. 
GEMS FROM THE DEPOT 
Showcasing objects from our vast collection 
One of the main features of a museum, according 
to the ICOM’s definition, is its collection. In the case 
of our museum, we began collecting long before 
there was a building to house it. In 1845, only a few 
years after Luxembourg became independent, the 
Société pour la conservation et la restauration des 
monuments historiques started collecting archaeo- 
logical and numismatic objects. This society was re- 
cognised by the state in 1868 when it became the 
Section historique de l’Institut Grand-Ducal. It conti- 
nued to collect archaeological and historical objects, 
with a view to eventually exhibiting them in a mu- 
seum. 
It would take another 50 years or so for the state to 
realise its plans for a museum by buying the Maison 
Collart-de-Scherff on the Marché-aux-Poissons 
in 1922. By then, efforts had been made to build a 
fine arts collection in addition to the collections of 
the Section historique. It took a number of years 
for the building to be turned into a functional mu- 
seum. It was finished in 1939, just in time to celebrate 
100 years of Luxembourgish independence, but the 
museum didn’t end up opening because the country 
was occupied by the Nazis shortly after. 
During the war, the collections had to be protec- 
ted from damage. At the same time, the occupying 
forces kept collecting objects and artworks for the 
museum. The acquisitions from these years (1940- 
1944) are currently being studied as part of the 
Provilux project. 
HOW MUCH OF OUR COLLECTION IS 
ACTUALLY ON DISPLAY? 
After the occupation ended, the museum finally 
opened its doors to the public in 1945. This, of course, 
didn’t mean we stopped collecting, which we conti- 
nue to do to this day. From the very beginning, it was 
clear that not all the objects in our collection could 
be exhibited, as space was limited. This continues 
to be the case even after the museum reopened 
in 2002, when its exhibition space expanded to 
© 
éric chenal